When we’re talking dream hip hop collaborations that never happened, there are a few heartbreaking ones that never panned out.
There’s Dr. Dre and Ice Cube’s Helter Skelter project that was rumoured during the mid-90s. Pimp C and Too Short working on new music together before the former’s untimely demise. Kendrick and Cole linking up for a joint album. Ghostface Killah and MF Doom’s DOOMStarks project that was years in the making.
Very high up on that list of rap collaborations that never happened is The Commission, a supergroup that was meant to be made up of Biggie, Jay-Z, Puffy, Lance “Un” Rivera, Lil’ Cease, and Charlie Baltimore. You actually hear Biggie introduce their aliases on “What’s Beef.”
The Commission: Uncle Paulie P. Diddy Cease-A-Leo Degenaro (Yeahhh) Charli Baltimore, Iceberg Slim The most shady, Frankie Baby The Notorious B.I.G. - "What's Beef" // March 25, 1997
Big also makes a quick reference to the group on Puffy’s “Victory,” which also happened to the last verse the Brooklyn rapper ever recorded.
In the commission, you ask for permission to hit 'em He don't like me, hit him while wifey was with him You heard of us, the murderous, most shady Puff Daddy ft. Busta Rhymes & The Notorious B.I.G. - "Victory" // March 17, 1998
While Big and Hov had already collaborated on a few classic joints – “Brooklyn’s Finest,” “I Love the Dough” and “Young G’s” – a full joint album with the two GOATs would have been one for the history books. In recent years, Roc-A-Fella co-founder Damon Dash revealed that the late, great rapper was contemplating a move to their label to release The Commission album.
Damon Dash: Biggie’s plan was give Puff and them like three more albums then come sign with us, and we was gon’ do The Commission. That was what was gonna happen, or at least that’s what was talked about very seriously. I think that’s why he did a double album. He was gonna do a triple album, and he was gonna be out his contract, and then he was gonna come fuck with us.
Dame Dash Claims Notorious B.I.G. Planned to Sign to Roc-A-Fella | XXL
