Greatest Hits [Explicit Lyrics]

Notorious B.I.G. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 6, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Bad Boy
• ASIN: B000M5473E
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,354 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #18 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > East Coast
  • #27 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Gangsta & Hardcore
  • #94 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Pop Rap

Editorial Reviews

International pressing of the 2007 compilation from the late great Rap superstar features one bonus track: 'Nasty Girl' (feat Diddy, Nelly, Jagged Edge and Avery Storm). Released to coincide with the 10th Anniversary of Biggie's death. Hailed by many as the greatest MC of all time, the Notorious B.I.G. was Bad Boy Records' flagship artist. This 17-track compilation honors the extraordinary life and career of the late, great Hip-Hop legend. The album features tracks spanning Biggie Smalls' prolific, all-too-brief career, as well as two previously unreleased cuts. Warner. 2007. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars half-filler, April 1, 2007

By 

Steven Swain "friendly neighborhood mall geek" (Rocky Mount, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Greatest Hits (Audio CD)

An artist with as influential (and short) a career as Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G., is done a disservice by an album like "Greatest Hits," especially since it was conceived as a tribute to the Brooklyn rapper 10 years after his tragic death.

While half of the release lives up to its premise with choice cuts from B.I.G.'s brief but brilliant studio album output like "Juicy," "Hypnotize" and "One More Chance/Stay With Me," the other half is muddled with posthumously-released cuts that are more vehicles for guest artists like Nelly and Eminem than true Biggie classics.

Removing the layer of artist purity, one would expect radio hits like the massive tribute release "I'll Be Missing You" or duets like "Mo Money, Mo Problems" (with Diddy), especially since minor hits like Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s "Get Money" made the cut. But no, sadly, neither of the first two tracks are anywhere to be found, while the latter track and "Notorious Thugs" (with Bone Thgs-N-Harmony) made it onto the album.

This album is worth it if you're only passively interested in Notorious B.I.G.'s biggest radio hits (and don't mind paying for a lot of filler). Serious fans and B.I.G. beginners should seek out "Ready to Die: The Remaster" and "Life After Death" and call it a day.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Certainly flawed...the music is undeniable but the selection is not, March 16, 2007

By 

ctrx ('bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks...) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Greatest Hits (Audio CD)

Ten years since the passing of Christopher Wallace, one of the greatest MCs to ever rock the mic, Bad Boy Records and exec Sean "Diddy" Combs have released the first Notorious B.I.G. compilation. I find a Biggie hits compilation redundant in the same way I find a Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth or a Digable Planets collection redundant because he only released two albums in his career, but more than that, those two albums were five-star classics and skip-free material. "Ready to Die" and "Life After Death" are two of the 1990s most important albums, and in my opinion both should be appreciated in their entirety. But as this is a greatest hits album, I also have a little beef with the tracklisting. I understand that in order for fans to buy this, some more songs would be needed than just the originals from his two albums released during his life. But that said, putting songs from posthumous releases like "Born Again" and "Biggie Duets" doesn't seem right to me, probably just serving to misinform and confuse new listeners. Like other listeners said, it's a mystery why his most popular song, "Mo Money Mo Problems," would be omitted.

That said, I can't belittle most of the songs here. Standards like "Juicy," "Big Poppa," "One More Chance (Remix)," "Warning," "Notorious Thugs," and "F... You Tonight" are simply classic hip hop, showing a legendary MC in top form. You can't front on that material.

For a Biggie hits collection, this isn't terrible, but it would've been easy to make a better one and in principal a Biggie hits compilation isn't the most practical thing anyway. Biggie fans should steer clear of this, they have all the material already anyway and would only ever consider owning this for die-hard completion purposes. I suggest the same to new listeners. If you're looking at this, consider shelling out the few extra bucks to buy both "Ready to Die" and "Life After Death." These are near-perfect hip hop albums, and having just the hits would keep you from some of his greatest work.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A few songs short of "Greatest"., March 6, 2011

By 

H3@+h "Over 1500 reviews!" (thanks for the helpful review votes) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greatest Hits (Audio CD)

When putting together a hits collection from somebody with only two big albums out, key songs should NOT be missing. I mean c'mon. Sure this has "Juicy" and "Big Poppa", and even "One More Chance" and "Notorious Thugs". BUT you can't argue that "Mo Money, Mo Problems" should be here. That was the first B.I.G. track alot of people ever heard. Also where's "I Love The Dough" and "Sky's The Limit"? Two of the catchiest songs on Life After Death. I even think ending this with Puff's "I'll Be Missing You" would have been a nice touch. Hidden track maybe. Still there's some classic tracks here, and overall good for the new fan. Let me be the 100th person to say just get Ready To Die and Life After Death.