This is truly an epic moment in hip-hop!
While Jay-Z had yet to drop his debut album Reasonable Doubt, Biggie Smalls was already solidifying his legend with Ready To Die.
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In 1996, at Video Music Box creator Ralph McDaniels‘ birthday celebration, Jay joined Biggie live on stage as a hypeman for “Get Money.” Even though, the two Brooklyn natives traded verses on “Brooklyn’s Finest” and were good friends, even attending the same high school, the two rarely performed together – making this piece of footage all the more rare.
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“Every year, I had a birthday party,” said McDaniels. “I wanted to get B.I.G. to host [it], but really I wanted him to perform. Jay-Z came with the whole Roc-A-Fella crew and they got on stage. I told the DJ, ‘If Biggie gets on stage, play a Biggie song and we’ll get him to perform.’ DJ Ace threw on ‘Get Money’ and the whole crowd went crazy. B.I.G. looks at me like, ‘I guess I’m supposed to perform now, right?’ Jay-Z plays hypeman to B.I.G. on ‘Get Money.’ That just rang through the hood forever.”
Check out the video above, and witness what it means to be BK’s Finest!
