The Hits Collection Volume 1

When artists come out with a "Best of" collection it is usually a sign of their fading relevance, or a sign that they are going to break up. There are exceptions, of course. U2, Aerosmith, and other power groups had some success with hits albums and continued to create new music. Jay-Z falls into this latter group with The Hits Collection Volume 1.

For more than 20 years, Jay-Z has been at the top of rap. Hits covers tracks from the first nine albums of his discography. Singles like "Hard Knock Life" and "Izza" are enough to stir memories of my high school years, but their production value stood the test of time.

Even if you have all his albums, The Hits Collection will still make an excellent addition to your music library. It's a fine assortment of Jay-Z's music over the decades, and the only question lingering is can he pull off another stellar collection with Volume 2?