Robin Leach was mentioned in Biggie Smalls’ 1992 song, “Juicy.” The lyrics say, “I made the change from common their to up close and personal with Robin Leach.”
In May 2013, Buzzfeed published a helpful article explaining who the many people name-checked in Biggie Smalls’ breakthrough hit are. The piece was targeted at millennials. The explainer for Robin Leach says that Leach “was the narrator and host of Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous, a TV show that showcased the lavish homes of celebrities and the ultra-rich.”
According to Vevo, it’s unlikely that Biggie Smalls and Robin Leach ever met each other. The song is not the only time that Leach was name checked by a rapper. On Ice Cube’s 1991 song Robin Lench, the rapper opens with the lines, “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I’m Robin Lench/And Welcome to the “Lifestyles of the Poor and Unfortunate.” Leach’s catchphrase of “Champagne wishes and caviar dreams,” is transformed into, “40 ounce drinks and watered down wishes,” during the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFwUYXenIgE
While Atlanta rapper Ludacris rapped on Fergie’s 2007 song, “Glamorous,” “Lifestyles so rich and famous, Robin Leach’ll get jealous.”
In 2012, Entertainment Weekly described the Robin Leach reference as the “Key-Lyric” in “Juicy.” The reference was also remarked upon in a City University of New York study, the Song Analysis Project. The study says, “[Biggie] went from being a thief to sitting with a man like Robin Leach which was probably something Biggie only imagined in his mind.
A Rolling Stone feature on the song attempted to separate the fact and fiction in the song. In one lyric, Biggie says, “We used to fuss when the landlord dissed us.” The rapper’s mother told the magazine, “I told him, “No landlord dissed us!” He said, “Mom, I was just writing a rags-to-riches kinda story.”
Leach passed away on August 24 at the age of 76. The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s John Katsilometes tweeted that Leach had been hospitalized since November 2017 after he suffered a stroke in Cabo San Lucas. Leach passed away less than a week before his 77th birthday. Katsilometes added a statement from Leach’s family that read, “Despite the past 10 months, what a beautiful life he had. Our Dad, Grandpa, Brother, Uncle and friend Robin Leach passed away peacefully last night at 1:50 a.m. Everyone’s support and love over the past, almost one year, has been incredible and we are so grateful. Memorial arrangements to follow. With love, Steven, Gregg and Rick Leach.”
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Robin Leach & Biggie Smalls: Why Is Robin Leach Mentioned in ‘Juicy’?