| The Lost Tapes | |
|---|---|
 Compilation album by Nas | |
|
Released |
23 September 2002 |
|
Recorded |
1998-2001 at Right Track Studios (New York, NY), The Hit Factory Studios (New York, NY), South Beach Studios (Miami, FL), Music Palace (W. Hempstead, NY), Sony Studios (New York, NY), Westlake Studios (Santa Monica, CA) and Lobo Studios (Long Island, NY) |
|
Genre |
|
|
Length |
43:02 |
|
Label |
Ill Will, Columbia |
|
Producer |
The Alchemist, Deric Angelettie, Hill, Inc. L.E.S., Nas (exec.), Poke and Tone, Precision, Rockwilder, Al West |
| Nas chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Previous |
Stillmatic (2001) |
|
Next |
God's Son (2002) |
The Lost Tapes is a compilation album by American rapper Nas, released in 2002 on Ill Will Records and Columbia Records. It follows his artistic comeback in 2001, which led to his record label's release of the album. The album compiles previously unreleased tracks that were discarded from recording sessions for Nas' previous studio albums, I Am... and Stillmatic. The songs feature production by L.E.S., The Alchemist, Trackmasters and Deric Angelettie, among others. The Lost Tapes features a low-key, sparse sound and themes regarding sociology and urban life.
Released with little promotion, the album debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 70,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, The Lost Tapes received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised its song, production and Nas' lyricism, although some critics stated that it lacks a cohesiveness as an album. It has sold 340,000 copies in the United States.
Track listing[]
All songs performed by Nas.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Doo Rags" | Bell, Gates, Jones | Precision | 4:05 |
| 2. | "My Way" | Jones, Maman | The Alchemist | 3:54 |
| 3. | "U Gotta Love It" | Jones, Lewis, Wilson, Wilson, Wilson | L.E.S. | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Nothing Lasts Forever" | Jones, Lewis | L.E.S. | 3:52 |
| 5. | "No Idea's Original" | Jones, Maman, White | The Alchemist | 3:05 |
| 6. | "Blaze a 50" | Barnes, Jones, Lewis, Olivier | L.E.S., Poke and Tone | 2:59 |
| 7. | "Everybody's Crazy" | Jones, Stinson | Rockwilder | 3:40 |
| 8. | "Purple" | Jones, Spearman | Hill, Inc. | 3:39 |
| 9. | "Drunk by Myself" | Barnes, Jones, Olivier, West | Al West, Poke and Tone | 4:03 |
| 10. | "Black Zombie" | Jones, Spearman | Hill, Inc. | 3:35 |
| 11. | "Poppa Was a Playa" | Angelettie, Felder, Harris, Jones | Deric Angelettie | 7:09 |