You’d have to be a die-hard No Limit soldier of the highest degree to deny that Master P’s output has been spotty. He’s mainly a singles artist with the occasional satisfying album, a man who seems more concerned with flooding the market as much as he can, as quickly as he can, and with as many side projects as possible. That’s why his well-chosen Best Of is a desirable addition to his overstuffed catalog, saving CD buyers from emptying their wallets to catch the one or two — sometimes three — ghetto classics from his full-lengths. The early, West Coast years are missing as is everything post-2000, but it’s just as well because what’s represented here is his golden age, and if there were anything else added, the collection wouldn’t sound as tight as it does. From signature tracks like “Bout It, Bout It II” and “Make ‘Em Say Ugh” to numbers that never quite crawled out of the hood, Best Of keeps things moving by sequencing the tracks in a way that makes sense. Bangers are upfront while four melancholy tracks close the affair, bringing the listener down from all the sleazy thug music. A couple memorable tracks are missing (the great “Weed & Money” for example) but not enough that it harms this overview. The most beautiful thing about the collection is that a Master P newcomer could listen to this in total, think of P as top-notch, and be totally befuddled by his weak reputation. – David Jeffries
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