Nas: Greatest Hits

"Nas is one of the most important and influential MCs in all of hip-hop. His debut album Illmatic remains a big boom moment, and mandatory listening to anyone seriously interested in rap music. In the years that have passed, his career has seen many ups and downs, incorporating misguided jigginess and Mafioso-inspired concept albums, as well as inspirational hit singles and the mogul-crushing battle raps. This collection includes his best-known singles through 2004, plus a pair of new tracks. Three tunes from Illmatic appear, as does his crossover mega-smash "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)" with Lauryn Hill. Like his career as a whole, the vibe here varies dramatically from track to track. We get hardcore Nas with "Made You Look," flashy Nas on the melodramatic Puff Daddy collabo "Hate Me Now," and risk-taking, genre-mixing Nas on the blues stomp "Bridging the Gap," which also features his father Olu Dara. You could argue all day about other tracks that should have made the cut, but bottom line, this is a solid introduction for beginners, a "Nas 101" showcasing various angles of his discography."