"Party and Bullshit" is a song by the American

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

artist

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...

, credited as BIG. Released on June 29, 1993, as the fourth

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

from the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

to the film ''

Who's the Man? ''Who's the Man?'' is a 1993 thriller buddy comedy film directed by Ted Demme in his feature film directing debut. The film stars ''Yo! MTV Raps'' hosts Doctor Dré (in his film debut) and Ed Lover alongside Ice-T and features cameo appearan ...

'' (1993), "Party and Bullshit" was the rapper's debut single.

Background

Christopher Wallace, born and raised in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York City, during the emergence of the

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

scene, developed a passion for music at a young age. There, he met the saxophonist

Donald Harrison Donald Harrison Jr. (born June 23, 1960) is an American jazz saxophonist and the Big Chief of The Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Berklee College of M ...

, who introduced him to

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

. Wallace recorded one of his first songs in Harrison’s home studio. However, growing up during the

crack epidemic The crack epidemic was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the United States throughout the entirety of the 1980s and the early 1990s. This resulted in several social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in Americ ...

, Wallace decided to focus on selling drugs, while still rapping as a hobby. According to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', "as a boy he preferred hanging around gamblers and drug dealers to sitting in a classroom". He dropped out of school in the tenth grade. To increase his drug-sale profits, he moved to

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, where, at the age of 17, he was arrested and spent nine months in jail. Upon release from jail, Wallace, known at the time as Biggie Smalls, decided to focus more on music. Back in Brooklyn, his friend DJ 50 Grand introduced him to

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American Rapping, rapper, producer and actor who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influe ...

's DJ,

Mister Cee Calvin LeBrun (August 17, 1966 – April 10, 2024), known professionally as Mister Cee or DJ Mister Cee, was an American DJ, broadcaster, record executive, and radio personality. He guest appeared on Big Daddy Kane's 1988 debut album '' Long ...

. Enthusiastic about Biggie's rapping, Mister Cee convinced him to record a demo and send it to ''

The Source The Source may refer to: Film and television * ''The Source'' (1918 film), 1918 American drama directed by George Melford * ''The Source'' (1999 film), a 1999 documentary film about the Beat generation * ''The Source'' (2002 film), a 2002 scienc ...

'' magazine's column "Unsigned Hype", which showcased up-and-coming rap talents. Biggie remained skeptical but agreed. Impressed with the demo, the column's editor Matteo "Matty C" Capoluongo recommended him to

Sean "Puffy" Combs Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, Combs worked as a ...

, a young intern who by now was the vice president of A&R at

Uptown Records Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by old school rapper ‘Dr Jekyll’ - Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip-hop. Beginnings and success In ...

. Combs helped Biggie get signed to Uptown. "Party and Bullshit" was Biggie's commercial debut, released after he was featured on several songs from other artists of the label.

Recording

In 1992, Uptown Records and

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...

signed a $50 million deal, which led to Uptown producing the

for the movie ''

'' (1993). Puffy, who was responsible for the soundtrack, decided to include his new artist, Biggie. "Party and Bullshit" was recorded at Soundtrack Studios in New York. According to the song's producer

Easy Mo Bee Osten S. Harvey Jr. (born December 8, 1965), better known by his stage name Easy Mo Bee, is an American hip hop and R&B record producer and DJ, known for his production work for artists such as Big Daddy Kane and Miles Davis, as well as his a ...

, it was recorded in one take. Biggie brought his friends from the group

Junior M.A.F.I.A. Junior M.A.F.I.A. was an American hip hop group from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City. The backronym M.A.F.I.A. stands for Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes. They were formed and mentored by New York rapper The Notorious B.I. ...

for the recording session, they ordered food and were resting in the studio. Anxious about wasting expensive studio time, Easy Mo Bee kept asking him when they would start recording. "And he kept telling me, 'Yo, I got you, man.' Ordering food, eating burgers. And then he just jumped up and went right into the booth and just spat three verses. I was like, 'Yo, who is this dude?' I thought he was playing the whole time", said the producer. In an interview with ''

Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...

'' magazine, Biggie revealed that the original version of the song differed from the released version. The rapper explained that

Andre Harrell Andre O’Neal Harrell (September 26, 1960 – May 7, 2020) was an American record executive, media proprietor, and former rapper. He formed the short-lived East Coast hip hop duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde with Alonzo Brown in 1980; they sig ...

, CEO of Uptown Records, asked him to record a party song.

Composition

"Party and Bullshit" is an

East Coast hip hop East Coast hip-hop is a regional subgenre of hip-hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip-hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the Bronx borough of New York City. In contrast to other styles, East Co ...

song. The main melody of the song is a loop, made by blending two samples: the siren from the song "UFO" by the band ESG and the organ from

Johnny "Hammond" Smith John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, wh ...

's cover of " I'll Be There" by

the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...

. Nate Patrin of ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

'' wrote that the samples "melt into each other to sound richer", resulting in a track that "sounds amped and mellow ". The song begins with Biggie describing his early teenage years: calling himself a "terror since the public school era", talking about skipping classes and

smoking marijuana Cannabis smoking (known colloquially as smoking weed or smoking pot) is the inhalation of smoke or vapor released by heating the flowers, leaves, or extracts of cannabis and releasing the main psychoactive chemical, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol ...

daily. He then describes a modern day party, where he and all his friends brought firearms. Throughout the song, he references numerous alcoholic beverages. Towards the end of the third verse music stops and a small

skit Skit may refer to: * * A short segment in a performance, such as: ** Sketch comedy ** Hip hop skit ** Puppet skit ** Promo (professional wrestling) * Skit note, parody of a banknote * "Skit", a song by Bad Gyal from '' La joia'', 2024 See als ...

is played, portraying a fight at the party. After the fight ends, Biggie continues rapping with the phrase "Can't we just all get along?", alluding to the quote from the victim of police brutality

Rodney King Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965June 17, 2012) was a Black American victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was severely beaten by Police officer, officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during his arrest after a high spe ...

. The song's

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

is built around the "party and bullshit" chant, which is an

interpolation In the mathematics, mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a type of estimation, a method of constructing (finding) new data points based on the range of a discrete set of known data points. In engineering and science, one ...

of the phrase from the 1968 song "When the Revolution Comes" by the

spoken word Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

group

the Last Poets The Last Poets is a poetry collective and musical group that arose in the late 1960s as part of the African-American civil rights movement and black nationalism. The name was inspired by revolutionary South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsile who ...

. However, Biggie altered its meaning: the original song sarcastically criticized young black people who ignored the fight for equality in favor of leisure and meaningless activities, while his song emphasized these activities, turning into what

Sia Michel Sia Michel (born May 17, 1967, in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American newspaper editor. As editor-in-chief of ''Spin'', she became the first woman to edit a large-circulation American rock magazine. Subsequently appointed as the deputy culture edi ...

of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' magazine called a "good-time anthem". Discussing the use of the phrase,

Abiodun Oyewole Abiodun Oyewole (born Charles Davis, February 1948), is a poet, teacher and member of the African-American music and spoken-word group The Last Poets, which developed into what is considered to be the first hip hop group. Critic Jason Ankeny w ...

of the Last Poets said: "When we rapped, it was all about raising consciousness and using language to challenge people. When I wrote

bout Bout can mean: People *Viktor Bout, suspected arms dealer *Jan Everts Bout, early settler to New Netherland *Marcel Bout Musical instruments * The outward-facing round parts of the body shape of violins, guitars, and other stringed instrume ...

'party and bullshit' it was to make people get off their ass. But now 'party and bullshit' was used by Biggie, used by

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

, but in a non-

conscious Consciousness, at its simplest, is awareness of a state or object, either internal to oneself or in one's external environment. However, its nature has led to millennia of analyses, explanations, and debate among philosophers, scientists, a ...

way." In his book ''Unbelievable'',

Cheo Hodari Coker Cheo Hodari Coker is an American former music journalist turned television writer and producer known for such television series as ''Luke Cage (TV series), Luke Cage'', ''NCIS: Los Angeles'', ''Southland (TV series), Southland'' and ''Ray Donovan ...

argued that "Party and Bullshit" had a deeper meaning. The journalist wrote that the lyrics provided a

social commentary Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...

, highlighting the problems of young men who grew up during the crack epidemic and desired to get rich.

Release

"Party and Bullshit" was released on June 29, 1993, through

. It was the fourth

from the

to the film ''

'' (1993) and Biggie's debut single. Apart from the song itself, the single also included two

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

es, by Puff Daddy and

Lord Finesse Robert A. Hall Jr. (born February 19, 1970), known by his stage name Lord Finesse, is an American rapper and hip-hop producer from The Bronx, New York, best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. crew. About.com ranked him number 29 on its list of ...

, which used different,

y instrumentals. "Party and Bullshit" did not chart and has not received a

RIAA certification In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) operates an awards program based on the certified number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. however, it has sold 500,000 copies. S. H. Fernando Jr. of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine described it as an "underground smash", while the journalist Ronin Ro wrote that the song was a hit on radio stations and in nightclubs. According to him, following the release, other famous rappers would approach Biggie in nightclubs to shake his hand and praise him.

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, Reginald C. Dennis of ''

'' magazine called the song a "hardcore debut" that "livens things up" on the soundtrack. The journalist praised Biggie's performance, referring to him as "the star of the album".

, in his book ''Unbelievable'', commended the song, calling it a "fine vehicle for his storytelling skills and playful yet commanding cadence", that creates a colorful depiction of the Brooklyn night life. ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'' described it as "considerably rawer" than the rapper's later songs, "showcas nghis strong willed cadence and propensity for catchy rhyming verses". Discussing the song,

Ekow Eshun Ekow Eshun (born 27 May 1968) is a British writer, journalist, broadcaster, and curator. Eshun rose to prominence as a trailblazer in British culture. He was the first Black editor of a major magazine in the UK (''Arena'' Magazine in 1997) and ...

of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' said he was "mesmerised" after the first listen. "His lyrics turn the vernacular into the spectacular, delivering narrative with breathless ease", stated the journalist.

Legacy

Remixes

In the late 1990s, Puff Daddy had plans to record a

of "Party and Bullshit" for Biggie's posthumous compilation album ''

Born Again To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...

'' (1999). The remix was supposed to feature

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...

and a

from

Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 in pursuit of a recording career. Evans initially performed as ...

. The song has not been released officially. In the following years, several artists remixed "Party and Bullshit". In 2007, the electronic duo

Ratatat Ratatat ( ) is a Brooklyn-based electronic rock duo consisting of Mike Stroud (guitar, melodica, synthesizers, percussion) and producer Evan Mast (bass, synthesizers, percussion). History Beginnings and first album, ''Ratatat'' (2001–2005 ...

remixed it for their album ''

Ratatat Remixes Vol. 2 ''Ratatat Remixes Vol. 2'' is the second self-released remix album by the Brooklyn indie electronic/alternative rock duo Ratatat. It includes performances from hip-hop artists U.G.K., Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, and Z-R ...

''. The

G-Unit G-Unit (short for Guerilla-Unit). was an American hip hop group formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. After amassing a string of self-released mixtapes in the early 2000s, the group released ...

rapper

Lloyd Banks Christopher Charles Lloyd (born April 30, 1982), better known by his stage name Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper. He began his career as a member of East Coast hip-hop, East Coast hip hop group G-Unit, which he formed with childhood friends ...

released "Party N Bullshit" on his

mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...

''Halloween Havoc'' (2008). Andrew Hathaway released a

mashup Mashup may refer to: * Mashup (culture), the rearrangement of spliced parts of musical pieces as part of a subculture * Mashup (education), combining various forms of data and media by a teacher or student in an instructional setting * Mashup (mus ...

of "Party and Bullshit" and

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...

song " Party in the U.S.A.". In 2015, Richie Branson and Solar Slim remixed the song for their ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

''-themed mashup ''Life After Death Star''.

Samples and copyright lawsuit

Numerous artists

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...

"Party and Bullshit", including

Rah Digga Rashia Tashan Fisher (born December 18, 1974), known professionally as Rah Digga, is an American rapper and actress. She is best known as a longtime member of the Flipmode Squad, a hip hop group led by Busta Rhymes. Her debut album, '' Dirty H ...

Young M.A Katorah Kasanova Marrero (born April 3, 1992), better known by her stage name Young M.A (acronym for Young Me. Always), is an American rapper. She is best known for her 2016 single "Ooouuu", which peaked at number 16 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 10 ...

Cypress Hill Cypress Hill is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group formed in South Gate, California in 1988. One of the first Latin groups to gain mainstream recognition in hip hop, they have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and have obtained multi ...

, MF Doom,

Jean Grae Tsidi Ibrahim (born November 26, 1976), known professionally as Jean Grae, is a multidisciplinary artist and writer. She emerged in New York City's underground hip-hop scene and developed an international following. Throughout her music career, ...

, and

Joell Ortiz Joell Christopher Ortiz (born July 6, 1980) is an American rapper and former member of the group Slaughterhouse. Raised in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn's Cooper Park Houses, he first gained recognition after appearing in the Unsigned Hype colu ...

Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (; born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer-songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Rig ...

's 2012 song "

How We Do (Party) "How We Do (Party)" is a song by English singer Rita Ora from her debut studio album, '' Ora'' (2012). The song was written by Andrew Harr, Bonnie McKee, Christopher Wallace, Hal Davis, Jermaine Jackson, Willie Hutch and seven others, and prod ...

" interpolates the lyrics of "Party and Bullshit". In 2016,

, a founding member of

, sued the Notorious B.I.G. estate for US$24 million in damages. Oyewole claimed that the use of the phrase "party and bullshit", taken from the spoken word group's 1968 song "When the Revolution Comes", constituted

copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of Copyright#Scope, works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the c ...

. The list of defendants also included executive producer Puff Daddy, producer Easy Moe Bee, and Rita Ora, along with several producers and songwriters of her song "How We Do (Party)". Initially, the lawsuit listed Busta Rhymes and

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

, whose track " Calm Down" also sampled "Party and Bullshit", but Oyewole later dropped these claims voluntarily. After several years of legal battles, in 2019, the New York federal judge

Robert Katzmann Robert Allen Katzmann (April 22, 1953 – June 9, 2021) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He served as chief judge from September 1, 2013, to August 31, 2020. Early life and educati ...

ruled that the use of the phrase in "Party and Bullshit" is within

fair use Fair use is a Legal doctrine, doctrine in United States law that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to bal ...

Track listing

;Commercial 12-inch vinyl single :;Side A #"Party and Bullshit" (Album Version) – 3:42 #"Party and Bullshit" (Puffy's Dirty) – 4:07 :;Side B #"Party and Bullshit" (Lord's Dirty) – 4:15 ;Promotional 12-inch vinyl single :;Side A #"Party and Bullshit" (Radio) – 3:42 #"Party and Bullshit" (Album) – 3:42 #"Party and Bullshit" (Instrumental) – 3:42 :;Side B #"Party and Bullshit" (Club Dirty) – 3:42 #"Party and Bullshit" (Dirty Instrumental) – 3:42

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the single's liner notes. *Buttnaked Tim Dawg – co-producer *James Earl Jones, Jr. – co-producer *

– executive producer *

– executive producer *Mark Siegal – executive producer *Toby Emmerich – music supervisor *Kathy Nelson – music supervisor *

– producer *Jonnie “Most” Davis - recording/mix engineer

Certifications

Notes

References

Works cited

* * * * * *

External links

* {{The Notorious B.I.G. 1993 debut singles The Notorious B.I.G. songs Song recordings produced by Easy Mo Bee Songs written by the Notorious B.I.G. 1992 songs Uptown Records singles Songs written by Easy Mo Bee