Nas - I Am... (Original Version, 29 Tracks)

[Piff Perkins]

I would assume Nas has no interest in clearing samples for 25 year old songs. Also there was no fixed tracklisting for the double album concept so its not like they had a concrete plan for which songs were supposed to make the final version. Nas would have to go back, probably link up with Steve Stoute, and revise an entire album. I think Nas probably doesn't want to put in that sort of leg work, especially now that he's on Mass Appeal and dropping new albums at a feverish pace.

It would be Sony clearing samples though, not Nas directly. I'd assume they've spoken to him about this upcoming I Am release.

 

[Ziggiy]

It would be Sony clearing samples though, not Nas directly. I'd assume they've spoken to him about this upcoming I Am release.

Of course but what if certain songs (i.e. The Curse) that weee never finished and Nas reused the lyrics on other songs was supposed to be on the final list to the make the album? Does Nas re-record it? What about songs like Project Windows that ended up on Nastradamus? Does that now move to a re-release? What about songs in the vault that 25 years ago may have been acceptable but in today’s society might get a rapper “cancelled”? What about classics like Hate Me Now and Nas Is Like that weren’t part of the OG album, do they now get slotted in?

It just seems like a lot of research, piecing together, potential rewriting and rerecording, and all around effort just to put out the “original” version when that version was never even finalized to begin with. I can see a bunch of Nas fans who would be unhappy of a certain leaked song they loved and always fantasized being on the “true double album” version didn’t make the cut. Seems like an undertaking that wouldn’t necessarily be worth the effort, especially since Nas himself is moving forward with new material

 

[Metal Face]

Looks like its the 98 leak:

Record Store Day Canada

recordstoredaycanada.ca

really hope that ain't the tracklist

no "Rise & Fall" on it is crazy

 

[JustCKing]

Of course but what if certain songs (i.e. The Curse) that weee never finished and Nas reused the lyrics on other songs was supposed to be on the final list to the make the album? Does Nas re-record it? What about songs like Project Windows that ended up on Nastradamus? Does that now move to a re-release? What about songs in the vault that 25 years ago may have been acceptable but in today’s society might get a rapper “cancelled”? What about classics like Hate Me Now and Nas Is Like that weren’t part of the OG album, do they now get slotted in?

It just seems like a lot of research, piecing together, potential rewriting and rerecording, and all around effort just to put out the “original” version when that version was never even finalized to begin with. I can see a bunch of Nas fans who would be unhappy of a certain leaked song they loved and always fantasized being on the “true double album” version didn’t make the cut. Seems like an undertaking that wouldn’t necessarily be worth the effort, especially since Nas himself is moving forward with new material

This.

I think they could still include something like a "Project Windows", but it would be the other version with the different title. I don't see Sony or Nas packaging a double album unless they just add songs from those sessions to to a 25th anniversary edition of the album.

 

[Alexander Wiggin]

This.

I think they could still include something like a "Project Windows", but it would be the other version with the different title. I don't see Sony or Nas packaging a double album unless they just add songs from those sessions to to a 25th anniversary edition of the album.

I would love to have the rise and fall and my worst enemy cdq

to me this is my favorite project windows version. it's unifinished, raw but so great

 

[The Dust King]

this is not a double album, its only 10 tracks and some bonus.

the "remixes" are the original mixes of released songs

1. fetus original mix
2. wanna play original mix
3. small world original mix
4. poppa was a player original mix
5. blaze a 50 bside mix
6. we will survive original mix
7. gotta love it original mix
8. the game lives on project windows o.g. mix
9. drunk by myself original mix
10. find ya wealth original mix
11. day dreamin (unreleased)
12. hardest thing to do (unreleased)

this is my speculation mixed with what Sony already has spoken on

ill assume sometimes i wonder will not be included because nature is on it

I don't see Sony or Nas packaging a double album unless they just add songs from those sessions to to a 25th anniversary edition of the album.

it is not a double album, its a double vinyl but its a single lp

 

[2ATMsYouSteppinOrWhat]

this is not a double album, its only 10 tracks and some bonus.

the "remixes" are the original mixes of released songs

1. fetus original mix
2. wanna play original mix
3. small world original mix
4. poppa was a player original mix
5. blaze a 50 bside mix
6. we will survive original mix
7. gotta love it original mix
8. the game lives on project windows o.g. mix
9. drunk by myself original mix
10. find ya wealth original mix
11. day dreamin (unreleased)
12. hardest thing to do (unreleased)

this is my speculation mixed with what Sony already has spoken on

ill assume sometimes i wonder will not be included because nature is on it



it is not a double album, its a double vinyl but its a single lp

source?

 

[2ATMsYouSteppinOrWhat]

this is not a double album, its only 10 tracks and some bonus.

the "remixes" are the original mixes of released songs

1. fetus original mix
2. wanna play original mix
3. small world original mix
4. poppa was a player original mix
5. blaze a 50 bside mix
6. we will survive original mix
7. gotta love it original mix
8. the game lives on project windows o.g. mix
9. drunk by myself original mix
10. find ya wealth original mix
11. day dreamin (unreleased)
12. hardest thing to do (unreleased)

this is my speculation mixed with what Sony already has spoken on

ill assume sometimes i wonder will not be included because nature is on it



it is not a double album, its a double vinyl but its a single lp

It might not be a double album but i thibk itll have more than 12 tracks cause i’m pretty sure 12 tracks fit on 1 single lp

 

[Piff Perkins]

Of course but what if certain songs (i.e. The Curse) that weee never finished and Nas reused the lyrics on other songs was supposed to be on the final list to the make the album? Does Nas re-record it? What about songs like Project Windows that ended up on Nastradamus? Does that now move to a re-release? What about songs in the vault that 25 years ago may have been acceptable but in today’s society might get a rapper “cancelled”? What about classics like Hate Me Now and Nas Is Like that weren’t part of the OG album, do they now get slotted in?

It just seems like a lot of research, piecing together, potential rewriting and rerecording, and all around effort just to put out the “original” version when that version was never even finalized to begin with. I can see a bunch of Nas fans who would be unhappy of a certain leaked song they loved and always fantasized being on the “true double album” version didn’t make the cut. Seems like an undertaking that wouldn’t necessarily be worth the effort, especially since Nas himself is moving forward with new material

All good points sure. Legacy editions are kind of a big deal so there's a history of how Sony handles these records. For instance the 2010 Legacy edition of Miles Davis' bytches Brew includes multiple additional tracks and outtakes alongside the original album tracks. People had heard the additional tracks before since they were included on other Miles complication albums released in previous decades. It's essentially an alternative, more comprehensive version of the album featuring a lot of outtakes and tracks recorded during the same session that birthed the album.

The difference here is what you pointed out: samples, maybe even features. Can this include Sometimes I Wonder given the drama with Nature? Personally I don't think the samples will be a big deal since I don't remember the bootleg tracks having wild expensive samples. I doubt Sony even cares. This is an investment for them. These boxes are gonna sell and be resold for years, decades even.

I just got a Pharoah Sanders box set that came out last month, also from a Sony subsidiary (but not Legacy). It's pretty dope. Also features unreleased tracks.

Pharoah Sanders’ 1977 Album Pharoah Getting Reissued With Unreleased Music

Luaka Bop is behind a new box set that features two unreleased live performances of Sanders’ classic “Harvest Time”

pitchfork.com

 

[Alexander Wiggin]

is it vinyl only or is ther a cd version ?

 

[Trace]

I would love to have the rise and fall and my worst enemy cdq

to me this is my favorite project windows version. it's unifinished, raw but so great

Same here, always gravitated back to this version and ultimately ended up downloading it.

Even with the missing part of the last verse, and this might be up-pitched by a half step, but it’s potent.

 

[T.H.E.GOD]

I know one song I felt was a classic I wish I could get my hands on is

 

[nieman]

Sometimes I wonder....

 

[Big Mark]

If this goes through, I am not going to get my hopes up too high as the project we all dreamed about. Let me get ANY combination of CD quality versions of the following songs officially released in a Nas project and I’m good.

MY WORST ENEMY IS ME
YOU DONT KNOW ME
RISE AND FALL
YOUR MOUTH GOT YOU IN IT
WANNA PLAY ROUGH
QUEENS nikkaS
SEEDS OF HEAVEN
TALES FROM THE HOOD
WHEN THUGS DIE
AMONG KINGS
CURSE

 

[Big Mark]

I collect the actual discs do I hope we can get some CDs. I am interested in the unreleased music too. I mean the majority of the original was scrapped and leaked it out on mixtapes so my question is what does Sony consider to be unreleased? Most of it has never been officially released.