This is the album Nasty Nas would have made after Illmatic if I was his A&R in some kind of alternative universe where sample clearance didn’t exist. Alternative title: The Second Time Nas Didn’t Lose.
Track listing:
1. Talk Of New York
2. Serious feat. AZ
3. Hope (Original Version)
4. Deja Vu
5. I’m A Villain
6. Death Anniversary
7. Find Ya Wealth
8. Disciple (Original Version)
9. Stay Chiseled (Original Version)
10. The Rise And Fall
Another Conservative Rap Coalition production…
The LOST talk is played…unless you doing better than NAS STFU! Niggas who are not even near as successful as Nas got the nerve to say he lost but yet they have NO clue about his accomplishments outside of music…dumb bitch ass niggas!
But yet they so pressed to make mixtapes of his music!
Robbie, is this a remix project? Or just a collection of a few unreleased songs?
I guess I’ll download it anyway, cause I don’t think I have the original “Disciple”. I thought the one on SD was the original.
“Serious” is my shit, both AZ and Nas body this beat!
Illmatic truly created a lose-lose situation for Nas. Always compared to your first work… I think it’s more or less a Peter Pan Syndrome, people wanted him to stay 19-years-old forever! On the corner, 40 oz, Tims and Blunts. It’s kind of funny. This is coming from a Nas fan, I only wanted him to pick better beats :-) but such is life.
Wow, I had this song I’m a Villian back in the Audio Galaxy Days.
Interesting – first mention of Nas I’ve seen on this site.
I thought Unkut had an unspoken vendetta against the man.
@A.S.
That’s because Robbie is biased as fuck…
And BTW Illmatic is waaaaay better.
10. The Rise And Fall
^^^
sheer dopeness
@qwermoo: It’s obviously not meant to replace Illmatic. That would make about as much sense as another Bravehearts LP…
@JP I feel ya11
Always been one of my favorites. They gave Rae & Ghost a run for their money on the Dynamic Duo shit. Love that cut!!
i dl’d some old nas joint off datpiff. i heard like half the songs before just so i could listen to old nas. i bump nas up to gods son. maybe like 3 newer tracks. think id rather listen to his damian marley collab that his solo shit. street disciple and up, is unlistenable.
Good looks on this.. Some of thesemay end up on the Lost Tapes 2..
Shortly after Illmatic, other rappers from Queens accused Nas of selling out, mostly out of jealousy or the fact he would not collab with them, and due to not being able to beat him in talent or sales, they attempted to challenge his “street cred” by saying they were in the street while he was inside his house. Elitist bloggers and fans, who always side with the more “violent, gangsta” emcee to overcompensate their lack of a backbone (like siding with the bully not to get beat up) sided with these rappers, who have since made up and collaborated with Nas, and most elitist bloggers have kept that grudge going, as the cliche premise that once an artist gets a bit of recognition, they are garbage, which is why everything Nas did after lllmatic apparently sucks
Notice Nas at the top is filed under Nas is douche when you couldn’t hold his mic. No stannery here but damn. Another trait of an elitist phony is to ask LL about Silver Fox to sound like an insider and knowledgeable. Classic nerd white boy shit. Can’t play ball so I’ll memorize all the stats. Great job
^ Shots fired. There’s no denying that Nas is one of the best to ever to do it, but he’s also wasted his potential in the eyes of a lot of fans…kinda like a star pitcher who never shows up to practice, since you seem to be a fan of sports references.
You coulda threw Good Mornin on here.. this is a nice mix tho
Wasted potential? What was his potential in the first place? To put 20 Illmatics out in a row until the fans get tired of him for doing the same thing? Rappin over Large Professor beats for the rest of his life til people tune out? The hardest dickriders are usually the most butt hurt haters. Why anoint him as the second coming in the first place? The fuck are these “fans” expecting? Frankly. I’d like to see anyone try to be consistent at anything from the age of 16 to 36, let alone trying to crank out classic material while dealing with sample clearances, changing trends, industry asshole a&r try to push you to follow said trends, fickle media, huge bootlegging (here in New York so I assume elsewhere also), Industry and street beefs, family issues and just going through life in the public eye and life in general. His Unreleased material is unmatched save Mobb Deep or Wu. Cut the dude a break already. Where are Nine? Smoothe the Hustler? Mic Geronimo? Ill Al Scratch and all his peers from the 90’s? Seems only way the media gives a rapper credit is if he intimidates them into liking their material (ie Freddie Foxx who has NO classic albums save a few verses here and there no matter how one tries to spin it yet is the fuckin white boy fanbase DARLING) or spends their career being the antagonist of a famous emcee (Cormega, who spent the first decade of his career trying to be the Peter Tosh to Nas’ Bob Marley, a friend/foe labeling himself a “realler, more street” version of the same thing for the hipsters to like and flaunt to their friends their knowledge of the game beyond the superficial. “I know you like Nas but have you heard of Cormega? He’s really from the street yo! He really lived it”) SMH crazy what happened to his game
That’s the first I’ve heard that Talk of New York song.. dope. It was written is still real ill today.. he and the whole sound of hip hop were changing with the times.
It’s not about rapping over Large Pro or Premier beats forever, just making consistant albums. As for giving him a break, when you decide to make a living from music you open yourself up to criticism from everyone who you expect to spend money on your music.
I could care less about who has a better ‘street rep’, but at least Cormega knows how to craft enjoyable LP’s despite lacking Nas’ verbal dexterity.
I agree with some of the points you made but you’re reaching with that Silver Fox jab. You’re mad because I asked LL about him after I’d interviewed Fox? You’d rather find out how much Todd can bench these days?
@Queensfinest
is that u nerdiless? dont let me have to go upside ur head again just for livin b we all kno how much shit u talk after snackin on ur crunch-n-berries but dont let that gas u up punk next time u drop in show some respect & wipe ur feet,fluffy
I’d just like to say a big thank-you to UnKut for asking LL about Silver Fox. Thats proper hiphop history and real journalism, something you really don’t get anywhere but UnKut.com. Keep doing you, Robbie. Your interviews are the best.
Can you put up the production credits Robbie?
where did I’m A Villain come from?
Actually, this version of I’m A Villain isn’t the one I was expecting to hear. I was thinking of the shorter where Nas says something like “Christmas they was santa claus, Nixon was the antichrist” …
Yeah, the Nas haters are ridiculous. When you consider
1. the cost of paying good producers
2. The cost of sample clearances
3. the pressure that your record label puts on you to release a radio friendly track
Its gotta be difficult to release consistent albums every time. I mean, if you think about it, nobody does it. How many MCs can you say released consistent albums every time?
Again, when you consider the cost of paying producers, sample clearances and the pressure of putting out a radio friendly/club track to increase record sales its gotta be tough to put together a well balanced album.
Lost Tapes was tight because there were no radio tracks, but I don’t think Nas could sustain a career with albums that didn’t get radio play. And I’m pretty sure anybody on this messageboard would make a few radio friendly tracks to increase sales and gain acceptance into the R+B/Top 40 circles for the purpose of getting invited to the Grammy awards and rubbing elbows with industry big wigs.
Admittedly, I didn’t buy his last few albums but I bought everything from Illmatic (when it was released) to Hip Hop is Dead and the only 2 albums I could have done without are Nastradamus and Streets Disciple.
And for the record, he dropped 3 perfect albums in a row, Stillmatic, Lost Tapes, God’s Son.
Nice selection of songs. It’s good to have some of these now in the Nas file. It’ll be good to hear that Lost Tapes 2 soon as well. Thanks again, Robbie, and great job with the site. PEace and GOD BLESS
Queensfinest sure is a balanced individual, he’s got chips on both shoulders.
Just noticed the artwork that downloads with the tracks says ‘KUMatic’. Nice typo.
thanks unkut. damn sample clearances suck.
Nice one Robbie. Nas goodness.
I agree largely with Queensfinest… even though I am white and actually make a portion of my living documenting, analyzing, and writing about sports statistics.
Oh, and any of that shit about dickriding Mega only has potential to be valid if you didn’t follow the development of both artists’ careers “real time.” I mean Nas was already (at least on his way to being) a legend, before the beef ever started. It’s one thing if you are just looking back and being like, yo, I found this ill dude, Nas. And then your skinny-jeaned loser friend is like, yo, I found something better, this dude named Cormega. But, if you followed and consumed ill hip hop at the time, you liked both of those guys. And, if you’re a fan of good hip hop music, you likely still do – but without comparing the two. I like Nas, and I like Mega. I’m not comparing one to the other though, on some rivalry shit. So, I think you got that part twisted.
But, the shit about the less successful Queens rappers assassinating his character (cred) out of jealousy and lack of understanding is spot on, IMO. Nas was doing it. He was a bonafide hip hop superstar. These dudes’ grudges and understanding was coming from a whole other world. They were trying to join Nas in the inner circle of hip hop royalty, but didn’t understand all that comes with it from a business end and what not.
It’s like when you get your first job and you come home and complain to your homeboy that your boss made you re-do your whole PowerPoint deck, and your boy reacts my saying, “Yo, son, I woulda punched that nigga in the face.” WTF am I supposed to do? Obviously, I’m not going to go to work the next day to catch a case. And, obviously, that’s not going to encourage me to tell my boss, yo, you should give me friend an interview for a job like mine.
The Nas hating isn’t what I would call “classic whiteboy shit.” But, I will say it’s quite myopic.
I’m drinkin’.
Big up yourself for this one Robbie! This is so dope, been listening to it back to back for a while now. Best quality on Deja Vu Ive heard. By the time Serious fades out I wanna listen to the whole thing again. Wanna buy this!
Yo 5 Grand, Masta Ace has made & released CONSISTENT albums every time… Not one of his albums is even just ok, all are dope!
Bandcamp stream, please?