Six Degrees Of Biggie

Biggie, Puffy, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

"Keep Your Hands High" was produced by Ike Lee, formerly of 3 Boyz From Newark.

Ike Lee also produced "No Love" and "Appletree" on Mrs. Electronica's Baduizm album (among other things spanning back to Mantronix, New Jack Swing, etc.). Tracy Lee and Notorious B.I.G. shared the same manager, Mark Pitts.

In an interview with Kevin L. Clark (published on Tracy Lee's MySpace blog), Tracy Lee briefly mentions the session with Biggie.

That was definitely one of my favorite joints. Not because it was hot, but because B.I.G. taught me more about the business during that session than I had learned on my own. At that particular time, I was just learning about things in the music industry. We sat there for about a good six, seven hours, until the record was done. Well, I should say until I finish writing my part and finishing the song. B.I.G. never wrote anything down. He wrote them in his head. I never saw a pen and a pad. He confused me at the time. May God rest his soul; what that did was it forced me to step my game up. It was a situation where I had to come at least equivalent to him. To, at least where the streets would at least say that B.I.G. came with it, but that guy Tracey Lee held his own.
-- Tracy Lee, 2007.

I wonder what kind of jewels Biggie laced him with?

...Me and my nigga Lance
took Kim's and Cease's advance
bought ten bricks,
four pounds of weed plants
from Branson
now we lamping...
-- Notorious B.I.G. on "Keep Your Hands High."

"How We Roll" is produced by Notorious B.I.G.-affiliate DJ Clark Kent.

DJ Clark Kent, who also happens to be Foxy Brown's cousin, produced "Realms of Junior M.A.F.I.A.," "Player's Anthem," "I Need You Tonight," (which also features Aaliyah btw) and "Crazaay" (all solid tracks) on Conspiracy.

I don't know much about Panama P.I. Aside from the hook on "How We Roll," I don't ever remember hearing anything from him again. A Google revealed that he has a MySpace profile ("Last Login 4/8/2009") but it is sans any tracks. I think he's down with the Lost Boyz.

"What More Can I Say?" was produced by The Buchannans.

Don't really know much about The Buchannans except that they produced a couple of tracks on Amerie's album Touch- "Like It Used To Be" and "Not The Only One."

Jay-Z acknowledges the fact that he is using a sample his deceased compadre has already ripped by echoing a line by Mr. Wallace from "Keep Your Hands High":

I'm not a biter, I'm a writer
for myself and others
I say a B.I.G. verse,
I'm only biggin' up my brother,
biggin' up my borough,
I'm big enough to do it,
I'm that thorough,
plus I know my own flow is foolish,
so them rings and things you sing about-
bring 'em out,
it's hard to yell when the ba-rrel's in your mouth...
-- Jay-Z, "What More Can I Say?"

Further Browsing:
• Who Else Has Sampled MFSB's "Something For Nothing?" [WhoSampled]