Arts & Entertainment
 

Ten years rolled up into one record

Bad Boy's history told with music that spends too much time with Biggie

by Keenan Singleton
The Daily Cougar

Remember when Bad Boy Entertainment made hits, instead of throwing hits weekly on MTV's Making the Band 2? Remember when Bad Boy fashioned itself as rap royalty, instead of making fashion (Sean John clothing) for rap's royalty?

You should remember; it started about a decade ago.

Bad Boy's 10th Anniversary ... The Hits serves as a reminder. A reminder that Bad Boy is relevant for not only its hits, which the label can boast more than most, but also for its longevity, something that even the most talented rappers -- Rakim comes to mind here -- cannot claim as part of their repertoire. 

You don't remain at or near the top in the rap game without some kind of hook. Bad Boy's hook has been and always will be danceable music for the masses.

And fans and detractors have Diddy to thank or blame for that. 

Critics spank Bad Boy for not being socially conscious enough. That's OK. 

That's what Nas, Common and a host of other rappers are for. Bad Boy fills a niche that even the most underground rap fan can appreciate. The niche that makes girls shake their collective tailfeathers.

The album is chock-full of hits -- the Notorious B.I.G's "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems" and "Big Poppa," Mase's "Feel So Good" and the "Flava in Ya Ear" remix with Craig Mack, B.I.G., LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and Rampage are all on the disc.

But where is the LOX's "Money, Power, Respect?" Sure, the original version of "All About the Benjamins" is on the record, but where is the "Rock remix," a version on par with its original. These two tracks are surely bigger hits than "I Need a Girl II (P. Diddy featuring Loon, Ginuwine and Mario Winans)" or "Can't You See (Total featuring the Notorious B.I.G.)". 

And why, oh why, is the woeful club song, "Hypnotize" on this album? A track from Shyne or, even better, Dream (kidding, kidding) would have been a better selection. 

"Victory" in its original form is one of Bad Boy's best contributions, but this album's offering, the cleverly titled "Victory 2004" adds little by adding rapper du jours 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks to the Notorious B.I.G.'s scathing flows, Busta's Rhymes wailing hook and P. Diddy's trademarked "yeah, uh-huh, yeah." 

An intriguing observation from this album is the lack of artists still signed with the Bad Boy label. 

Mack, one of the label's first artists, smacks of unemployment. Mase is a missing face (he's now a minister). Total was recalled. 112 was subtracted from Bad Boy's plans. Faith was lost. And while he is still on the Bad Boy Web site, Black Rob hasn't had a memorable release since his breakthrough hit, "Whoa," which, with good reason, is on the album.

Eight of the album's 14 songs feature the late Notorious B.I.G. and the last song on the album, "Missing You" is a tribute to the slain rapper. Although he is still one of rap's brightest stars, having B.I.G. on over half of the record hampers the overall feel of the album. 

Various Artists

Bad Boy's 10th Anniversary ... The Hits

Bad Boy

The verdict: Less B.I.G., less problems.

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