Rating:
Genre:
Rap
Release Date: 05/22/2001
Run Time: 149:15
More than any other label,
Death Row defined
gangsta rap and
hip-hop in the early '90s, and the double-disc
Death Row Greatest Hits captures nearly all of the label's biggest hits from artists like
Dr. Dre,
Snoop Doggy Dogg, and
2Pac. Although the disc bends some rules by including cuts that weren't released on
Death Row and containing an abundance of previously unreleased songs, the compilation sums up the feeling of the early and mid-'90s. A single disc would have provided more consistent thrills -- and it would have eliminated the annoying remixes on disc two -- but the sprawl is also indicative of the self-indulgence of
gangsta rap, which is essential to understanding the genre. And
Death Row Greatest Hits has a string of great songs --
"Let Me Ride," "What's My Name," "Gin and Juice," "Nothin' but a G Thang" (but no
"California Love") -- making it an excellent summation of
gangsta rap's glory days.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide