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Thursday, January 18, 2007
DOO RAGS
Nas
The Lost Tapes
Columbia : 1999
[Buy It]
Like many rappers, Nas has an infuriating habit of leaving the very best tracks off his records; "Doo Rags" was always a favorite of mine.
So, this is the second in Moistworks' ongoing series of Pre-Illmatic Nas posts. Alas, I'm on double-deadline, so today is more songs, and less with the commentary....
I'M A VILLAIN
NAS WILL PREVAIL
Nas
Pre-Illmatic Mixtape
IT AIN'T HARD TO TELL
Nas
Illmatic
Columbia : 1994
[Buy It]
"I'm a Villain" + "Just Another Day In The Projects" (see the first post, below) = "N.Y. State of Mind," whilst "Nas Will Prevail" is the dry-run for "It Ain't Hard to Tell"
I'll write a bit about Nas's dad, Olu Dara, next time (that's Nas, Olu, & Nas's brother Jungle, in the photo above). Right now, do people still listen to Kool G. Rap, who started out in the Juice Crew, alongside of Marley Marl, Biz Markie, Masta Ace, Intelligent Hoodlum, MC Shan, and Big Daddy Kane?
STREETS OF NY
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Wanted: Dead or Alive"
Cold Chillin' : 1990
[Buy It]
Illmatic owes a lot to KGR's multi-syllabic style, and subject matter: "I was a baby G Rap," Nas told MTV. "A baby Rakim, a baby Intelligent Hoodlum. I was a wannabe MC Shan at one point, a wannabe LL Cool J. I was a fan. I always wanted to be a G Rap or one of them so I said, 'Let me just try to do that.'" On the other hand, Kool G. Rap's 1995 single, "Fast Life," which features Nas, owes a lot to Illmatic's "Life's a Bitch" (which features AZ - the only guest rapper you'll find on Illmatic - and Olu Dara's cornet).
Before leaving off (lots of tracks left; but I'll save them for weeks to come, when time isn't quite so tight):
FAST LIFE
Kool G Rap (Feat. Nas)
Fast Life/4,5,6 12"
Epic Street : 2005
Available on: Greatest Hits
Landspeed : 2002
[Buy It]
LIFE'S A BITCH
Nas
Illmatic
Columbia : 1994
[Buy It]Labels: alex, nas, rappers in their youth
posted by Alex
LINK |
Thursday, January 11, 2007
LIVE AT THE BARBECUE (FEAT. NAS)
Main Source
Breaking Atoms
Wild Pitch : 1991
[Buy It]
BACK TO THE GRILL (FEAT. NAS)
Video
MC Serch
Return of The Product
Def Jam : 1992
[Buy It]
The first of three or four posts dedicated to the pre-Illmatic career of Nasty Nas, who once told me he was "one of the most humble men you'll ever meet." The funny thing is, I met Nas again - James, you were there, too, if you want to tell war stories - and insofar as someone who drives a Maybach can be described as humble, Nas is pretty on point. Then again, if we're going by this, Nas is fully a genius.
Illmatic came out almost thirteen years ago, when Nas was nineteen. I don't have to tell you what makes it great. I'm not going to talk about the drop-off, either; it was hard-wired into the mass-media equation, and the truth is, Nas has been consistently good, and very often great, and only sometimes terrible, ever since. We'd rather show you how he started, and how the tracks evolved:
JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE PROJECTS
Nas
Pre-Illmatic Mixtape
N.Y. STATE OF MIND
Nas
Illmatic
Columbia : 1994
[Buy It]
DEJA VU
Nas
Pre-Illmatic Mixtape
VERBAL INTERCOURSE
Raekwon
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
RCA : 1995
[Buy It]Labels: alex, nas, rappers in their youth
posted by Alex
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