Nas "I Am" got 4.5 Mic when it came out. WHY DOES THE COLI&the internet HATE IT?!

[Big Mark]

As someone who absorbed the album in real time, the album was well-received by the masses when it dropped...it wasn't considered mediocre...it did #s, hot singles, kept Nas in the forefront of hip hop

But all early 99, MTV kept talking about the leaks...and in hindsight, I Am...The Autobiography would've been a CRAZY 3rd album

It literally would've been his ending and his new beginning

The album changed the trajectory for Nas bc he rushed an uninspired Nastradamus, took time off, and the industry thought he fell off

IMO I Am is a borderline top 10 Nas project

I agree. In a movie about Nas' life, the time after IWW through Stillmatic was a major turning point because happened. His inability to get the double album out was the catalyst for a lot of BS that took place that probably wouldn't have otherwise.

 

[ADP]

had some classics on it, shouldve went triple

 

[Awesome Wells]

A lot of people weren't around when this was happening in real-time, back in the day, so they don’t know.

The version of the album reviewed wasn't the version that dropped retail. The OG version had "Drunk By Myself" and "U Gotta Love It"on it. I still have my copy of the advance back then, that ended up being the street bootleg. Most of the records people have on their tracklist for the OG weren't on the OG. But the REAL original version of I Am was up there with Illmatic, and could've easily been seen as Nas's best album. Sh*t was a masterpiece.

 

[Controversy]

A lot of people weren't around when this was happening in real-time, back in the day, so they don’t know.

The version of the album reviewed wasn't the version that dropped retail. The OG version had "Drunk By Myself" and "U Gotta Love It"on it. I still have my copy of the advance back then, that ended up being the street bootleg. Most of the records people have on their tracklist for the OG weren't on the OG. But the REAL original version of I Am was up there with Illmatic, and could've easily been seen as Nas's best album. Sh*t was a masterpiece.

U Gotta Love It wasn't on the OG

It had Belly Button Window (Fetus), Poppa Was A Playa, and Project Windows

 

[JustCKing]

A lot of people weren't around when this was happening in real-time, back in the day, so they don’t know.

The version of the album reviewed wasn't the version that dropped retail. The OG version had "Drunk By Myself" and "U Gotta Love It"on it. I still have my copy of the advance back then, that ended up being the street bootleg. Most of the records people have on their tracklist for the OG weren't on the OG. But the REAL original version of I Am was up there with Illmatic, and could've easily been seen as Nas's best album. Sh*t was a masterpiece.

This is false. The Source review has been posted multiple times. The retail version of the album received 4.5 mics.

 

[Foxmulder]

After all the years dudes still saying the source reviewed the bootleg. I used to buy the source every month I read the review in real time they reviewed the retail.

 

[papertrail08]

I liked I Am and a good portion of Nastradamus

 

[Cladyclad]

A recent run of 7 albums in 5 years but still stuck in the 90s

Nas has by far the worst fanbase in rap. I know he hate yall guts

 

[L $ C]

DONT HIT THAT shyt IF ITS BLISTERINNNN

 

[Awesome Wells]

U Gotta Love It wasn't on the OG

It had Belly Button Window (Fetus), Poppa Was A Playa, and Project Windows

Nah, fam.

"U Gotta Love It" was one of the first songs Nas recorded for I Am. It was also on the advance, which was the same used for the first bootleg. That had "Drunk by Myself", "Poppa Was a Playa", "Blaze a 50" and a couple other joints. I was in those sessions with L.E.S. myself. He was the first one that came in for the first couple sessions of recording. The album kicked off with him and Angelettie.

 

[Elim Garak]

People generally hated on this album at the time. To me it sounds just fine now, but at the time standards were very high in hip-hop.

 

[the cac mamba]

I Am is like jay vol 1. half fire, half garbage

 

[RennisDeynolds]

A lot of people weren't around when this was happening in real-time, back in the day, so they don’t know.

The version of the album reviewed wasn't the version that dropped retail. The OG version had "Drunk By Myself" and "U Gotta Love It"on it. I still have my copy of the advance back then, that ended up being the street bootleg. Most of the records people have on their tracklist for the OG weren't on the OG. But the REAL original version of I Am was up there with Illmatic, and could've easily been seen as Nas's best album. Sh*t was a masterpiece.

U gotta love it is a top 5 Nas track


What was the OG track list supposed to be?

 

[Controversy]

These are the 13 tracks of the I Am bootleg

Belly Button Window (Fetus)
Small World
Money's My bytch
Project Windows
Poppa Was A Playa
Dr. Knockboots
Daydreaming/Stay Schemin'
Sometimes I Wonder
Hardest Thing To Do Is Stay Alive
Drunk By Myself
Wanna Play Rough
Blaze a 50
We Will Survive

 

[Controversy]

Nah, fam.

"U Gotta Love It" was one of the first songs Nas recorded for I Am. It was also on the advance, which was the same used for the first bootleg. That had "Drunk by Myself", "Poppa Was a Playa", "Blaze a 50" and a couple other joints. I was in those sessions with L.E.S. myself. He was the first one that came in for the first couple sessions of recording. The album kicked off with him and Angelettie.