Usually a two-album career doesn't warrant a best-of collection, but, then again, Ol' Dirty Bastard isn't your usual artist. The Dirty Story hit the streets in 2001, just as Ol' Dirty was in the headlines yet again for ongoing drug/legal problems. This is far from a mandatory addition to the troubled rapper's catalog, and feels more like an exploitative attempt to bank on the news headlines. You get the better moments from Ol' Dirty's debut, Return to the 36 Chambers -- "Shimmy Shimmy Ya," "Brooklyn Zoo," "Raw Hide," "Proteck Ya Neck II in the Zoo" -- and a few of the highlights from Nigga Please: "I Can't Wait," the Neptunes-produced tracks "Got Your Money" and "Recognize," and Ol' Dirty's Rick James cover, "Cold Blooded." Furthermore, since this album only features 11 songs and no interludes, it's a pleasant listen -- no lulls, no filler, and refreshingly brief. Of course, anyone with one or more of Ol' Dirty's albums will find little justification for buying this. In essence, The Dirty Story is a distillation of two albums with the Mariah Carey collaboration "Fantasy" thrown in as a bonus. As such, The Best of Ol' Dirty Bastard is the perfect one-stop listen for anyone curious about the Ol' Dirty story, particularly those who don't already have the otherwise excellent Return to the 36 Chambers album.
© Jason Birchmeier /TiVo