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It’s a little remarkable that the legacies of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. have loomed over hip-hop since their deaths, considering that Biggie left behind a body of work that’s but a fraction of the size of Pac’s. Albums full of unreleased Tupac vocals have been trotted out annually since the mid-’90s, but Duets: The Final Chapter is only the second posthumously assembled Biggie album that Bad Boy has squeezed out. And with the proliferation of unofficial remix projects constantly breathing new life into his vocals, a release like Duets is more unnecessary than ever, simply a more extravagant version of the mix tapes available from your local bootlegger.

Pumped up as a major event, Duets is ultimately more a product of its era than one for the ages. It’s got the same producers and guest MC’s as every other major-label rap album of the past year, and letting new jacks like the Game and Slim Thug shadowbox with Big’s ghost feels more like a vanity project for the guests than a fitting tribute to the name on the marquee. Still, his verses retain their steely, thick-throated swagger in any context, with unexpectedly listenable results even on comically mismatched pairings with Korn and Missy Elliott. And with the right beat sparks fly, especially on Swizz Beatz’s pyrotechnic backdrop for “Spit Your Game,” but Duets is littered with failed what-if experiments. Making a decent album out of Biggie’s a cappellas might not sound that difficult, but as Diddy might tell you, pimpin’ a legacy ain’t easy.