Ready to Die’s intro serves as a brief summary of Biggie Small’s journey up until the recording of the project, using a variety of classic songs to represent each era of his life. Biggie draws a fine line between music and reality, as most of this intro is based on true events.

The track includes snippets of Curtis Mayfield’s July 1972 album, Super Fly, the eponymous original motion picture soundtrack to the film of the same name. It also interpolates Sugarhill Gang’s September 1979 hit single, “Rapper’s Delight,” as well as Audio Two’s October 1987 track “Top Billin',” and Snoop Dogg’s “Tha Shiznit,” released in November of 1993. This approach was perhaps intended to reflect changing societal conditions.

In September 2014, main producer Easy Mo Bee and mixing engineer Charles Alexander were both interviewed by XXL Magazine regarding the creative process surrounding this intro. Part of that article has since been removed, but HipHopDX noted that Alexander played two vital roles:

First of all, I’m the father on the intro […] And the guy at the end, the guard that lets them out of jail […] that was me also.