Nas - The Lost Tapes vol 2

The great Nasir Jones is one of only a few who’s name completely becomes synonymous with an entire genre of music. A man who is so talented that his first album released 25 years ago is still being heralded as one of the best albums ever created when it comes to an overall body of work. While that’s always the first point of reference I say lets not let that distract us from the rest of his career, a career where even if his songs “flopped”

(Beat selection a majority of the time), his lyrics still made his songs stand out and ultimately always kept him in the conversation.

It has been said, thanks due to the Internet, that Nas’ B reels could always compete with most rappers best efforts and without further ado, the Lost Tapes 2 is really goes to test that statement. Recorded throughout the last 12 years it really gives you a deeper perspective into the mind of one of the top tiered poets to currently exist, a statement that is partially backed up by Nas’ interview with a professor of literary studies from Harvard 2 years ago. This record always opens up the floor to questions like: “How did this not make…(insert album name here)?”

The opening track “No Bad Energy” which was probably recorded around the “Life Is Good” album gives every fan the thesis of this journey and with every subsequent track, its attempt at holding to it. This album highlighted why Nas is held in such high regard by both fans as well as peers, these tracks allowed his to unfold an audio novel backed by song. “Jarreau of Rap” was one of the most creative and unexpected turn in quite sometime as Nas skatt’s to the rhythm as if his voice is in battle with the horn which also could somewhat be paying homage to his father, Jazz trumpeter Olu Dara. “Tanasia” gives the best of RZA’s classic Wu sound as Nas delivers a story that plays out like a modern tale from some scroll in the East…at least in the gauge of hip hop as its reach has a global hold. The production on this album needs to be highlighted as well as it delivers an atmosphere that matches Nas’s words which has always seemed to be part of the criticism against him.

Every track delivers on some level, but storytelling wise “Queens Wolf” transports you to a scene and an experience through each line. “Queensbridge Politics” produced by Pete Rock is a heartfelt tribute to Rapper Prodigy who passed last year and in a huge way shows us all just how much time has passed, if mood can capture a moment than Nas’ music could be a time capsule for so many of us listeners. In writing this it was hard to listen without a bias but in the process of listening to this I realized that I haven’t felt this energized over a major release in quite some time. Lost tapes 2 tapped into that ability to recall the summer time as it gives fans an additional chapter in the catalog of a Queensbridge prophet.