hey, ive never played either game but am wondering if I should play through the 1st before I play through the 2nd or am I able to just play the 2nd without really missing any of the story?

Yes, playing BG1 first is advisable since your story begins there. Also there are tons of references in the 2nd game to the 1st one. You can still enjoy BG2 w/o playing the 1st but if you want full experience, you must start with BG1.

Well one of the biggest story points in 1 is spoiled during the intro in 2 so thats a good reason to not play 2 first. There's also the fact you can learn the game as you go rather than being dumped into a situation that really benefits from foreknowledge in both gameplay and story. There are also several encounters in 2 with characters from 1 that benefit from the foreknowledge

Whilst you could watch Empire Strikes Back first, you definitely benefit from seeing A New Hope before it