Various Artists:
Bad Boy 10th Anniversary... The Hits

Release Date: 9 March 2004

Reviewed By: Usman Sajjad

1. Victory - Lloyd Banks

2. Flava In Ya Ear - Busta Rhymes

3. Hypnotize

4. Whoa

5. All About The Benjamins

6. Big Poppa

7. I Need A Girl Pt.2 - Genuwine

8. Mo' Money, Mo' Problems - P Diddy

9. Can't You See

10. Only You (remix)

11. Feel So Good

12. I Wish - Carl Thomas

13. I'll Be Missing You - Faith Evans

14. P Diddy Outro - P Diddy

Lloyd Banks - Hunger For More
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“Its 10 years and we still runnin’ this muthaf*****/ as we proceed to give you what you need” are the lines Diddy proudly shouts as the opening track to the album, ‘Victory 2004’, begins to roll. Well, he’s right, Bad Boy Records is still here after 10 strong years.

Bad Boy was a key factor in the hip hop revolution in the late Nineties in respect to marketing, videos, fashion and records. You all remember that Notorious BIG ‘Hypnotize’ video? That was one of the first videos to cost a staggering $1 million. That track, along with many other hits, are all included on Bad Boy’s 10th Anniversary Greatest Hits album, which features Diddy himself, Notorious BIG, 112, Carl Thomas, Ma$e and Total. Production comes from Diddy and his production crew The Hitmen.

Diddy’s ‘Bad Boy’ journey has been influential in the ‘shiny suit era’ to the end of the Nineties. This ‘shiny suit era’ was seen as him being on a record, dressing in shiny suits and rapping about extravagant possessions. This is felt on cuts such as ‘Mo Money, Mo Problems’ with Ma$e, Diddy and Biggie Smalls. An undeniable classic, but at the same time, it possessing that pop quality.

The Greatest Hits also makes room for the artist that put the label on the scene… Notorious BIG. The album includes his breakthrough single ‘Big Poppa’ and ‘Hypnotize’. ‘Victory 2004’ also features Biggie, alongside Busta Rhymes. This version is a remix of the original, which now includes G-Unit soldiers Lloyd Banks and 50 cent.

Only recently Ma$e decided to return to the game, declaring his return on his new single. Diddy was sure to include Ma$e on his Greatest Hits album, with his classic ‘Feel So Good’, in which we feel Mase’s well known flamboyant, smooth simplistic rhymes. From flamboyant lyrics to soulful classics, the album also touches on the unique talents of Carl Thomas on ‘I Wish’ - a smooth, down to earth melody. Diddy also pays tribute to Biggie on his ’97 smash ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ featuring the vocals of Faith Evans, a cover of the Sting track ‘I’ll Be Watching You’.

Having followed the Bad Boy label through the years, I was familiar with all the tracks, but I was refreshed by the high quality sound heard on each song banging out of my speaker. The only criticism I have of the album is that there is no presence of more significantly hotter tunes or even artists that have made an impact on the label. For example, where is ‘Juicy’, Biggie’s debut summer hit, or ‘One More Chance’, an absolute Notorious BIG classic? Diddy also fails to include a Faith Evans solo hit, or even the work of rapper Shyne on the album, even though both were very instrumental in the label’s success.

The tracks that are included on this album may be a little irritating to some listeners, as some of these songs have been regularly played on the radio before this album was even released, even though it has been so many years since the single’s initial release. I felt this way with tracks like ‘Mo Money, Mo Problems’ and ‘All About The Benjamins’. Other than this, I would recommend this album for any fan who has kept a Bad Boy record in their hip hop collection throughout the years. Even if you are not a Bad Boy fan, the music on the album will still be enjoyed as it is general, popular hip hop music.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Top 3 Tracks
12. I Wish - Carl Thomas
2. Flava in ya Ear remix - Craig Mack, Notorious BIG, Busta Rhymes and LL Cool J.
11. Feel So Good - Ma$e

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