Jay Most Hits Collection, some fans will be anticipating a continuation of these tracks. They may even entertain the idea that his Hits Collection will contain a collection of hits. Be under no illusion. Jay-Z’s most original, nuanced and admittedly macabre work has been completely omitted. Songs that made him a feared and revered Hip-hop artist in the Bedford-Stuyvesant projects of Brooklyn have been substituted. In their place, Jay-Z has included the commercial successes that have made his name known on both sides of the Atlantic. His increased fan base has altered his musical priorities, and after his latest three albums, his oldest followers were hoping for anything other than more commercialism. As the sticker on the front of the album states, the compilation ‘includes
, one of his strongest songs, the better known Empire State of Mind sits centrally in the track-listing. The choice of songs further illustrates Roc-A-Fella’s aim to make its music more accessible to the casual Hip-hop listener. Despite this, there are some purely anomalous tracks which are ill-fitting for all generations of Jay-Z fans. The most notable of these is
to name two), it adds to the feeling of a confused sense of direction on Roc-a-Fella’s behalf. Just as Jay-Z’s Greatest Hits (2006) album places emphasis on his earlier work, this year’s Hits Collection mainly consists of his post-
As a result, the Hits Collection is a compendium of Jay-Z’s best selling singles. The album provides a gateway for moderate fans to appreciate a range of his latest music. It does not expose this target audience to the harsh glares of his early gangsta rap; they are left unaware of the duo with The Notorious B.I.G in his ’96 album. Instead, they are offered a collection of recent chart hits, compounded by the reverberating beats and quotable lyrics of ‘Dirt Off Your Shoulder’ and ‘Encore’.
in the Marcy projects to selling triple platinum records. He has reached such a level that it is physically impossible to create a hits album that successfully caters his entire audience. Instead, The Greatest Hits: Volume One successfully targets the latest generation of fans. While older followers may feel that Jay-Z is becoming swathed in commercialism, it is only testament to his rapping prowess that he can maintain both audiences with such finesse.
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