Ultimate? Hardly. If you're unfamiliar with the gutter mogul/rapper {$Master P} you are much better off starting with {@Priority}'s 2005 release {^The Best of Master P}, which focuses on his glory days with his original {@No Limit} label and with his original {@No Limit} soldiers. When people talk about {$P}, that's the era they're most likely referring to, but {@Koch}'s {^The Ultimate Master P} stills serves a purpose. Compiling the best tracks off three so-so albums -- {$P}'s {^Good Side, Bad Side} and {^Ghetto Bill} along with his group {$Tru}'s release {^The Truth} -- {^The Ultimate} saves the curious from having to waste time or money for a taste of {$P}'s {@Koch}-affiliated imprint, {@The New No Limit}. While {&"Act a Fool"} and {&"Who Them Boyz"} are welcome thugging reminders of the good old days, and {&"I Need Dubs"} is a clever and fun take on {$LL Cool J}'s {&"I Need Love,"} little else reaches these heights as {$P} often sounds overly desperate and downright embarrassing when he tries to kick it like {$Lil Jon}, {$T.I.}, or any of the other Southern hip-hoppers who were much more relevant when these tracks were dropped. The compilation would be better off if it had a few more albums to pull from, and including an unreleased remix or maybe some liner notes would have made it feel a lot less sleazy. Check it if you want to hear what {$P} was up to in 2004 and 2005 without spending too much cheese, but don't fall for any "Ultimate" hype thrown on this semi-useful set. [The unedited version was initially released with a bonus DVD featuring seven music videos.] ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide