Christopher George Latore Wallace, known worldwide by his stage names “The Notorious B.I.G.” and  “Biggie Smalls”, passed away on March 9, 1997. However, despite his death there have been numerous posthumous releases of music he recorded before his death.

The most recent posthumous release was on May 19, 2017 when the duet album The King and I was released. This album is comprised of vocals from Wallace’s ex-wife Faith Evans with verses of Biggie’s mixed in throughout the album, some being heard for the first time. Multiple artists are featured on the album including former friends Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes.

The album was a great tribute to Biggie from his former lover and oozed affection. Songs such as “Legacy” and “One in the Same” illustrate the love that Faith and Biggie once possessed for each other and the care they both had for their child. You could hear the raw emotion in Evans’s voice throughout the album as she poured her heart into this album.

However, to be very honest, the King and I was not an enjoyable album to listen to. Listening to Biggie’s verses was like listening to a fake version of him. His raps often sounded awkward and unnatural, as if they had been recorded with an Iphone instead of in an actual studio. It’s clear throughout the whole album that Biggie’s verses had been recorded long ago and there was a clear difference between the sound quality of Evans’s and Biggie’s audio.

Not to mention that most of Biggie’s audio had already been used on different songs in previous albums. It doesn’t sound right taking lyrics from one song and just inserting them into another. Not only does it not sound right but it’s ruining the meaning of the lyrics because they weren’t intended for that specific track.

Instead of enjoying one of the greatest rappers of all time, listeners are just reminded of his absence as a result of his old-sounding audio and his outdated lyrics struggling to match with Evan’s modern recordings. The thrill of listening to the Notorious B.I.G. is not present in this album, instead being replaced by the painful remembrance of one of music’s greatest individual’s life being taken so young.

The regretful part is that Evans actually did a great job on this album. Her lyrics were meaningful and her voice sounded beautiful, clearly conveying the love she still possess for Biggie and the pain she still feels from his death. Many rap or sing about the death of Biggie but few have ever been able to show this much passion and make it as personal as Faith made this album.

This album would have been better served if it was just devoted to honoring Biggie’s memory by having close friends and associates rap and sing on it. It would have been wise to leave his audio out as it ruined the flow of the album, being awkwardly inserted into every song, and left listeners with a bad taste in their mouth rather than the fondness they should feel when reflecting on his life and career.