The God Son himself, Mr. Escobar, is back.  Well sorta.  This greatest hits album is long overdue if you ask this critic.  Nas has been putting it down for years making himself one of the undisputed kings of Hip Hop.   There are so many classic gems that have been released over the years.  He has gone from Nasty to Escobar to Street’s Disciple.  Controversy has swarmed this Hip Hop icon’s career.  From his early beginnings growing up in Queensbridge to his bold release last year stating Hip Hop’s dying state, Nas really has pushed the envelope by making everyone question all sorts of things.  All of this while staying relevant in mainstream pop culture.  Now without further ado, Nas brings his Greatest Hits.

First and foremost, anyone unfamiliar with just how talented this man is, you have to go out and cop this. Nas’ Greatest Hits contains 12 classic gems along with 2 brand new songs.  The new songs are “Surviving the Times” and “Less Than An Hour (Theme From Rush Hour 3)”. “Surviving The Times” is a great nostalgia track produced by Ill Will’s own Chris Weber (yes, the basketball player). This track reminisces the classic struggle an MC such as Nas pursued in order to get put on in the game – eventually become one of Hip Hop’s elite. “Less Than An Hour (Theme From Rush Hour 3)” is also a serious track containing soulful vocals by Goodie Mob / Gnarls Barkley’s own Cee-Lo. Nothing but heat here, folks.

Ok, ok…  A lot of folks would say how you going to condense Nas’ classic material into 12 key joints.  The answer, you can’t!!  This being the case, the biggest beef fans may have with this album are the lack of certain key joints in the mix.  It’s almost to say that there are several joints on here that really don’t deserve to be there. First of all, what is a Nas greatest hits album without “The World Is Yours”? This was a classic, many attribute this song with putting them on to Nas in the first place.  Tisk tisk y’all.

On to one of the most apparently misplaced tracks, “Affirmative Action.”  Not only was this on “It Was Written,” but it was the key single on The Firm’s The Album. This track has resonated so much throughout the industry and the fans, it is still a number one request amongst folks.  Anyone in their 20s knows it, loves it and can’t live without it.  It is the theme for everything that is Nas and his Queensbridge brethren.  Where is it?

Back to Nas’ second solo release, “It Was Written”, it is hard to even think of a greatest hits album without the Sting influenced sample, “The Message”.  This was one of Nas’ strongest tracks, definitely a fan favorite. The next overall consensus of what should have been on here comes in the form of the Premier produced classic, “Nas Is Like”, a staple of all that is Nas for years, the name itself says it all.

One could really go on for hours about what classic gems are missing, where the label(s) went wrong with this release.  But bottom line, it is a dope album and a sure thing for anyone unfamiliar with some of Nas’ back catalog. Some of the key classic joints that are included: “It Ain’t Hard To Tell”, “Life’s A Bitch”, “One Love”, “NY State Of Mind”, “If I Ruled The World”, “One Mic”, “Made You Look”; make it a worthy purchase.

However, to anyone really looking for Nas’ greatest hits, you could simply cop all of his releases, one by one, as his catalog is that consistant. Do yourself a favor, go to your favorite online retailer and start buying all the albums you are missing.  Nas is a legend, a teacher, a true pioneer in the music world not just Hip Hop.  Do not sleep, because after all, sleep is the cousin of death. – DJ Prizmatik