Death Row Greatest Hits


Death Row Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album and second double album released by Death Row Records and Interscope Records and distributed by Priority Records. 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 and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 12, 1999.

Background

2Pac's inclusion

To avoid cannibalizing sales of other major 1996 Death Row releases, no songs from 2Pac's All Eyez on Me, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, or Snoop Dogg's Tha Doggfather 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 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, despite not being listed as a remix.
Disc two of the compilation primarily features remixes and previously unreleased tracks. Notable inclusions are:

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 on each disc.
  • "No Vaseline" by Ice Cube – A 1991 diss track targeting Dr. Dre and other members of N.W.A. While the song had no direct connection to Death Row Records, its inclusion was made possible through distribution ties: Priority Records and Interscope Records were both under the Universal Music Group 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, 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, Christmas on Death Row, and Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back.

Track listing

;Sample credits

Personnel

Vocalists
Instrumentalists
  • Priest "Soopafly" Brooks – keyboards
  • Stewart "Stu-B-Doo" Bullard – keyboards
  • James "Timbali" Cornwell – percussion
  • Fernando Harkless – horns, flute
  • Rahmlee Davis – horns
  • Steve Baxter – horns
  • Tyrone Griffin – horns
  • Cornelius "Corny" Mims – bass
  • Kevyn "Cavi" Lewis – keyboards
  • Warryn Campbell – keyboards
  • Ricardo Rouse – guitar
  • Derek Organ – drums
  • Darrel Crooks – guitar
  • Cassandra O'Neal – keyboards
  • Sean "Barney" Thomas – keyboards & programming
Producers
  • Dr. Dre – producer
  • Daz Dillinger – producer
  • Anthony "Sir Jinx" Wheaton – producer
  • "D.J. Daryl" Anderson – producer
  • Tony Pizarro – producer
  • Carsten "Soulshock" Schack – producer
  • Kenneth Karlin – producer
  • Kevyn Lewis – producer, horns producer
  • Kurt "Kobane" Couthon – producer
  • Reggie Lamb – producer
  • DJ Jam – producer
  • Tommy D. Daugherty – producer
  • Antonio "Tony G" Gonzalez – producer
  • Julio Gonzalez – producer
  • Barney Rubble – producer
  • J-Flexx – producer
  • Johnny "J" Lee Jackson – producer
  • David "DJ Quik" Blake – producer
  • Damon Thomas – producer
  • 2Pac – producer
  • Samuel "Sam Sneed" Anderson – co-producer
  • Terrence "DF Master Tee" Thomas – co-producer
  • Moses – co-producer
  • Donald "DeVante Swing" DeGrate – co-producer
  • Marion Hugh "Suge" Knight Jr. – executive producer
Technical
  • Dr. Dre – mixing
  • Keston Wright – engineering
  • Tommy D – engineering
  • Tony Pizarro – engineering
  • Paul Arnold – mix engineering
  • Jay Lean – mix engineering
  • Soulshock – mix engineering
  • Dave Aron – mixing, engineering
  • Reggie Lamb – vocal arranger
  • Lance Pierre – engineering
  • Patrick Shevelin – engineering
  • Norman Anthony Whitfield Jr. – mixing
  • Dalvin "Mr. Dalvin" DeGrate – vocal arranger
  • 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