Sales/Impact? Check
Influence? Check
Classic Material? Check
Lyrics? Check
Flow? Check
Creativity? Check
Hit Songs? Check
Replay Value? Check
Versatility? Check
Critical Acclaim? Check
Awards? Check
"Life After Death" passes every threshold for Classic Status. At this point it's not even debatable. Big gave you an ALBUM, not just a collection of songs like a lot of rappers are doing now. It was Big's last will and testament to Hip Hop. The way the album just picked right up from "Ready To Die" made it like a sequel to a Blockbuster movie. It's 15 years later and dudes still trying to recreate their own versions of "Life After Death" and can't do it like Big did it. How did Jay do on his double? What about NaS? Neither could make a double LP as timeless as LAD. The man gave a song for every type of rap fan. He gave the Streets Tracks, He gave the Clubs Tracks, he gave Backpakers tracks, he gave The Midwest, The South and the West Tracks. He gave Females tracks, he gave storytellin fans tracks. "Life After Death" is probably the most versatile rap album of all time. Is it perfect? No but there were 24 total tracks. 1 song was an intro and 1 song was an interlude so that leaves 22 tracks. The only songs you can throw rocks at is "Another, Nasty Boy and Playa Hater". "Another" was for the chicks and ask any female you know, they will call the song a Classic. "Nasty Boy" was for the clubs and Big's bars were so sick they remixed the song 9 years later on "Nasty Girl" and it became a Platinum
#1 international hit. "Playa Hater" was Big just being comedic, showing you he has a sense of humor. These tracks you cannot say are wack, they are too soild:
Somebody's got To Die
Hypnotize
Kick in the Door
F*ckin U Tonite
Last Day
I love the Dough
What's Beef
Mo Money, Mo Problems
N!ggas Bleed
I got a Story To Tell
Notorious Thugs
Miss U
Going Back To Cali
10 Crack Commandments
Sky's The Limit
The World is filled
My Downfall
Long Kiss Goodnight
Your Nobody
That's 17-18 Hot joints and it's not CLASSIC? The thing people need to understand is several factors make an album a Classic and Big again passes every threshold for Classic Status.