This version of the album has never been released by WMG/Rhino with the iconic baby on the cover, the last time a 2LP version with the baby cover was available to all retailers was in 2004 by Universal and has been out of the marketplace since. After years of resolving cover issues we are now able to bring this back for everyone to have a piece of the most iconic cover in Hip Hop history. Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G.; it was released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records. The label's first release, the album features production by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier and Lord Finesse, among others. Recording for the album took place during 1993 to 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D; Studios in New York City. The partly autobiographical album tells the story of B.I.G.'s experiences as a young criminal. Ready to Die is his only studio album released during his lifetime, as he was murdered just days prior to the release of his second album, Life After Death (1997).