Nas — The Lost Tapes

The Lost Tapes

Columbia/Sony

Mike Armitage (CHARTattack)

10/08/2002 2:29pm

Nas is one of the most over-analyzed hip-hop artists. When he first cut into the East Coast gangster scene with Illmatic, fans immediately gave props to his lyrical mastery. With his subsequent albums' fans thought Nas became a sellout thanks to collaborations with Aaliyah and Ginuwine.

However, for fans of vintage Nas, The Lost Tapes compiles unreleased tracks recorded during the Illmatic and I Am sessions. Songs like "My Way" feature trademark minimalist jazz loops and slicing lyrical cavalry, while others, like "Nothing Lasts Forever," suffer from poor arrangement, but still triumph lyrically.

Overall, the album plays like an original release. For fan and critics, there is a no doubt that Nas has always been "half man, half amazing."

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