Ol' Dirty Bastard

Barely two years after the release of 1999's Nigga Please, Elektra picked some highlights off that album and combined them with the best-known tracks off 1995's Return to the 36 Chambers. As concise and smartly selected as The Dirty Story: The Best of Ol' Dirty Bastard was, it still seemed a little exploitative and very premature, more like a quick mixtape you might make for yourself than a truly necessary release. Flash forward to June 2005, just short of a year since ODB's passing: Rhino releases a glorified expanded version of The Dirty Story, adding three more tracks from Nigga Please, a B-side, and Pras' "Ghetto Supastar" (featuring our late hero). The disc will work for those on a budget who want to have "Brooklyn Zoo," "Protect Ya Neck II," "Shimmy Shimmy Ya," and "Got Your Money" in one spot, but owning the two primary ODB albums is a near-must. Two things prevent this set from being fairly pointless. First, there's a bonus DVD containing the videos for "Brooklyn Zoo," "Shimmy Shimmy Ya," and "Got Your Money," in addition to an interview circa 1995. And second, there's the booklet, containing some very touching liner notes from Sacha Jenkins and thoughtful recollections from four of ODB's Wu-Tang brothers. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide