2 Live Crew – Greatest Hits Volume II

Everyone remembers the first dirty album they owned. Many of us have memories of hiding under the covers late at night, quietly snickering as Eddie Murphy, Andrew Dice Clay or Richard Pryor poured filthy words into our virgin ears.

I first heard the 2 Live Crew when I was 13 years old. At 32, the novelty’s worn off. Sitting with the big kids at the back of bus, 2 Live Crew seemed like the naughtiest thing anyone had ever thought of. 20 years later, it all seems a little silly — and the thought of a second greatest hits package seems even sillier.

There’s no denying the Crew’s place in history — they defined the Miami bass sound and were among the first if not THE first “dirty” rappers. Back in the 80’s and early 90’s, the band had several hit albums and were routinely on the news (and getting arrested) for their adult-only live shows. Unfortunatley this history is barely hinted at through the album’s track listing. Do Wah Diddy, Banned in the U.S.A. and F**k Shop were all popular tracks from the band that make appearances here. Me So Horny, which was on Greatest Hits Volume 1, appears here again as well.

That leaves a whole lotta room for filler. I can’t say I’d heard Hoochie Mama (from the Friday Soundtrack), Pretty Woman, or Shake A Lil’ Somethin’ before, and after listening to them a couple of times I don’t need to hear them again. Also appearing are several live tracks, remixes, and remakes — the most embarassing of which is Bill So Horny, a re-working of Me So Horny using former president Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, and anyone else from the White House whose name who is unfortunate enough to rhyme with something vulgar. Even after only a couple of listenings, the music is extremely repetitive, and the humor of finding every possible word that rhymes with the f-bomb gets old.

While the 2 Live Crew certainly influenced the rap scene, that’s not a good enough reasons to buy this. For those faint of heart, Amazon.com also sells a “clean” version of this album, which makes as much sense as non-alcoholic beer. Those really wanting to explore the band’s roots should simply pick up their four early albums: The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, Move Somethin’, As Nasty As They Wanna Be, and Banned In The U.S.A. Any of them are better than this compilation.

01. Intro
02. Bill So Horny
03. Me So Horny
04. Do Wah Diddy
05. Pretty Woman
06. C’mom Babe (Doo Doo Brown Version)
07. Hoochie Mama
08. Shake A Lil’ Somethin’
09. 2 Live Party
10. Banned In The U.S.A.
11. Sex, I Like It, I Love It
12. We Want Some P-ssy (Live In Berlin Extended Mix)
13. Baby Baby Please Just A Little More Head
14. Who’s F-cking Who
15. Get It Girl Extended Mix
16. F-ck Shop

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