The Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize (1997)

Diddy (known then as Puff Daddy) produced “Hypnotize” and sampled Herb Alpert’s 1979 hit “Rise” which was written by Andy Armer and Herb’s nephew, Randy “Badazz” Alpert.[5] Randy recalled, “I asked Puffy, in 1996 when he first called me concerning using ‘Rise’ for ‘Hypnotize,’ why he chose the ‘Rise’ groove. He told me that in the summer of 1979 when he was I think 10 years old the song was a huge hit everywhere in New York and ‘Rise’ along with Chic’s ‘Good Times’ were ‘the songs’ that all the kids were dancing and roller skating to that summer. He had always remembered that summer and that song. When he first played the loop for Biggie, (he said that) Biggie smiled and hugged him.”[6]

Randy continued, "Over the years I was approached by Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Vanilla Ice, and maybe another 4–5 artists to use the song and I never said ‘yes’ until I heard a rough version of Biggie’s recording produced by Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs, D-Dot, and Ron Lawrence. I was sent a cassette from Puffy and when I cranked it up I not only immediately loved it but my gut thought that this could be a number one record once again. …

The melody and phrasing of the chorus is interpolated from a lyrical section of Slick Rick’s song “La Di Da Di”, and it is also from these lyrics that the title “Hypnotize” is derived. Often misattributed to Lil’ Kim, Pamela Long from the group Total sang this part.[5]

In 2013, asked about the lyrics, “Escargot, my car go…”, Lil’ Cease of Junior M.A.F.I.A. stated, “That’s the shit that made B.I.G dope B.I.G used to talk about all the cars but, nigga didn’t even know how to drive. He wouldn’t dare get in the driver seat.”[8] …

Kris Ex of Pitchfork wrote “Big was a master of flow, sounding unforced and unlabored over a bevy of pristine, hi-fidelity maximalist beats that seemed to always bow to his intent.”[9]