Nas

The Lost Tapes

After years of choosing, this is Nas's best

Review Score:

(10/10)
Columbia records is stupid. All of this material was done between "It Was Written" days to "Stillmatic." And quite honestly its his best material even including "Illmatic."

He starts thing off with "Doo-Rags" a song thats an ode to black people making our ghetto contributions to this country, and our ways seem more important than anything, asking us not to be ashamed of ourselves. "My Way" is Nas in his usual and great boastful form, with a nice beat and lyrics. "U Gotta Luv It" is another Laid-back track with Nas once again in top form, with production to match his intelligent, street, and narrative form.

"Nothing Lasts Forever" is an alright track, which has Nas in his story-telling form which sounds really good, and explains exactly what the title explains. "No Idea's Original" is a great lyrical track which unfortunately is overshadowed by its jazzy-yet-uninspired production. And with this track being so heavily bootlegged, there are better versions out. "Blaze a 50" however, is most definitely one of the album highlights. Nas is spitting hot-fire (i like redundancy) in tip-top storytelling mode not heard since the late BIG. "Everybody's Crazy" is another alright track which is skippable sometimes, but compared to other rappers is a highlight track. "Purple" is an album favorite and highlight, which proves most rappers cant lay a hand on the god Nas.

"Drunk By Myself" is just a straight thugged-out, sad, real, street track which leaves you thinking about the way you live, definitely one of the best tracks on the Cd. "Black Zombie" is a track that I believe all black people in the country should here. This song makes me think, Nasir for President, because the man is right on point with everything he says, Arguarbly the best song on the CD.

The last two songs on the Cd are "Poppa Was a PLaya," and the unlisted "Fetus." "Poppa Was a Playa" is a song thats very close to my heart because it explains Nas's ever changing relationship with his father, despite his father's mistakes with his mother early in his life, and a great song nevertheless. Then "Fetus" is a song which Nas experiments with different flows and subject matter, rather than the usual gun-busting, drug-selling superthugs we are today. In "Fetus", Nas tries to explain his experience inside his mother's womb before birth, and his view on the outside in those 9 months, very innovative and extremely refreshing.

There really hasnt been a bad Nas Cd, though there were a couple misses in his long career. But even at his worst, he still is better than most rappers on their great (multiplatinum) days. So this Cd being at the top of his game, is one of the best CDs ever made, of any genre of Music, a definite 5 outta 5

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