Official Nas Thread
- Thread starter Ronald
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Mike the Executioner
What went on up there? Poppers and weird sex!
I think Nas should have kept "Letter to the King" and Game should have kept "Make the World Go Round." I don't think trading them was the best idea. I also wish Nas was able to get the David Bowie sample cleared for "America" because the original version was hot.
we talking about untitled? i compiled a playlist about it
also, who remembers the black and white cartoon music video for these are our heroes? was it grassroots or official? It was uncomfortable on purpose but idk if anyone has a copy of it anymore
also, who remembers the black and white cartoon music video for these are our heroes? was it grassroots or official? It was uncomfortable on purpose but idk if anyone has a copy of it anymore
hit-boy might fukk around and become the new dj premier
remember premo and krs in the 90s? produced some great records
their friendship is beautiful and they make great music together
remember premo and krs in the 90s? produced some great records
their friendship is beautiful and they make great music together
prophecypro
Hollywood North
they did a few stuff together for the God Son sessions and I know in the last couple of years he'd gone up to see him in LA for some stuff
prophecypro
Hollywood North
I was wondering the same thing, supposedly 50% of venture capital companies had accounts in there
up in here
Superstar
I think the trade with Game was to satisfy Def Jam. They was holding back the release. so he took the track with Chris Brown feature and did the track with the Keri Hilson feature and called the album Untitled
And then they gave him a release date.
Ironically the last verse on the lead single Hero was about the whole situation. He basically spelled out how hard it is for artist with a non commercial artistic vision to get it pushed through a major record label. He stuck with the theme of the album but clearly based on the other tracks that didn’t make it, the final result wasn’t his initial vision.
I almost did thewhen the Mobb came out. Made Q-Tip& AZ seem like afterthoughts
Crazy that just moments beforehand Prodigy was fighting with Lake
It wasn’t so much that Def Jam was holding the album back, they were freaked out because Walmart threatened not to stock an album with the original name, which led the delays. I distinctly remember for months LA Reid was defending Nas and saying as an artist he had the right to name the album what he wanted but two months before release he switched up once Walmart made they’re threat.
Its also why Nas put out the album cover the way he did with the whip marks, that wasn’t the OG album cover.
Ironically now that we’re in a digital landscape and retailers don’t stock CD’s he’d probably have no problem releasing the album as he wanted with the title he wanted. The additional press and controversy would have been a GOOD thing
I thought the same shyt when I first read about it, smh. They don't know how much, if any, of the depositors' money will get returned to them, that shyt is crazy.
up in here
Superstar
LA Reid wasn’t the only one calling shots at that time. They definitely prevented Nas from putting certain songs on the album. That’s why we got The ****** Tape.
Untitled is one of my favorite Nas albums, but if they would have let him do it 100% how he wanted to, it would probably be his best album.
Nas has spoke other times about the pressures labels put on artists to have single ready tracks.
Mike the Executioner
What went on up there? Poppers and weird sex!
Yeah, there was definitely label interference when it came to Untitled. I remember reading that Nas was going to release it in December 2007 (a year after HHID) because he announced it in October. I'm pretty sure the album was done, but the whole controversy over the name led to delays. That was probably why certain songs ("Proclamation," "Be a N***** Too") didn't make it. I'm 100% certain "Proclamation" was supposed to be the intro.
It also explains why despite most of the album being aggressive and political, the only singles were the radio-friendly ones. Even then, Nas was still going in lyrically. The last verse of "Hero" was a career highlight.
I honestly think Untitled was a victim of the era it came out in. 2008 wasn't a good time for albums like that when you had songs like "Lollipop" and "Crank Dat" topping the charts. It's a sad time because three of the biggest rappers in history (Jay, Nas, Eminem) were being experimental and releasing concept albums. If Untitled came out ten years later, it would be seen as a classic and get the attention Kendrick's albums did.
yeah, people can just use wikipedia's history of revision edits to find reminders of when stuff happened
Untitled Nas album: Revision history - Wikipedia
also, there was supposed to be a nas album called nasdaq dow jones that was supposed to release early 2007 but was scrapped
....i didn't write this reddit post btw, but i remember editing the wiki back in the days
early track listing of untitled:
- I Have No Name (Intro) (Produced by Salaam Remi
- Moses (Produced by Sean C & LV)
- Gangstas Don’t Die f/ Rick Ross & Jadakiss (Produced by Cool & Dre)
- Janine f/ Chris Brown (Produced by Salaam Remi & Nas)
- Miles Away (Produced by Jay Electronica)
- Shout Outs f/ Ice Cube, DJ Premier, Naomi Campbell, Gil Scott Heron, Chuck D, Spike Lee & KRS-One
- "America's Top Brothel"
====
early track listing of distant relatives
- Intro (Something New) [2:01] (prod. Damian Marley)
- Revolutionary [4:54] (prod. Damian Marley)
- Belief Is Key [4:03] (prod. Damian Marley)
- Black Horizon feat. K'naan [3:45] (prod. Damian Marley)
- Our Generation feat. Joss Stone & Stevie Wonder [4:58] (prod. Damian Marley)
- Empowerment [2:38] (prod. Stephen Marley)
- AID [4:03] (prod. K'naan & Damian Marley)
- Lets End It (Poverty) feat. K'naan [3:58] (prod. 9th Wonder & Damian Marley)
- The Earth feat. Bob Marley [6:20] (prod. Salaam Remi, Damian Marley & Stephen Marley)
[iTunes Bonus Track] 15. Weed On feat. Snoop Dogg [2:28] (prod. Damian Marley)
Snoop Dogg : "I'm down with you, Nas. Call me if you need a verse."
damian marley and nas was touring for almost a year before distant relatives finally came out, there were plenty of tracks that they toured with that didn't make the album. Nas announced that his son's name was Knight while on tour for distant relatives...not sure if anyone still has the audio or footage but I can't find the scrapped distant relatives songs on youtube from the early tour footage
There was extended footage of this and nas was in the background when they recorded this, but this ended on stephen marley's album, they were working on like 3-5 albums at the same time during this time...imagine if Nas got on this one
the music video edit was from this organic distant relative studio session footage, more on the channel https://www.youtube.com/@distantrelatives7168
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There were different versions of the album. There was a version he talked about with URB magazine that had production from will.i.am and Alchemist. It also four interludes produced by Jay Elect. There's another iteration of the album that had production from Salaam, No I.D. and Jermaine Dupri, Toomp, and The Hitmen. Likely, Game's "Ghetto" featuring Nas was initally meant for the album as Nas and will.i.am described the song in a 2007 Scratch Magazine issue. It was done for Hip Hop Is Dead, but Nas said he was saving four will.i.am tracks for the next album (which would be Untitled). There was a version of "Project Roach" produced by No I.D. Originally, "I'm On" (produced by Cool & Dre) was shopped to Nas as a single by Khaled, but because Nas didn't use it as a single, Khaled kept it for his album. Polow Da Don had a track called "My Legacy" for the album, but it likely became "Hero".