GizmodoJalopnikKotakuQuartzThe RootThe InventoryBlack News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta AttitudeHomeLatestEntertainmentThe CultureNewsBeauty/StyleOpinionEditionsEspañolDeutschFrançaisWe may earn a commission from links on this pageHomeLatestEntertainmentThe CultureNewsBeauty/StyleOpinionPoliticsAnd It Don’t Stop: Milwaukee’s Hip-Hop Week Is What Happens When Hip-Hop Goes Back to Its RootsByStephen A. Crockett Jr.PublishedAugust 23, 2019We may earn a commission from links on this page.Rapper Kevin Gates performs onstage during the PANDORA Discovery Den SXSW on March 18, 2016 in Austin, Texas.Photo: Rachel Murray (Getty Images)In 1994, Notorious B.I.G. would release his groundbreaking album, Ready to Die. The first single from the seminal hip-hop classic was “Juicy,” a Dickensian tale of a young black man’s ascension from having nothing to having everything, assuming, of course, that young black men can have Dickensian tales. The lyrics of B.I.G.’s first album have been combed over and dissected as if they were ancient etchings on Egyptian walls. I contend that the first line that B.I.G. rapped on his debut single from his first studio album might be its most important and the impetus for Milwaukee’s annual hip-hop week:Related ContentNah, Jigga: Jay-Z Reportedly Has No Chance of Getting His Hands on an NFL TeamIt’s Showtime! Here’s Our 2024 Summer Movie PreviewAndre Ward on His Book ‘Killing the Image’ & on his Successful Boxing Career PublishedAugust 23, 2019