Death Row Greatest Hits

Death Row Greatest Hits is a 33-track compilation released by Death Row Records and Interscope Records, and contains singles by artists such as 2Pac, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. The CD also includes previously unreleased remix tracks. The album was re-released in 2001 and digitally re-mastered.

Death Row Records Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by
Death Row Records
ReleasedNovember 26, 1996
Recorded1992 - 1996
Genre
Label
ProducerSuge Knight (exec.)
Death Row Records chronology
Murder Was the Case
(1994)		 Death Row Records Greatest Hits
(1996)		 Christmas on Death Row
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link

Track listing

Disc One

  1. Nuthin' But a "G" Thang - Dr. Dre
  2. Gin & Juice - Snoop Doggy Dogg
  3. Afro Puffs - the Lady of Rage
  4. Natural Born Killaz - Dr. Dre/Ice Cube
  5. Who Am I (What's My Name)? - Snoop Doggy Dogg
  6. Keep Their Heads Ringin' - Dr. Dre
  7. No Vaseline - Ice Cube
  8. Doggy Dogg World - Snoop Doggy Dogg (featuring Tha Dogg Pound & Dramatics)
  9. Keep Ya Head Up - 2Pac
  10. Murder Was the Case - Snoop Doggy Dogg
  11. Lil' Ghetto Boy - Dr. Dre
  12. Ain't No Fun - Snoop Doggy Dogg
  13. Lodi Dodi - Snoop Doggy Dogg
  14. Stranded On Death Row - Dr. Dre
  15. The Shiznit - Snoop Doggy Dogg
  16. Dear Mama - 2Pac
  17. Me Against the World - 2Pac (featuring Dramacydal)

Disc Two

  1. Let Me Ride (RMX) - Dr. Dre
  2. Gin & Juice (RMX) - Snoop Doggy Dogg
  3. Daydreaming - Michel'le
  4. Who Am I (What's My Name) (RMX) - Snoop Doggy Dogg
  5. Nuthin But A G Thang (RMX) - Dr. Dre
  6. I Get Around (RMX) - 2Pac
  7. Lil Ghetto Boy (RMX) - Dr. Dre
  8. Hit 'Em Up - 2Pac (featuring the Outlawz)
  9. Who Been There, Who Done That - J-Flexx
  10. F-ck Wit Dre Day (RMX) - Jewell
  11. Pour Out A Little Liquor - Thug Life (featuring 2Pac)
  12. What Would You Do - Tha Dogg Pound
  13. Come Up To My Room - Jodeci (featuring Tha Dogg Pound)
  14. Come When I Call - Danny Boy
  15. Me In Your World - Dat Nigga Daz
  16. Smile For Me Now - 2Pac & Scarface

"Smile For Me Now" appeared in remix form 4 months later on rapper Scarface (rapper)'s album The Untouchable.

Track listing controversy

Upon initial release, the rear artwork containing the track listing contained only the track titles and not performer names. Former Death Row producer Sam Sneed speculated that this was because most tracks featured Snoop Doggy Dogg and that by adding artist names to the track listing, Snoop's contribution to Death Row's catalogue was glaringly evident. Snoop had recently left Death Row Records, a move that label founder/CEO Suge Knight resented. The re-release distributed by Koch Records added the artist names to the track listing.

Furthermore, singles and tracks from Death Row's more recent releases such as Snoop's Tha Doggfather and 2Pac's All Eyez on Me were not included, possibly as a move to counter cannibalisation of sales from the actual releases.

2Pac's Inclusion

Out of the five 2Pac tracks on the compilation, only one was actually recorded under his contract with Death Row Records. The other four releases were singles previously released under Interscope Records prior to his signing with Death Row. The tracks were able to be included as Interscope was formerly Death Row's parent and distribution company.

Diss Tracks Aimed at former Death Row rappers

In an early sign of Death Row's animosity towards former signees Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, the release confusingly included diss tracks directed towards the rappers: "Fuck Wit Dre Day" was not the original Dr. Dre release, but a cover version performed by Jewell. In addition, "Who Been There Who Done That" was a diss track aimed at Dr. Dre, parodying his "Been There Done That" single from the Aftermath compilation "Dr. Dre Presents...". The absence of artist names within the rear cover track listing meant the potential buyer was unaware of the inclusion of cover versions. The inclusion of Ice Cube's "No Vaseline", an old diss track aimed towards his fellow N.W.A group members that had no association with Death Row releases, was rumored to be a Suge Knight directive.

Chart performance

In 1996, Death Row Greatest Hits peaked at #35 on the Billboard 200.[1]

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[2] Platinum 1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. "Various Artists Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  2. "American album certifications – Various – Death Row's Greatest Hits". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.