Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13, 1994 by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album features production by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier and Lord Finesse, among others. It was recorded between 1993 and 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York. It is the only studio album released during his lifetime, as he was murdered sixteen days before the release of his second album, Life After Death, in 1997. The album features a single appearance by Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man.