OMMA Catalogue Number

OMMA-0037

Artist

The Notorious B.I.G. (credited on this release as “BIG”)

Title

Party and Bullshit

Release Details

Issued in 1993 by Uptown Records / MCA Records as a 12-inch single (catalogue number UPT8P 2605), pressed in the United States, and distributed as a promotional issue.

Edition & Variant Identification

First press promotional edition tied to the commercial release, issued as a white-label promotional copy.

Matrix & Pressing Data

Side 1 bears the runout inscription “UPT 11643-SS2”; Side 2 bears the runout inscription “UPT 11643-SS2.”

Physical Description

12-inch vinyl single on black vinyl, with white promotional labels. The present copy is housed in a generic company sleeve. No inserts are present.

Factory-Origin Characteristics

No factory-origin anomalies are observed on the present copy.

Condition Report

The present copy is sealed in original shrinkwrap and is reported as Mint for sleeve, vinyl, and labels.

Provenance

Provenance: GrooveMastersMusicUS (Discogs), 18 August 2025; acquired by the Origins of Modern Music Archive.

Market Context & Historical Notes

Party and Bullshit, The Notorious B.I.G.’s debut single, was issued in 1993 in association with the Who’s the Man? soundtrack where the artist was credited simply as “BIG.” It circulated in DJ format via a U.S. white-label promotional 12-inch on Uptown/MCA, with versions intended for radio and club play. The hook’s central phrase—“party and bullshit”—is drawn from The Last Poets’ “When the Revolution Comes,” where it appears as a refrain later repurposed by Biggie into a chorus.

Canonical Status in OMMA

This release is recognized by the Origins of Modern Music Archive as the artist’s canonical debut.

References and Source Documentation

Party and Bullshit — release metadata and version/format documentation (Discogs release entry; catalogue number UPT8P 2605). https://www.discogs.com/release/395768-BIG-Party-And-Bullshit

MusicBrainz, release entry for “Party and Bullshit” (UPT8P 2605), including producer attribution and label metadata. https://musicbrainz.org/release/f37b440c-f6bf-43cb-a852-2323b4713191

Wikipedia, “Party and Bullshit,” for release framing within the Who’s the Man? soundtrack cycle and identification as the debut single. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_and_Bullshit

Rolling Stone, “The Notorious B.I.G. Is Living Large” (1995), referencing “Party and Bullshit” as an underground breakthrough. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-notorious-b-i-g-is-living-large-193171/

The Guardian, feature on The Last Poets (2025), discussing the “party and bullshit” line’s origin and later adoption by Biggie. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/nov/24/hip-hop-the-last-poets