A "greatest hits" album can be tricky for an artist like Nas, as his best work hasn't always been what made it to radio. Since albums called "greatest hits" and "best of" are often interchangeable, people are often left disappointed and create their own best of Nas playlist on their iPod (like yours truly). Nevertheless, this is a damn good representation of Nas' career.
Technically, this album is the final obligation in Nas' contract to Columbia; his home for over a decade before bolting for Def Jam. Which is why you'll notice no inclusions from Hip Hop Is Dead.
More than ever, fans need a reason to buy an album made up primarily of songs they already have, so Nas and co. have peppered in a few new treats. Most notably is he-stole-it-ok-maybe-not Surviving The Times, not only a very dope song but a very appropriate retrospective for an album of retrospect. Less Than An Hour featuring Cee-Lo comes from the Rush Hour 3 soundtrack that was never actually released. It's a cool track and this is as good a place as any to give it a home. While it was included on 2002's Illmatic To Stillmatic: The Remixes EP, unknown to most is the Street Dreams Remix featuring R. Kelly. Trackmasters are still on the beat, but it is a completely different song than the original, new lyrics and all. It has never really stood out for me, but listening again it's a great, laid back song, especially as a remix to the original. Also included as a bonus track is the Butcher's remix of Halftime, a great flip on Large Professor's classic.
As any true Nas fan would demand, Illmatic is well represented here. The albums biggest single It Ain't Hard To Tell is of course included, as is AZ's show stealing debut Life's A Bitch. One Love, the Q-Tip featured and produced classic is here as well. The real surprise (and a very pleasant one), is the inclusion of the DJ Premier-produced epic NY State of Mind. Given that it what never released as a single (the only previously released song on the album that wasn't), it is clearly just here for the fans. Given that it remains the best song of Nas' illustrious career and one of the greatest song ever, period...it was a good idea. If I Ruled The World featuring Lauryn Hill represents It Was Written and Hate Me Now featuring Diddy is the selection from I Am. Luckily, the far superior Nas Is Like is tacked on as a bonus track. The entire Nastradamous LP is completely and wisely ignored, and Nas' return to glory Stillmatic boasts both One Mic and Got Ur Self A Gun. Hard to complain about that.
The album is rounded out with park anthem Made You Look and the inspirational I Can predictably appearing from God's Son. His version of Pop's Rap in Bridging The Gap closes out the album, with Thief's Theme appearing as a bonus track from Street's Disciple. It is always easy to bitch about what isn't included in an artist's greatest hits compilation, as someone's favorite track is always bound to be missing. With tracks like The World Is Yours and I Gave You Power absent, you'll surely hear it for this album. At least there is nothing here that shouldn't be (like say You Owe Me or Oochie Wally), so this gets an easy pass as a worthy look at Nas' career at Columbia.
