Now I gotta accept it, cause there’s honor in death It’s QueensBridge over everything and everybodyīefore you left, I saw you, it was all loveĮxcept we needed to build more and get things correct G Rap, Rakim and Kane, beats made in the Q-U “Then came the Juice Crew and the who’s who And it’s not beyond the realms of possibility, given this is a recent track – Nas mentions the passing of Prodigy: Once Skyzoo has finished his “Retropolitan” album with the Chocolate Boy Wonder, it would be great to get Nas back in the studio with Mt. Pete Rock clearly has better beats in his archive, but there’s a magic to Nas’ words when he’s backed up by good old fashioned kicks and snares. Queensbridge remains close to Nas’ heart, and Pharrell Williams comes through on “Vernon Family”:Įven better is “Queensbridge Politics”, despite its short length lending it an interlude-like feel. “No Bad Energy” is typical modern Nas, promoting positivity in that grown-man rap approach he delivered so acutely on 2012’s “Life Is Good”.
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While it’s easy to poke at flaws in a compilation of either unfinished or simply unchosen songs, there are some moments that earn repeated listens. “War Against Love” is one such example, but whilst that may be a personal grievance with some of Nas’ rhymes, it’s often the production and weak hooks that confirm why these tracks were left on the cutting room floor, or whatever the modern-day equivalent is (a hard-drive backup perhaps?). Sometimes though, the historical references which would previously be nonchalantly woven into a verse, are now batted at the listener, not too dissimilar to latter-day KRS-One. When Nas drops knowledge, more often than not it’s delivered eloquently and instilled with a commanding presence. While Nas chose to address these in social-media posts, it’s a shame such a hot topic is absent from his music – it’s precisely the type of hidden gem fans would be interested in hearing about. Many of the tracks that have Nas addressing the women in his life conveniently overlook the domestic abuse allegations ex-wife Kelis has shared. The concept works but lacks the catchiness of Aceyalone’s “Annalillia” or the accessibility of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Bonita Applebum” – instead we’re treated to an overbearing ode to Asian women with a reminder that Africa was a part of Asia. The beat on “Tanasia” is standard throwaway Wu-Tang fare, albeit drowned out by Nas’ vocals and a cringe-worthy hook. Nas and RZA may have combined to lethal effect on 1995’s “Verbal Intercourse”, and to a lesser degree on 2000’s “Let My N****s Live”, but the two collaborations here, unfortunately, fall short. An ode to jazz veteran Al Jarreau, who passed away in 2017 (so this must be a recent track), it’s an odd, almost self-indulgent decision on a record that’s inherently designed to be for the fans. Unlike 2 Live Crew, Nas is nasty when he wants to be.
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Lifelong fans still convinced he’s capable of another “Illmatic”, or even an “It Was Written” yearn for that lyrical, insightful yet knowingly gifted emcee from humble beginnings. The mixed reception to “Al Jarreau of Rap” is classic Nas. All the sequel does is confirm what we already knew – Nas sounds his best, and most natural, over the type of production we’ve been crying out for. The cold, hard truth is that the first “The Lost Tapes” gave us false hope during a period where “Stillmatic” and “God’s Son” had put him back in fans’ good books. The optimists among us expected to be blessed with leftovers that were better than the supposed main courses we’d been dished up.
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2012’s “Life Is Good” was a genuine return to form, showcasing Nas at his wisest and while 2018’s “NASIR” wasn’t without flaws, we at least had the excuses of a quick turnaround and Kanye’s unpredictability to fall back on. “The Lost Tapes 2” is more disheartening to Nas fans because the first “The Lost Tapes” was so damn good – expectations were rightfully high for the sequel. This isn’t a one-off problem, it’s part of the Nas package – you’ll get that incomparable voice, occasional mastery of his craft, but more often than not, the music will be bang average. It’s a shame to see Nas continue to suffer from an issue going back two decades.