Source: Rolling Stone / Getty
Music by The Notorious B.I.G. and Slick Rick are among those on this year’s selections list for the National Recording Registry.
On Tuesday (April 16), the National Recording Registry announced its list of inductees for 2024, and music from The Notorious B.I.G. and Slick Rick are included. The registry, which the Library of Congress administers, picked the late rapper’s debut album Ready to Die from 1994 to be among the list of 25 inductees for the year along with the Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh classic 1985 hit “La-Di-Da-Di”.
“The Library of Congress is proud to preserve the sounds of American history and our diverse culture through the National Recording Registry,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden in her statement announcing the news. “We have selected audio treasures worthy of preservation with our partners this year, including a wide range of music from the past 100 years, as well as comedy. We were thrilled to receive a record number of public nominations and we welcome the public’s input on what we should preserve next.” This year’s list now brings the total number of recordings in the registry to 650.
The inclusion of Ready to Die speaks to the significance of The Notorious B.I.G.’s impact not only on Hip-Hop but on American music culture overall, with its gritty and powerful lyricism backed by timeless production capturing life in the eyes of the Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn native. “La-Di-Da-Di”, which was first released as a B-side where Slick Rick was billed as MC Ricky D, is one of Hip-Hop’s most influential songs – according to the Library of Congress, it has been referenced in over 1,000 other songs and recordings.
Other songs and albums that were on this year’s list include Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, Bill Withers’ “Aint No Sunshine”, and Blondie’s Parallel Lines album along with Green Day’s Dookie album and ABBA’s Arrival album. The Library of Congress said it had received 2,889 nominations from the general public for this year’s list, which is a record for the institution. Nominations for the 2025 list can be submitted by October 1 through their website.