I think what people need to understand about the I am leak and wanting Nas to just release the OG double album is that I am had no confirmed tracklisting when it leaked. They were still in the process of selecting songs so the songs that leaked, though they may have been intended for the album, weren’t finalized or confirmed.
So people are asking Nas to go back to a 25 year old album, relisten to songs and somehow come up with an “As Originally Intended” tracklisting that never actually EXISTED.
PLUS clear samples for songs like Amongst Kings and Day Dreamin Stay Schemin
PLUS finish verses for songs that he’s already utilized the verses on other artists albums like The Curse.
All for a TWENTY FIVE YEAR OLD album? An album that would almost surely have to be released via Sony, with which he would own none of the Masters.
It makes no sense from a business/artistic perspective. Why focus on a project from the past when he could get with Hit Boy and knock out 10-12 songs in the Magic/Kings Disease series in which he’d own ALL the Masters to and could tour off of and license for movies/commercials?
Not to mention that the most beloved tracks from I Am were not on the original version. Nas Is Like and Hate Me Now were recorded later, after the leak.
That's def one of those music moments where you wish you could go back in a time machine and try to change things. I'd def try to convince them to release more of the old tracks alongside the new ones, and maintain it as a double album instead of one disc. Tracks like Stay Schemin' Stay Dreamin, Sometimes, Project Windows (preferably the original version), Poppa Was A Playa, etc.
The rawness of some of those original tracks, mixed with SOME (not all) of the later recorded tracks would have the best double album in rap history. Also...gotta convince Nas/Sony to release You Won't See Me Tonight as a single. That would have been a hit record.
Also on a business tip...I'd def try to convince Nas to make Ill Will Records his own Roc A Fella/Murda Inc/G-Unit/etc instead of doing what he did (pocket the check, allegedly lol). Sign artists, sign producers, buy a studio, and get ready for the 21st century. The huge advantage the Roc had at the time was they literally had their own headquarters. Constantly bringing producers in to shop beats is what not only led to Just Blaze/Kanye/Bink but they also had great outside producers auditioning too. That's how they got Buckwild, No ID, Rockwilder, Heavy D, etc bringing heat directly to them for those Roc albums.
