Greatest Hits - Nas > Reviews > Nasty Nas and his Great Hits

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Most of the hits
Disadvantages:	Some big tracks missing

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

===The Album===

This review is of a compilation of Nas' most notable tracks throughout his career. The album takes material from his debut album, "Illmatic" all the way up to "Street's Disciple" in 2004, this means that they left out tracks from his last album, "Hip Hop Is Dead" because it only came out a year ago (far too recent to give the tunes chance to be considered a classic amongst his other records. This album is coming out just a few months before his long-awaited ninth LP with the very controversial title, "N*****".

The Artist

Nas is a Hip Hop musicain from Gueensbridgee, New York City, New York. He was born in 1973 as Nasir Jones to his jazz artist of a father, Olu Dara, so the musc is definatley running in the family. Nas is often said to be considered as one of the top ten Hip Hop MC of all time. With such a title, he is fully-deservant of having a 'Greatest Hits' collection in his name.

Tracklistings

---1. "Surviving the Times"---

Album From: -

Year: 2007

Length: 4:43

Producer(s): Chris Webber

This is a brand new track from Nas and it acts as the perfect set-up for the album to follow it as he talks throught where he has come from and the journey he has gone through to form what we see today.

Interstingly NBA star Chris Webber prouced this track and I am impressed by the quality of the music, because it seems to fit in well with the artist and it looks good for him to have found a mainstream MC to ride his beat.

**Three Stars**

---2. "Less Than an Hour" (feat. Cee-Lo)---

Album From: "Rush Hour 3 Soundtrack"

Year: 2007

Length: 3:16

Producer(s): Salaam Remi

This is the most modern track on the album, but I can't remember hearing it whilst watching the latest 'Rush Hour' film. It is a very slow track which definately fits in with the film which it acted as the soundtrack to in terms of both the lyrics and overall emotion, so this proves that Nas' talent can be adapted to different situations and still bring about the same result -success.

This track grew on me as the first couple of time when I heard it I felt nothing, but afer a couple more times the soulful voice of Cee-Lo Green started to affect me and I began to get more into the track as it tells a short story, and you can feel that tension through the hook, which is rather mysterious, but I'm not sure what the urgency is about though.

**Four Stars**

---3. "It Ain't Hard To Tell"---

Album From: "Illmatic"

Year: 1994

Length: 3:22

Producer(s): Large Professor

This is another track straight off his debut LP and it is one of the more up-tempo records as Large Professor chose to go for Michael Jackson's "Human League" rhythm to put a gentle backdrop on the nice Hip Hop beat, and it really fits in well with Nas' rhymes. Although it only just broke into the top 100 of the Billboard Charts, it would be considered to be a success for Nas at this stage because it was only his second single.

This is Nas' first oppertunait to brag about what he has accomplished so far in his career and he does it in such a way that you cannot complain because he still usies his amazing vocabulary and imaginative metaphorical phraes to form the track, many just state what they have done and received with little inspiration or creativity.

**Four Stars**

---4. "Life's A Bitch" (feat. AZ)---

Album From: "Illmatic"

Year: 1994

Length: 3:29

Producer(s): L.E.S.

This track was ground-breaking lyrically, especially in the chorus, which was provided by former member of The Firm, AZ, in which it is stated that "Life's a bitch and then you die, 'cause you never know when your gonna go. because nothing similar to this had ever been put forth by an artist, not to mention this early in career. Initially I couldn't relate to the words, but as time has passed, I understand how it would have been a struggle to stay alive for that long whilst living such a lifestlye in New York.

With his father's backing on the cornet and L.E.S.'s imaginative compostion using samples by The Gap Band and Grover Washington Jr. there was a very jazzy feel to this one eventhough the topic was so dark. I really enjoy listening to it as you get to know how Nas grew up on the streets, and when his way of life sems so unlike what i'm used to, it seems fun, but from his tone and delivery, you can tell it was far from it.

**Four Stars**

---5. "N.Y. State Of Mind"---

Album From: "Illmatic"

Year: 1994

Length: 4:45

Producer(s): DJ Premier

This is a perfect example of a time when Nas is able to force the listener into his way of thinking, along with DJ Primo, an atmosphere is created, which can only be described as a New York State of Mind, making you see things in a different light. It is made most apparent when he says "I don't sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death.", and it des actually make you wonder if you sould continue to do what you thought was normal, it suddenly has more depth to it.

This is a hardcore rap track and especially in the first verse of the track Nas' talent for writing rhymes is displayed, it was very different to anything else at the time and it's complexity would mean that it wouldn't really fit in too well today, but that's what makes Nas so great, he comes with something original and persists, instead of coyping popular trends.

**Four Stars**

---6. "One Love" (feat. Q-Tip)---

Album From: "Illmatic"

Year: 1995

Length: 5:25

Producer(s): Q-Tip

I hate to hate on Nas, but I just didn't feel this one, it didn't have enough energy to draw me into like most of the rest of the tracks on the album, for this reason I blame Q-Tip as this is the other record he produced on the album. i also feel bad for complaining because i like the concept of him speaking out the words from a letter he has written to his incarcerated friends, and if you knew the context then you would be likely to enjoy it, but this is where it lost me.

In my opinion, Q-Tip took Nas' laid-back sombre style and turned it into something boring and I certainly do not approve of this, so if the beat was a bit more funky and less dry, then it would have been a decent track. As many did enjoy it in it's time, it does still deserve a spot on this compilation album.

**Two Stars**

---7. "If I Ruled The World" (feat. Lauryn Hill)---

Album From: "It Was Written"

Year: 1996

Length: 4:43

Producer(s): Trackmasters and Rashad Smith

This track manged to catapult the young alternative artist into mainstream attention as it got him to the top twenty of the Hip Hop tracks of 1996. Looking at how popular he is now, you can't imagine a time where he wouldn't be able to top the general charts, nevermind just the ones for this genre. Due to the obvious significance of what the track means to Nas, this had to be on the album.

The beat from this was taken from one of the greatest old-school Hip Hop tracks in history (in my opinion) , "Friends" by Whodini. The Trackmasters as well as Rashad Smith were able to make a big mix from Larry Smith's mid-eighties beat to make it sound much more modern and relevant to Hip Hop about ten years later on.

**Five Stars**

---8. "Street Dreams (Remix) (feat. R. Kelly)"---

Album From: "From Illmatic to Stillmatic: The Remixes EP"

Year: 1996

Length: 4:27

Producer(s): Trackmasters

The ordering of the tracks here is perfect because just as before, this one was relased directly off the success of the previous record, which acted as a huge boost to nas' work as a recording artist. I don't believe that it's as strong as "If I Ruled The World", but it definately keeps the momentum going for him.

I cannot comment on this in comparison to the original recording because I han't heard it, but if it's like the remix then it's got to be a decent one, but to be honest, I think that it's R. Kelly who makes this track what it is and not Nas because the choruses which he sings seem to build me up more that the verses.

**Three Stars**

---9. "Hate Me Now" (feat. Puff Daddy)---

Album From: "I Am..."

Year: 1999

Length: 4:45

Producer(s): D-Moet, Pretty Boy, and Trackmasters

The purpose of having this one on here, apart from the music is the controversy surrounding to the video to it, in which Nas is crucified, so this allows the album to cover all aspects of nas' caeer, not just his successes, but when the times got tough also.

This track is certainly 'of the time', especially when you look at who is commanding the production, as much of what came from Bad Boy (or anything associated with it) had very emotional strings in the late ninties to bring out a ominous feeling from the sound of the classical sample, "Carmina Burana" by Carl Orff, and it also raises the levels of tension.

**Three Stars**

---10. "One Mic"---

Album From: "Stillmatic"

Year: 2001

Length: 4:29

Producer(s): The Hitmen

Diddy and his boys, The Hitmen, took Phil Collins' classic track "In The Air Tonight" and adapted it into something more easy to handle for a Hip Hop audience, but I don't really like anyone messing around with something so pure as this so I think that he should have stayed away from the sample which was used, but he did make a good attempt to make it work for himself.

The lyrics are a completely different story though, because it seems to be part of the developmental stage of the "Hip Hop Is Dead" movement, where he talks about how how suppressed we are in what we are allowed to say in tis free-speaking country, so many artists resorted to making songs which wouldn't stir up any trouble, and he obviously doesn't support this.

**Three Stars**

---11. "Got Ur Self A..."---

Album From: "Stillmatic"

Year: 2001

Length: 3:49

Producer(s): Megahertz

This tune highlights what Nas is about; controversy. With the title telling the whole theme of the track "I hope you've got yourself a gun", you know that it's not just going to fit in without some opposition. The music video shows how it's important when you see images of The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac after their infamous shootings. Despite this, the track is mainly about Nas' rise to the top.

As I mentioned before, the title's theme, doesn't really feature that much in the verse, but in the chorus' you have strong emotions come in as he tells you that you shouldn't feel safe in this world when you know that anyone could just gun you down at any opportunity, so always carry a piece. The beat gets you hyped up and into a mood where you would actual feel violent enough to do the deed yourself.

**Five Stars**

12. "Made You Look"

Album From: "God's Son"

Year: 2002

Length: 3:26

Producer(s): Salaam Remi

This track was a 'must have' for a Nas compilation album as it is one of his most well-known to date as it takes the beat of "Apache", which has been used so much in rap over the years, and has ("The Chameleon") Salaam Remi put a strong beat to it before Nas comes with some politically-charged words.

As I mentioned the sample it uses, you wouldn't expect that it's a nice one to dance to, but if you do, then you are ignoring the lyrics, which are what this artist is all about. i think that it was simply used as a medium to attract Hip Hop heads in before hitting them with words about the world which you wouldn't expect anyone to dare comment on.

**Four Stars**

---13. "I Can"---

Album From: "God's Son"

Year: 2003

Length: 4:13

Producer(s): Salaam Remi

This track allowed Nas to stay away from controversy for a while by putting out a very positive message, targetted directly towards the children of the world. His reasoning for this came because his mother said that he should write an inspiartional track for this age group, and so this is the end result of the request. The effort and energy of his unique raps being used for this purpose seems to have paid-off as it is one of the best positive Hip hop records ever.

To fit in with the fact that he was going outside his usual zone of comfort, he used an alternative method of providing the beat; by using a classical piece as a sample. The piano is heard in the backgrond to the tune of Beethoven's "Für Elise" with a little of The Honeydrippers' "Impeach The President". Salaami Remi really killed this beat off, and I can't see how any other Hip Hop artist could make it work apart from Nas.

**Five Stars**

---14. "Bridging The Gap"---

Album From: "Street's Disciple"

Year: 2004

Length: 3:56

Producer(s): Salaam Remi

"Bridging The Gap" is a great creation by Nas and his Jazz singing father, Olu Dara, and highlights the fact that things like this never happen in Hip Hop, it's usually very negative and father-son combinations aren't common (not that many have grown up with fathers, nevermind artistic ones). A few others such as Hood Surgery (Dr. Dre's son) and Lil' Eazy-E (Eazy-E's son) are emerging now, but Nas pionneered this activity for this genre of music.

This combination of talent works very well as the chemestry between them allows them to make something that they both enjoy and has aspects of both Jazz and East Coast Hip Hop. You can see where a lot of Nas' inspiration has come from too with this track as Olu Dara lists many of the things he has done in his life and Nas is able to convert this into artistic energy.

**Five Stars**

What's Missing

This compilation certainly has some of his best tracks and the ones which sold the best, but some are missing: where's "Just A Moment", "Nastradamus" or "Ether". The later one proved his lyrical talent in one of the greatest diss tracks ever, but I can see how he wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of Jay-Z now as the beef has been squashed and they have both featured on each other's albums. Ignoring this, "Just A Moment" was a very good song, I can see how it's not nearly as great as others, but it was still a big tune. Finally I have to say that "Nastradamus" really needed to be on here because it's a missing stage of his career in this album as it was the later stage of his Mafioso persona at the time. That track had one of the best beats I have ever heard, so I was disappointed to see that it wasn't here.

Conclusion

This compilation album basically tells the story of Nasir Jones, all that he went through and all his viewpoints on society, so the purpose of the CD was definately carried out, because many wil be unaware of his earlier work, so to enlighten everyone in such a way allows them to truely understand him as the incredible artist that he is. This is an amazing album and the correct parts of his career were certainly highlighted here.