Every so often the universe sees fit to gift a person with the ability to keep others desperately clinging to their every word, so enthralled with the details of even the simplest anecdote that all sense of time and purpose are lost, and all that matters to the eager audience is what happens next. It's even less common that two talented orators cross baths in such a brief and spectacular way as comedian and storyteller Bert Kreischer and rapper Notorious B.I.G. For one brief second in 1997, the two shared the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Notorious B.I.G. had been murdered just weeks after the release of Life After Death, a double-album rife with tales of the opulence and violence of the New York City drug trade. Bert was being named America's top partier, and would go onto release two comedy special, host two television shows, produce his own podcast Bertcast. Now, nearly 25 years later, Bert reveals just how important that shared moment and Biggie's music was to him.

The 500 is a production of Native Creative Podcasts.

For show notes, guest playlists, links to new music inspired by this week's album, go to The500Podcast.com.

New Artist/Song influenced by Notorious B.I.G.:

• Benny the Butcher - "97 Hov"

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