Albums Nas - The Lost Tapes 2 (Discussion Thread)

[Piff Perkins]

This.

The fact that The Trackmasters had like 5-6 songs on the album is really what brought on "the Nas went Pop" backlash. This still plagues Nas to this day, which is where the "Nas can't pick beats" crowd gets its ammo. What they are really saying is "Nas isn't working with the producers I want/wish him to work with". Salaam Remi was called trash as if "Made You Look" and "Get Down" weren't on the same album or he didn't do "What Goes Around" or didn't produce the best songs on Street's Disciple. L.E.S. caught heat as well as if the songs he produced weren't better than the bigger names on Hip Hop Is Dead or that he wasn't also apart of the lineup for Illmatic and provided Nas with heat throughout his career.

Nah purists were mad about the lack of boom bap beats on IWW. The samples were more diverse, the drums were weaker...it's not surprising some people were mad. Hearing Nas working with R Kelly and Jojo was too much. All that being said it's a dope album regardless and has aged better than most 90s albums.

In terms of the beats after that nah. It has nothing to do with demanding Nas work with Premier, and everything to do with wondering why nearly each album featured wack beats that didn't fit his strengths. LES and Dame Grease laced him with weak tracks on I Am and especially Nastradamus. Even Stillmatic had some beats that just make you wonder why the fukk.

He had the budgets and clout to work with whoever he wanted. Not just while on Columbia...the Def Jam albums feature some questionable beats too. This became a thing mainly because Jay Z was rapping over Kanye, Just Blaze, and Bink beats. Hov built a production super team. I will always feel like Nas should have tried to do the same thing. For awhile it seemed like he wanted to start it with Alchemist. I wish he did...

 

[Alexander Wiggin]

And that was a dumb argument. Cause they were REALLY mad that he went more street. Yet they try to disguise it as he went more pop. IWW is WAY more street than Illmatic. shyt is a darker album than alot of albums they praised. shyt has production from Preemo. Stretch from Live Squad. Havoc. Etc. nikkas was mad that he got production from Trackmasters even tho they did a great job. They were more mad at the name and didnt give a fukk about what the music actually sounded like. But in reality. It was only the “purest” crowd and some of the producers who didnt get a slot on the 2nd album that was pissed. Nas IWW was being played ALL OVER the streets of NY at the time. Out of every whip that passed. Meanwhile. These fukkin “purist” bootlegged Illmatic. And the publication that gave him his 5 mics snubbed him for the more commercial album “Ready to Die” at the Source Awards. Think about it. All of Nas’ classic feature’s leading up to IWW were all in the vein of IWW. Yet nikkas act like he popped outta nowhere wit that style. He had Fast Life, Mo Money Mo Murder, Eye For An Eye, Verbal Intercourse, etc etc all the year before IWW dropped.

and you got bytch ass like vlad who are saying that iww was not on par with illmatic because of nas is coming. first of all nas is coming beat is ok, nothin particular but not as bad as they say. it's just that people expected better from dre.

second of all, nas destroy that track, and prove that he can make a good song out of an average beat.
third of all, let's say for the sake of the argument that nas is coming is not a good track, that's still 14 hot tracks (i'm counting silent murder) out of 15


how can you not say that iww is a masterpiece as well is beyond me

 

[Alexander Wiggin]

Nah purists were mad about the lack of boom bap beats on IWW. The samples were more diverse, the drums were weaker...it's not surprising some people were mad. Hearing Nas working with R Kelly and Jojo was too much. All that being said it's a dope album regardless and has aged better than most 90s albums.

In terms of the beats after that nah. It has nothing to do with demanding Nas work with Premier, and everything to do with wondering why nearly each album featured wack beats that didn't fit his strengths. LES and Dame Grease laced him with weak tracks on I Am and especially Nastradamus. Even Stillmatic had some beats that just make you wonder why the fukk.

He had the budgets and clout to work with whoever he wanted. Not just while on Columbia...the Def Jam albums feature some questionable beats too. This became a thing mainly because Jay Z was rapping over Kanye, Just Blaze, and Bink beats. Hov built a production super team. I will always feel like Nas should have tried to do the same thing. For awhile it seemed like he wanted to start it with Alchemist. I wish he did...

they were A LOT of questionable beats on vol 1 2 3 blueprint 2 and 3 as well, but somehow, jay's choice in that matter never were put to blast

 

[JustCKing]

Nah purists were mad about the lack of boom bap beats on IWW. The samples were more diverse, the drums were weaker...it's not surprising some people were mad. Hearing Nas working with R Kelly and Jojo was too much. All that being said it's a dope album regardless and has aged better than most 90s albums.

In terms of the beats after that nah. It has nothing to do with demanding Nas work with Premier, and everything to do with wondering why nearly each album featured wack beats that didn't fit his strengths. LES and Dame Grease laced him with weak tracks on I Am and especially Nastradamus. Even Stillmatic had some beats that just make you wonder why the fukk.

He had the budgets and clout to work with whoever he wanted. Not just while on Columbia...the Def Jam albums feature some questionable beats too. This became a thing mainly because Jay Z was rapping over Kanye, Just Blaze, and Bink beats. Hov built a production super team. I will always feel like Nas should have tried to do the same thing. For awhile it seemed like he wanted to start it with Alchemist. I wish he did...

L.E.S. gave Nas "Undying Love" and "Favor For A Favor", which were highlights on I Am... I don't like the beat for "I Want To Talk To You", but it's the only beat that I thought was subpar for L.E.S. "Dr. Knockboot" is the worst beat on that album. Nastradamus is really the only album with consistently subpar music. Nas had songs with Dame Grease like "Wanna Play Rough" that were album worthy and would've been a highlight on either album. "Find Ya Wealth" and "Real nikkas" from QB's Finest are two L.E.S. joints that would've been fire had they been on either album.

Nas definitely has had intentions or attempted to put together a production super team. If you look at the line up on Hip Hop Is Dead, that was definitely a production super team (Dre, Scott Storch, Kanye West), but L.E.S. arguably had better tracks than them. Additionally, Nas also wanted Pharrell and Timbaland for Hip Hop Is Dead. Either those songs were cut or Nas never made into the studio with them for that album. There were fake tracklists floating around with a Timbaland produced song featuring Michael Jackson though. Nas mentioned wanting Michael Jackson on Hip Hop Is Dead. Nothing else was ever said about it though:

 

[Arithmetic]

Great discussion in here

 

[dubsmith_nz]

I would take nas series of lost tapes over the b sides concerts everyday.

Honestly breh I want a Jay Z "Lost Tapes" and a Nas "B Sides Concert". They're both great ideas and everyone would win.

 

[kes929]

Honestly breh I want a Jay Z "Lost Tapes" and a Nas "B Sides Concert". They're both great ideas and everyone would win.

I agree. I would like both as well. I'm saying if I had to choose Haha

 

[kes929]

L.E.S. gave Nas "Undying Love" and "Favor For A Favor", which were highlights on I Am... I don't like the beat for "I Want To Talk To You", but it's the only beat that I thought was subpar for L.E.S. "Dr. Knockboot" is the worst beat on that album. Nastradamus is really the only album with consistently subpar music. Nas had songs with Dame Grease like "Wanna Play Rough" that were album worthy and would've been a highlight on either album. "Find Ya Wealth" and "Real nikkas" from QB's Finest are two L.E.S. joints that would've been fire had they been on either album.

Nas definitely has had intentions or attempted to put together a production super team. If you look at the line up on Hip Hop Is Dead, that was definitely a production super team (Dre, Scott Storch, Kanye West), but L.E.S. arguably had better tracks than them. Additionally, Nas also wanted Pharrell and Timbaland for Hip Hop Is Dead. Either those songs were cut or Nas never made into the studio with them for that album. There were fake tracklists floating around with a Timbaland produced song featuring Michael Jackson though. Nas mentioned wanting Michael Jackson on Hip Hop Is Dead. Nothing else was ever said about it though:

Man that version of hip hop is dead sounded crazy. Hip hop is dead is one of my least favorite nas albums sonically. Although it has some highlights

 

[Big Mark]

Are the tracks that ended up on the Clue tapes off limits? I know most people are fine with the versions that they have but Nas could go back and complete the joints that were just one verse, like My Will, War, etc. Thoughts?

 

[Sound (∀√a) Maths]

Couldn't have said it better myself. For some reason there are alot of false arguments that try to discredit nas. I feel like alot of it was created by the media and blind people run with it. Real ones know though.

Indeed. Nas and his team need to put It Was Written and The Lost Tapes on a pedestal like Illmatic. It Was Written is the finest example when an emcee is in pocket with the flow, storytelling, lyricism and original man magnetism all top-notch.

 

[Sound (∀√a) Maths]

they were A LOT of questionable beats on vol 1 2 3 blueprint 2 and 3 as well, but somehow, jay's choice in that matter never were put to blast

This doesn't get brought up. folks focus on his singles.

 

[C-Styles]

Anyone that has ever told me that Nas went pop and sold out in person i've smacked the f*ck out of and they never went with that narrative ever again. What the f*ck was so commercial about IWW?? I play this sh*t to my son and he always ask why it was so dark and grimey??


only those "Purist nerds" that are never happy with SH*T got something to say about this album. H*ll some of those were complaining about some details in illmatic

nah man, IWW was a complete piece of work by the GOAT. Greatest story telling along with incredible pure lyrics. Very little amount of albums have topped if any what Nas did on that project.

 

[CrimsonTider]

they were A LOT of questionable beats on vol 1 2 3 blueprint 2 and 3 as well, but somehow, jay's choice in that matter never were put to blast

What were these questionable beats?

 

[Big Mark]

Does anyone think Nas has already had the track listing for the Last Tapes 2 in his mind all this time or do you think he and his team have actually taken the time to go through all the vaults to listen and catalogue this unreleased material and make choices from the entire body of work?

 

[Sinister]

Does anyone think Nas has already had the track listing for the Last Tapes 2 in his mind all this time or do you think he and his team have actually taken the time to go through all the vaults to listen and catalogue this unreleased material and make choices from the entire body of work?

Perhaps the former of these 2.

I think if it were completely up to Nas we would have multiple lost tapes compilations. Nas also said every album there's songs that he felt should have been on there that didn't make the cut.