Additional personnel: Kelis, Mariah Carey (vocals); Lil' Mo, Prakazrel "Pras" Michel (rap vocals); Mya.

Barely two years after the release of 1999's Nigga Please, Elektra picked some highlights off that album and combined them with the best-known tracks off 1995's Return to the 36 Chambers. As concise and smartly selected as The Dirty Story: The Best of Ol' Dirty Bastard was, it still seemed a little exploitative and very premature, more like a quick mixtape you might make for yourself than a truly necessary release. Flash forward to June 2005, just short of a year since ODB's passing: Rhino releases a glorified expanded version of The Dirty Story, adding three more tracks from Nigga Please, a B-side, and Pras' "Ghetto Supastar" (featuring our late hero). The disc will work for those on a budget who want to have "Brooklyn Zoo," "Protect Ya Neck II," "Shimmy Shimmy Ya," and "Got Your Money" in one spot, but owning the two primary ODB albums is a near-must. Two things prevent this set from being fairly pointless. First, there's a bonus DVD containing the videos for "Brooklyn Zoo," "Shimmy Shimmy Ya," and "Got Your Money," in addition to an interview circa 1995. And second, there's the booklet, containing some very touching liner notes from Sacha Jenkins and thoughtful recollections from four of ODB's Wu-Tang brothers. ~ Andy Kellman

By 2005, the number of Ol' Dirty Bastard compilations almost outnumbered his official studio releases, building the already larger-than-life myth of the late hip-hop legend. THE DEFINITIVE OL' DIRTY BASTARD STORY is comprehensive enough to put the kibosh on further milking of the former Wu-Tanger's name. A double-disc set (the second of which is a DVD containing videos and an interview), THE DEFINITIVE brings together the brightest moments from ODB's two solo releases (RETURN TO THE 36 CHAMBERS: THE DIRTY STORY and NIGGA PLEASE), and adds single versions, B-sides, Pras's "Ghetto Supastar" (with a prominent ODB cameo), and a remix of the Mariah Carey/ODB duet "Fantasy."

ODB's flair for drama, drugs, and endless legal complications sometimes overshadowed his talents as a rapper, which is a shame. At his sharpest, he unfurled a surreal style blending comedy, street-thug menace, verbal playfulness, and vocal gymnastics in an utterly imaginative way. Hip-hop heads will want to own the individual albums, but THE DEFINITIVE's mix of essential album tracks, bonus features, and a well annotated booklet full of photos and shout-outs from his Wu-Tang brethren offers a superb overview of this wild, sui generis rapper.