Greatest Hits is a compilation album by rapper Nas released through Columbia Records on November 6, 2007.[7] It features twelve of Nas' singles from his Columbia releases from Illmatic to Street's Disciple and two new tracks. Nas' 2006 studio album Hip Hop Is Dead was overlooked because it was released by Def Jam and not Columbia. Nastradamus and The Lost Tapes were also left out. The collaboration made with Cee-Lo for the Rush Hour 3 soundtrack is also included on the album. Greatest Hits debuted at No. 124 on the Billboard 200, selling about 6,800 copies, and No. 20 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. As of August 2008 the compilation has sold over 20,000 copies in the US.
| Greatest Hits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | November 6, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 1992–2007 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 58:53/70:09 (Int'l Ed.) | |||
| Label | Columbia/Sony BMG | |||
| Producer |
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| Nas chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Greatest Hits | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllHipHop | (favourable)[1] |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| NME | [3] |
| Pitchfork | (6.4/10)[4] |
| Slant Magazine | [5] |
| Drowned in Sound | (7/10)[6] |
The cover features lyrics from his hit single "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" which appears on the compilation.
Track listing
edit| # | Title | Producer(s) | Featured guest(s) | Original | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Surviving the Times" | Chris Webber | Previously unreleased | 4:43 | |
| 2 | "Less Than an Hour" | Salaam Remi | Cee-Lo | Rush Hour 3 Soundtrack | 3:16 |
| 3 | "It Ain't Hard to Tell" | Large Professor | Illmatic | 3:22 | |
| 4 | "Life's a Bitch" | L.E.S. | AZ | Illmatic | 3:30 |
| 5 | "N.Y. State of Mind" | DJ Premier | Illmatic | 4:53 | |
| 6 | "One Love" | Q-Tip | Q-Tip | Illmatic | 5:24 |
| 7 | "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" | Trackmasters | Lauryn Hill | It Was Written | 4:43 |
| 8 | "Street Dreams (remix)" | Trackmasters | R. Kelly | Street Dreams (Remix) Single | 4:27 |
| 9 | "Hate Me Now" | D-Moet, Pretty Boy, Trackmasters | Puff Daddy | I Am... | 4:45 |
| 10 | "One Mic" | Chucky Thompson for The Hitmen, Nas | Stillmatic | 4:29 | |
| 11 | "Got Ur Self A..." | Megahertz Music Group | Stillmatic | 3:49 | |
| 12 | "Made You Look" | Salaam Remi | God's Son | 3:23 | |
| 13 | "I Can" | Salaam Remi | God's Son | 4:14 | |
| 14 | "Bridging the Gap" | Salaam Remi | Olu Dara | Street's Disciple | 3:55 |
International bonus tracks
edit| # | Title | Producer(s) | Featured guest(s) | Original Album | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | "Halftime" | Large Professor | Illmatic | 4:20 | |
| 16 | "Nas Is Like" | DJ Premier | I Am... | 3:57 | |
| 17 | "Thief's Theme" | Salaam Remi | Street's Disciple | 2:59 |
Samples used
edit- "Surviving the Times"
- "What Would I Do If I Could Feel" by Nipsey Russell
- "Use Me" by Bill Withers
- "It Ain't Hard To Tell"
- "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson
- "N.T." by Kool & the Gang
- "Long Red (Live)" by Mountain
- "Why Can't People Be Colors Too?" by The Whatnauts
- "Slow Dance" by Stanley Clarke
- "What Do You Want from Me Woman" by The Blue Jays
- "Sorcerer of Isis" by Power of Zeus
- "Life's A Bitch"
- "Yearning for Your Love" by The Gap Band
- "Black Frost" by Grover Washington Jr.
- "N.Y. State of Mind"
- "Mind Rain" by Joe Chambers
- "Flight Time" by Donald Byrd
- "Mahogany" by Eric B. & Rakim
- "One Love"
- "Smilin' Billy Suite Pt. II" by the Heath Brothers
- "Mixed Up Cup" by Clyde McPhatter
- "Come in out of the Rain" by Parliament
- "If I Ruled the World"
- "Friends" by Whodini
- "If I Ruled The World" by Kurtis Blow (interpolation)
- "Walk Right Up To The Sun" by The Delfonics (interpolation)
- "Street Dreams (Remix)"
- "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Eurythmics (interpolation)
- "Choosey Lover" by Isley Brothers
- "Hate Me Now"
- "Carmina Burana" by Carl Orff
- "One Mic"
- "Got Ur Self A..."
- "Made You Look"
- "I Can"
- "Für Elise" as composed by Ludwig van Beethoven (interpolation)
- "Impeach the President" by The Honeydrippers
- "Bridging the Gap"
- "Mannish Boy" by Muddy Waters (interpolation)
- "Halftime"
- "Dead End" from the Hair OST (Japanese Release)
- "Soul Travelin'" by Gary Byrd
- "School Boy Crush" by Average White Band
- "Hawaiian Sophie" by Jaz-O
- "Nas Is Like"
- "Why" by Don Robertson
- "Canata of New Life" by John Rydgren
- "It Ain't Hard To Tell" by Nas
- "Thief's Theme"
Charts
edit| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[8] | 124 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] | 20 |
| US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[10] | 11 |
| UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (Official Charts)[11] | 17 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[12] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Greg Watkins, Grouchy (November 13, 2007). "Nas: Greatest Hits". AllHipHop. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ Brown, Marisa. "Nas - Greatest Hits". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Nas - Greatest Hits". NME. November 16, 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ Patrin, Nate (November 12, 2007). "Nas: Greatest Hits". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ Newlin, Jimmy (November 4, 2007). "Nas - Greatest Hits". Slant. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ Nizzzz, Chrizzz (November 14, 2007). "Nas: Greatest Hits". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ Adaso, Henry. Nas' Greatest Hits CD Arrives in November Archived 2007-11-03 at the Wayback Machine. About.com. Accessed August 12, 2007.
- ^ "Nas Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ^ "Nas Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ^ "Nas Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ^ "Nas - Greatest Hits". Official Charts. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "British album certifications – Nas – Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 18, 2022.