Mo Money Mo Problems (feat. Mase & Puff Daddy)

Getting rich was a rap cliché by the time this song was released in 1997. Rappers had become businessmen, with Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Master P and many others expanding their empires and bringing in lots of cash. One of the most successful and ambitious was Puff Daddy (Sean Combs), head of Bad Boy Records, whose crown jewel was The Notorious B.I.G., a street-smart rhymer with a booming voice and captivating flow. This song, instead of celebrating the almighty dollar, lets us in on the dark side: More money brings more problems. For one thing, it creates jealousy, and it also makes you a target. The song isn't complaining, though (being rich is far better than being poor). As Puff Daddy explained, it's about how they don't do it for the money. After all, the more money they come across, the more problems they see.

The track is built on a sample of the 1980 Diana Ross hit "I'm Coming Out," written and produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic. Puff Daddy had a talent for putting a modern spin on hits from a generation earlier. And while money can lead to problems, it can also pay to clear pricey samples.

Along with Puff Daddy, another Bad Boy artist, Mase, is featured on the track. The female singer on the chorus is Kelly Price, a prominent session vocalist who wasn't on the label and isn't credited. She released her own album, Soul Of A Woman, in 1998. The Notorious B.I.G. is the lead artist and it's his song on his album, but he doesn't come in until the last verse.