The Lost Tapes (Nas album)

Untitled

The Lost Tapes was the eigth album release by Queensbridge rapper Nas. Released shortly following his fifth proper studio album, Stillmatic, the album was a compilation of Nas' previously unreleased tracks, some from the bootlegged second disc of the original double album version of I Am.... The other tracks were underground singles, tracks recorded during the Stillmatic sessions, and a handful of new recordings.

Several of the tracks touch on many personal issues, including Nas' father Olu Dara's self-indulgent lifestyle ("Papa Was a Playa"), his experience inside his mother's womb before birth ("Fetus"), as well as other provocative childhood reminiscences. Other notable songs include the socially-conscious "Black Zombie", and "Drunk by Myself" -- a song that ventures into the tragic mind of an alcoholic. The Lost Tapes, along with Stillmatic, and to an lesser extent, God's Son, revived the underground credibility that Nas seemed to have lost over the years while breaking into the mainstream, and is considered one of his best releases in recent years.

Track Listing

1. "Doo Rags"
2. "My Way"
3. "U Gotta Love It"
4. "Nothing Lasts Forever"
5. "No Idea’s Original"
6. "Blaze a 50" *
7. "Everybody’s Crazy"
8. "Purple"
9. "Drunk By Myself" *
10. "Black Zombie" *
11. "Poppa Was a Playa"*
12. "Fetus (Belly Button Window)" *

(*) denotes previously unreleased tracks originally intended for I Am...

External links

Lyrics links

• from The Original Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive (OHHLA) - includes most other Nas lyrics, including remixes and cameos, as well as lyrics of many other rappers.