''Death Row Greatest Hits'' is the first
greatest hits album
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
and second
double album released by
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. D ...
. Issued on November 26, 1996, the 33-track
compilation features a mix of hits, previously unreleased tracks and remixes by both former and then-current Death Row artists. The album peaked at number 35 on the
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...
and was certified
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) on August 12, 1999.
Background
2Pac's inclusion
To avoid cannibalizing sales of other major 1996 Death Row releases, no songs from
2Pac
Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
's ''
All Eyez on Me'', ''
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory'', or
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
's ''
Tha Doggfather
''Tha Doggfather'' is the second studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 12, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records. After the success of his debut album '' Doggystyle'' (1993), Snoop was arrested and cha ...
'' were included on the compilation. Of the seven tracks on the album featuring 2Pac, only two—"
Hit 'Em Up" and "
Smile for Me Now"—were recorded during his tenure with Death Row, and neither appeared on his studio albums.
Four of the remaining five tracks were previously released under
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
before 2Pac joined Death Row. The final track, "Pour Out a Little Liquor", was recorded prior to his signing but had originally appeared on the 1994 Death Row soundtrack ''
Above the Rim''. These non-Death Row tracks were able to be included because Interscope was the parent company and distributor of Death Row Records at the time.
In 2003, tracks from the previously omitted 1996 albums were included on the follow-up compilation, ''Death Row Greatest Hits, Volume 2''.
Rare and exclusive music
* "
Dear Mama"—included on disc one of the compilation—is an entirely different mix from the version featured on ''
Me Against the World
''Me Against the World'' is the third studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on March 14, 1995, by Interscope Records and Out da Gutta Records and distributed by Atlantic Records. 2Pac draws lyrical inspiration from his impend ...
'', despite not being listed as a remix.
Disc two of the compilation primarily features remixes and previously unreleased tracks. Notable inclusions are:
* "
Let Me Ride (RMX)" – A remix produced by and featuring a verse from
Daz Dillinger
Delmar Drew Arnaud (born May 25, 1973), known professionally as Daz Dillinger or simply Daz (formerly Dat Nigga Daz), is an American rapper and record producer. As a member of Death Row Records in the early 1990s, he is credited with the label ...
, absent from the original version.
* "Daydreaming" – A new song by
Michel'le, covering Aretha Franklin's 1972 hit "
Day Dreaming".
* "
I Get Around (RMX)" – A remix featuring a laid-back jazz instrumental and an additional verse from 2Pac.
* "
Hit 'Em Up" – 2Pac's notorious diss track, previously only available on the B-side of the single "
How Do U Want It".
* "Who Been There, Who Done That?" – A new parody track by
J-Flexx, satirizing Dr. Dre’s "
Been There, Done That".
* "Me in Your World" – A new track by
Tha Dogg Pound
Tha Dogg Pound is an American hip-hop duo composed of West Coast rappers Kurupt and Daz Dillinger. They were among the first acts to sign to Death Row Records in 1992.
Kurupt and Daz went on to release solo albums starting in 1998; they left th ...
. A live version was later released on the live album ''
Tupac: Live at the House of Blues''.
* "Smile For Me Now" – A collaboration between 2Pac and Scarface, later remixed and re-released as the single "
Smile
A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile.
Among humans, a smile expresses d ...
".
Diss tracks aimed at Dr. Dre
Continuing the tone of animosity heard on
Makaveli’s ''The 7 Day Theory'', Death Row Greatest Hits features a diss track aimed at former label co-founder
Dr. Dre
Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
on each disc.
* "
No Vaseline" by
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...
– A 1991 diss track targeting Dr. Dre and other members of
N.W.A
N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...
. While the song had no direct connection to Death Row Records, its inclusion was made possible through distribution ties: Priority Records (the song’s original distributor) and Interscope Records (the compilation’s distributor) were both under the
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
umbrella.
* "Who Been There, Who Done That?" by J-Flexx – An exclusive diss parodying Dre’s post-Death Row single "
Been There, Done That", which J-Flexx also ghostwrote. The track accuses Dre of stealing songwriting and production credits while taking all the royalties. It was released as a single with an accompanying music video.
It has been widely speculated that
Suge Knight
Marion Hugh "Suge" Knight Jr. ( ; born April 19, 1965) is an American former record executive, former National Football League, NFL player, and convicted felon, who is the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Knight was a central f ...
, Death Row Records’ CEO and executive producer of the album, was responsible for fueling the dissension toward Dr. Dre featured throughout the compilation.
Artwork

The album's cover and disc-tray artwork were created by California-based artist Ronald "Riskie" Brent, a frequent Death Row collaborator. Brent also designed the covers and inserts for several key Death Row releases, including
All Eyez on Me,
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,
Tha Doggfather
''Tha Doggfather'' is the second studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 12, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records. After the success of his debut album '' Doggystyle'' (1993), Snoop was arrested and cha ...
,
Christmas on Death Row, and
Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back
''Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Daz Dillinger, released on March 31, 1998, through Death Row Records and Priority Records. The promotional singles released from the album were "In California" an ...
.
Track listing
;Sample credits
*Track 1 contains samples from "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You" as recorded by
Leon Haywood and interpolations from "Uphill Peace of Mind" written by Frederick Knight
*Track 2 contains samples from "I Get Lifted" as recorded by
George McCrae
George Warren McCrae Jr. (born October 19, 1944) is an American soul and disco singer who is most famous for his 1974 hit " Rock Your Baby".
Biography and career
McCrae was the second of nine children, born in West Palm Beach, Florida. He ...
and interpolations from "Watching You" written by
Slave
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
*Track 3 contains samples from "Love That Will Not Die" as recorded by
Johnny "Guitar" Watson
John Watson Jr. (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996), often known professionally as Johnny "Guitar" Watson, was an American musician. A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of T-Bone Walker, his recording career spanned 40 year ...
*Track 5 contains interpolations from "
Atomic Dog" written by
George Clinton,
Garry Shider
Garry Marshall Shider (July 24, 1953 – June 16, 2010) was an American musician and guitarist. He was musical director of the P-Funk All-Stars for much of their history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, with fifteen ...
& David Spradley
*Track 6 contains interpolations from "
Funk You Up" written by
The Sequence and
Sylvia Robinson
*Track 7 contains samples from "
Dazz" as recorded by
Brick
A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...
*Track 8 contains interpolations from "If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another" written by
Richard "Dimples" Fields
*Track 9 contains samples from "
Be Alright" as recorded by
Roger Troutman
Roger Lynch Troutman Jr. (November 29, 1951 – April 25, 1999), also known simply as Roger, was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was the founder of the band Zapp who helped spearhead the funk movement and infl ...
and interpolations from "
O-o-h Child" written by
Stan Vincent
*Track 11 contains samples from "Little Getto Boy" as recorded by
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger who ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto" ...
*Track 13 contains interpolations from "
La Di Da Di
"La Di Da Di" is a song performed by Doug E. Fresh, who provides the beatboxed instrumental, and MC Ricky D (later known as Slick Rick), who performs the vocals. It was originally released in 1985 as the B-side to " The Show". The song has si ...
" written by
Slick Rick
Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence as part of Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. His songs " The Show" and ...
&
Doug E. Fresh and "
Sukiyaki
is a Japanese dish that is prepared and served in the '' nabemono'' (Japanese hot pot) style.
It consists of meat (usually thinly sliced beef) which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in ...
" written by
Rokusuke Ei &
Hachidai Nakamura
*Track 14 contains samples from "If It Don't Turn You On" as recorded by
B. T. Express and "Do Your Thang" as recorded by
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...
*Track 16 contains samples from "In My Wildest Dreams" as recorded by
Joe Sample
Joseph Leslie Sample (February 1, 1939 – September 12, 2014) was an American jazz keyboardist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Jazz Crusaders in 1960, whose name was shortened to "The Crusaders" in 1971. He remained a p ...
and interpolations from "
Sadie" written by Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes & Charles Simmons
*Track 17 contains samples from "
Inside My Love" as recorded by
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979)
was an American soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1974 single " Lovin' You", her five-octave vocal range, and her use of the whistle register.
Born in 1947, Riperton grew ...
and "
Walk on By" as recorded by
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...
*Track 23 contains samples from "
Computer Love" as recorded by
Zapp
*Track 25 contains interpolations from "
Don't Look Any Further
"Don't Look Any Further" is a song by American singer Dennis Edwards featuring American singer-songwriter Siedah Garrett, released in April 1984 by Motown from the singer's Don't Look Any Further (album), debut album by the same name (1984). Th ...
" written by
Franne Golde,
Dennis Lambert & Duane Hitchings
*Track 26 contains samples from "
Forget Me Nots" as recorded by
Patrice Rushen
Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director.
At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a no ...
*Track 28 contains samples from "Cry Together" as recorded by
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American Rhythm and blues, R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in summer 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appea ...
*Track 31 contains samples from "Let Me Love You" as recorded by
Ray Parker Jr.
Personnel
Vocalists
*Andre "
Dr. Dre
Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
" Young – performer
(tracks: 1, 4, 6, 11, 14, 18, 22, 24)
*Calvin "
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
" Broadus – performer
(tracks: 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 12-15, 19, 21, 29)
*Robin "
The Lady of Rage" Allen – performer
(tracks: 3, 14)
*O'Shea "
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...
" Jackson – performer
(tracks: 4, 7)
*Barbara Wilson – performer
(track 6)
*Dorothy Coleman – performer
(track 6)
*Nancy Fletcher – performer
(tracks: 6, 13)
*Delmar "
Daz Dillinger
Delmar Drew Arnaud (born May 25, 1973), known professionally as Daz Dillinger or simply Daz (formerly Dat Nigga Daz), is an American rapper and record producer. As a member of Death Row Records in the early 1990s, he is credited with the label ...
" Arnaud – performer
(tracks: 8, 10, 19, 21, 29, 30, 32)
*Ricardo "
Kurupt
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he formed Tha Dogg Pound in 1992 along with Daz Dillinger; the rap duo has releas ...
" Brown – performer
(tracks: 8, 12, 14, 29, 30)
*
The Dramatics – performers
(track 8)
*
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
– performer
(tracks: 9, 16, 17, 23, 25, 28, 33)
*Dave "
The Black Angel" Hollister – performer
(track 9)
*Nathaniel "
Nate Dogg
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American rapper and singer. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals on several hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning him the ...
" Hale – performer
(track 12)
*
Warren G
Warren Griffin III (born November 10, 1970) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and DJ who helped popularize West Coast hip hop during the 1990s.Steve Huey"Warren G: Biography" ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020. ...
riffin – performer
(track 12)
*Eric "
RBX" Collins – performer
(track 14)
*
Outlawz
Outlawz was an American hip-hop group founded by Tupac Shakur and Yafeu Fula in 1995. Originally known as Thoro Headz and Young Thugs, the group attracted attention with their appearance on Tupac's song "Flex", which was the B-side of his singl ...
– performers
(tracks: 17, 25)
*Puff Johnson – performer
(track 17)
*
Jewell Caples – performer
(tracks: 18, 27, 29)
*
Michel'le – performer
(track 20)
*
Digital Underground
Digital Underground is an American alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California. Its lineup grows with each album and tour.
Digital Underground's leader and mainstay was Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs (also known as Humpty Hump). Shock G forme ...
– performers
(track 23)
*O.G.Enius – performer
(track 24)
*James "
J-Flexx" Anderson – performer
(track 26)
*Sean "Barney Rubble" Thomas – performer
(track 26)
*
Jodeci – performers
(track 30)
*"
Danny Boy" Stewart – performer
(track 31)
*Brad "
Scarface" Jordan – performer
(track 33)
*816 – performer
(track 33)
Instrumentalists
*Priest "
Soopafly" Brooks – keyboards
(tracks: 4, 18, 19, 21, 29, 30)
*Stewart "Stu-B-Doo" Bullard – keyboards
(track 6)
*James "Timbali" Cornwell – percussion
(tracks: 18, 23)
*Fernando Harkless – horns
(tracks: 18, 20, 27), flute
(track 20)
*Rahmlee Davis – horns
(tracks: 18, 20, 27)
*Steve Baxter – horns
(tracks: 18, 20, 27)
*Tyrone Griffin – horns
(tracks: 18, 20, 27)
*Cornelius "Corny" Mims – bass
(tracks: 20, 23, 27)
*Kevyn "Cavi" Lewis – keyboards
(tracks: 20, 23, 27)
*
Warryn Campbell
Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. (born August 21, 1975) is an American record producer. He has worked with a number of contemporary gospel, gospel, hip hop and Contemporary R&B, R&B artists. Campbell originally got his start as a session musician a ...
– keyboards
(track 20)
*Ricardo Rouse – guitar
(tracks: 22, 23, 27)
*Derek Organ – drums
(tracks: 23, 27)
*Darrel Crooks – guitar
(trackS; 23, 27)
*
Cassandra O'Neal – keyboards
(tracks: 23, 27)
*Sean "Barney" Thomas – keyboards & programming
(track 26)
Producers
*Dr. Dre – producer
(tracks: 1-6, 8, 10-15)
*Daz Dillinger – producer
(tracks: 3, 18, 19, 21, 29, 30, 32)
*Anthony "
Sir Jinx" Wheaton – producer
(track 7)
*"D.J. Daryl" Anderson – producer
(track 9)
*
Tony Pizarro – producer
(track 16)
*Carsten "
Soulshock" Schack – producer
(track 17)
*
Kenneth Karlin – producer
(track 17)
*Kevyn Lewis – producer
(track: 20, 23, 27), horns producer
(track 18)
*Kurt "Kobane" Couthon – producer
(track 20)
*Reggie Lamb – producer
(track 20)
*DJ Jam – producer
(track 22)
*Tommy D. Daugherty – producer
(track 22)
*Antonio "Tony G" Gonzalez – producer
(track 24)
*Julio Gonzalez – producer
(track 24)
*Barney Rubble – producer
(track 26)
*J-Flexx – producer
(track 26)
*
Johnny "J" Lee Jackson – producer
(track 28)
*David "
DJ Quik" Blake – producer
(track 31)
*
Damon Thomas – producer
(track 33)
*2Pac – producer
(track 33)
*Samuel "
Sam Sneed" Anderson – co-producer
(tracks: 4, 6)
*Terrence "DF Master Tee" Thomas – co-producer
(track 16)
*Moses – co-producer
(track 16)
*Donald "
DeVante Swing
Donald Earle DeGrate Jr. (born September 29, 1969), better known by his stage name DeVanté Swing, is an American record producer, singer, songwriter and rapper. He is best known as the main songwriter and producer of the R&B group Jodeci, whic ...
" DeGrate – co-producer
(track 30)
*
Marion Hugh "Suge" Knight Jr. – executive producer
Technical
*Dr. Dre – mixing
(tracks: 3, 29)
*Keston Wright – engineering
(track 6)
*Tommy D – engineering
(track 6)
*Tony Pizarro – engineering
(track 16)
*Paul Arnold – mix engineering
(track 16)
*Jay Lean – mix engineering
(track 17)
*Soulshock – mix engineering
(track 17)
*
Dave Aron – mixing
(tracks: 19, 33), engineering
(track 33)
*Reggie Lamb – vocal arranger
(track 20)
*Lance Pierre – engineering
(track 22)
*Patrick Shevelin – engineering
(track 22)
*Norman Anthony Whitfield Jr. – mixing
(track 28)
*Dalvin "
Mr. Dalvin" DeGrate – vocal arranger
(track 30)
*Brian "
Big Bass" Gardner – mastering
Additional
*George Pryce – art direction
*Kim Holt – design
*Ronald "Riskie" Brent – front cover illustration
*T.J. Johnson – inlay illustration
*Edge Films – photography
*Ken Nahoum – photography
*Suge Knight – liner notes
*Roy Tesfay – project coordination
*Norris Anderson – project supervision
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1996 compilation albums
G-funk compilation albums
Albums produced by DJ Quik
Albums produced by Dr. Dre
Albums produced by Johnny "J"
Gangsta rap compilation albums
Record label compilation albums
Albums produced by Daz Dillinger
Rhythm and blues compilation albums
Death Row Records compilation albums
West Coast hip-hop compilation albums
Albums produced by Soulshock and Karlin