Greatest Hits

Four labels on one cover: Two years after Tupac's death, his estate and his former record companies presented a joint retrospective for the first time. Greatest Hits spans from Trapped (1991) to Hail Mary (1996) and contains four previously unreleased songs. One of them, Changes, became his best-known song worldwide.

Four Labels Share One Cover

In 1998, Tupac's recordings were held by different companies: the early albums at Interscope, the Death Row years at Death Row, and the unreleased estate at Afeni Shakur's label Amaru, which collaborated with Jive. Greatest Hits arose from a rare agreement among all parties involved-which is why four label names appear on the cover.

The selection covers every era, from Brenda's Got a Baby and I Get Around through Dear Mama to California Love, which appeared here on an album for the first time in its original version featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman. Individual tracks were altered: on All About U, Top Dogg replaces the verse by Snoop Doggy Dogg, who had since left Death Row on bad terms.

Four Unreleased Tracks and a Belated Global Hit

Changes carried the double album for years: Tupac had recorded the song around 1992; the released version builds on Bruce Hornsby's The Way It Is and addresses racism, police brutality, and the war on drugs. It was produced by Deon “Big D” Evans, with the chorus sung by Talent. Unconditional Love and Troublesome '96 come from Johnny “J”, while God Bless the Dead is a lament for departed friends.

In October 1998, Changes was released as a single and reached No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. In Europe, its success was significantly greater: No. 2 in Germany and Switzerland, No. 3 in the UK. In 2000, the song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. Unconditional Love followed in early 1999 as the second single.

Ten Million Units and Diamond Status

The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and later climbed to No. 3. In Germany it reached No. 9, and in the UK No. 17. It remained on the catalog charts for years and was certified Diamond by the RIAA in June 2011 for ten million units-as with all double albums, each disc counts individually. Alongside All Eyez on Me, it is Tupac's second Diamond album.

The Best-Selling Best-Of Album in Hip-Hop

As a pure hits compilation, Greatest Hits receives little critical praise, but for many listeners it is the entry point into Tupac's work. It is considered the best-selling best-of album in hip-hop. Those who know the albums will primarily find Changes and God Bless the Dead here, which appear on no regular studio album.

The album is often still cited as “9× Platinum”—that was the standing as of 2000. Since 2011 it has held Diamond status, and the double CD remains the record through which most listeners discover Tupac.