Move over, Jay-Z. Brace yourself for the main event. The 21st century hip-hop rivalry between Nas and Shawn Carter has rivaled the Biggie-Tupac saga for years. Though the feud formally ended in 2005 and Nas makes a guest appearance on Jay-Z's American Gangster, the release of a greatest hits album allows critics to re-evaluate who truly is the King of New York.
Nas' first album had no famous guest appearances. The outcome? He's crowned the best lyricist. His debut, Illmatic, still prized as one of the pinnacles of '90s rap, contributes four of the 14 tracks on Greatest Hits. Though it comprises almost one-third of Greatest Hits - when you have one vital MC, eight albums and only 14 spots on a greatest hits playlist - it is hard to do Illmatic justice.
That's not to take Jay-Z's view that Nas averages one good album every 10 years. Reproducing something as matchless as Illmatic record after record is inconceivable.
The rest of Nas' releases commit, on average, one song each to this compendium of N-to-the-A-to-the-S-I-R's lyrical conquests. These include the bombastic, sinister Hate Me Now,"" the stripped down ""One Mic"" reflecting Nas' poetic determination (it's not about the beat, it's about the lyrical feat), and the taunting ""Got Ur Self a Gun.""
The sampling of his father's trumpet playing on ""Bridging the Gap"" makes Jay-Z's use of ""Annie's"" ""Hard Knock Life"" just seem silly. Similarly, the compelling storytelling on ""One Love"" and the history lesson that is ""I Can"" stand in stark contrast to ""Money Ain't a Thang"" or ""H.O.V.A."" This second half of Greatest Hits, rightly reminds us all that Nas is more than just his 1994 release.
The album itself falters here and there, not in the quality of the music but in some of the tracks omitted (""The World is Yours,"" ""Ether,"" ""Nas is Like"").
The two new songs tacked on at the start of Greatest Hits, presumably to give customers a reason to part with their cash, are both of quality. ""Less Than an Hour,"" the theme to ""Rush Hour 3
