The Stylishly Alternative Covers

Notorious B.I.G: Ready to Die (1994) As gangsta rap evolved, the genre's violence and feuds escalated, with East-coast artist Biggie Smalls becoming one of it's most notorious victims. Here, the cool innocence of Butch Belair's portrait of an afro-coiffed toddler stands in sharp contrast to the title and content of of the album -- and of course it has a strange poignancy given the rapper's fate. The baby photo was put against a dark background for the posthumous re-mastered album, but it is the original cover that's most striking. -- JH