Let me start by saying how pointless this is. The man has two albums out, the second of which was thrown together. Plus other than the Wu-Tang albums, he doesn’t really show up on anything. So who was the genius that said “let’s make a greatest hits for Ol’ Dirty Bastard.” Because they need to be fired. We know labels and artists want to make money, but it can’t get any more obvious than this.
Remember the days when Rza brainwashed you into believing ODB had talent. There was a time that Rza’s beats were so new and incredible, that Kris Kross could be rhyming over it and you’d buy it. Well the album starts off with his two best tracks, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and “Brooklyn Zoo.” I loved them when they came out, and I still do. It was the time of the raw Ol’ Dirty Bastard, not the goofy one who seems to have serious mental problems. Other selections from his first LP include the interlude-like “Dirty Dancin” with Method Man, “Raw Hide” with Raekwon and Method Man again, and “Protect ya Neck II”, which features a whole slew of Wu-affiliates. On all of these tracks, he’s working with what he has, and does it pretty well for the most part.
On the negative side, there are a lot of sub-par tracks, especially since this is a greatest hits album. “I Can’t Wait” features him repeating the hook annoyingly, about 100 times too many. Then you realize it’s just a knock-off of a fast-paced Dirty South song anyway. How “Fantasy” with Mariah Carey ended up on here is beyond me, but oh well. “Cold Blooded” features a bad attempt at singing, which gets old after one listen. And when you think rap album, the number one guest you hope for is Chris Rock, especially when he’s not being funny. Although, “Recognize” has some pretty good production, despite the bad guest appearance. Of his newer songs, “Good Morning Heartache” sports the best production. Overall, a very good track.
By now, you get the idea. In music, Ol’ Dirty Bastard comes across as gimmicky, until you see his actions, and realize that’s just how he is. Honestly, I don’t think he has the focus or passion to ever be taken seriously as an MC(If he ever gets out of jail anyway). If you want to know why I was so hard on this, because the idea of him having a Greatest Hits album already is a joke. If you haven’t heard much from him, buy Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. At least that way you can hear Rza in 1995, and ODB trying to hold it together.
Reviewed By RhymeLife.Com for HipHopHotSpot.Com
