Kurupt -1996- Aftershock sessions (with Tha Philly Mobb) (Death Row / Unreleased)

• July (?) of 1996 : The "Aftershock" sessions with Ram Squad and other artists from Philadelphia. 
• Kurupt tha Kingpin in a kind of jazz/nu soul live session !
  
• Kurupt went to his hometown in 1996 - presumably for justice reasons - in April-May or more likely in July and recorded some songs with The Ram Squad, Mass Appeal...
• What happened ? Daz & Kurupt firstly wanted to use some of these sessions for their new album named after these sessions, West Coast Aftershock, but the project went shelved following 2Pac's death and Kurupt left the label.
• Sources : Death Row Pacific Files DAT inventory

Bootleg cover in 2017

### - There are 8 DAT cassettes labelled "Aftershock" where these sessions are copied on. We followed the tracklist of the most advanced of them, PO405250, and we added the other tracks of the sessions to it. - ###

Tracklist

1. What I'm Feelin' (Here Hit This) feat. The Ram Squad
2. Champagne Wishes (by The Ram Squad)
3. What'Cha About
4. So Sweet (Like That Y'All) feat. The Ram Squad
5. Til Mid-Nite (Original)
6. Life I Lead (Original)
   
7. Addicted (Interlude) (by Mass Appeal)
8. Shady (Aftershock) feat. Shorty (?)
9. Watermelon Pudding (Interlude) (by Mass Appeal)
   
10. Small Bills (by RAM Squad)
    
11. So High feat. Mass Appeal
    
12. Mental (Freestyle)
13. Swiss Groove (by RAM Squad)
14. Country Tides feat. The Ram Squad
15. Rock In All Minds (?) *  That's My N...
    
    Bonus Tracks :
16. Nigga Whut ? (Freestyle) feat. Foxy Brown
    

• Tracks are taken from PO405250 DAT and follow the track order of it, except for tracks in italic.
• * This title could refer to another track (in italic) from these sessions, maybe "That's My N..." instrumental, or less likely to an unleaked song.

 

8 DAT labelled "Aftershock" in the Death Row Pacific inventory :

• "Aftershock Ruffs DAT 8/96 Session Tape" PO405250 : 

Here Hit This (cassette transfer), Champagne Wishes, What You About, Like That, 10 ta Midnight, Life I Lead, Freestyle Instrumental, Freestyle AV, Swiss Groove:w/freestyle, instrumental Swiss Groove 1&2 instrumental, Country Tides AV, Rock In All Minds (?)

• "Aftershock Ruffs "Soundtrack DAT" DAT 3 session tape" PO405251 :

 Champagne Wishes, Small Bills

• "Aftershock Ruffs DAT #6 8/96 Not for production" PO405253 :

Shady

• "Aftershock Ruffs DAT 2 8/96" PO405254 :

Here Hit This, Life i lead, Mental, 10 Ta Midnight, Like That, What You About, That's My…,Addicted,Watermelon Pudding, Small Bills AV, Small Bills instrumental, Nate Dog Instrumental (?), Nate Dog Instrumentals

• "Aftershock ruff DATS 4 not for production 8/96" PO405256 :

Watermelon Pudding, Addicted, Sade Groove, Untitled, Rhodes Thing For D Moet (=Sade Groove elements ?), Mass Appeal inst 1, 2, w Voc

• "Aftershock P-3686-Ruff-DAT 2 session tape" PO308197 :

Here Hit This, Life i lead, Mental, 10 Ta Midnight, Like That y'all, What'cha about, That's My

•  "Aftershock P-3686-DAT 2 safety copy 8/1/96" PO776603 :

Here Hit This, Life i lead, Mental, 10 Ta Midnight, Like That y'all, What'cha about, That's My

•  "Aftershock P-3686 rough mixes 8/8/96 not for production" PO776602 : 

Watermelon Pudding, Addicted 

PO308197 / PO776603 content has been included in this exact order in first Work DAT (PO778974 and PO778936) for the new West Coast Aftershock Dogg Pound album, probably named consecutively to these sessions... 

• Here Hit This, Life I Lead, Mental, 10 Ta Midnight, Like That Y'all, What Cha About, That’s My, Every Single Day, Don’t Care What People Say, I Roc Mics, Don’t Stop, Me And Your Word, Crip Wit Me, U Aint The Homie, Living The Gangsta Life, My System

Return to the origins...

Due to justice troubles (similarly to Snoop and 2Pac...), Kurupt had to go back to his hometown. It was in 1996, maybe in April-May (didn't record a lot at that time) but more likely in July - considering the "Aftershock" DAT with an early August date.

Is it at that time he met Foxy Brown and recorded the freestyle "Nigga Whut ?" Or maybe later in 1997 or 1998...

It is funny to notice that after the peak of Thug Pound recordings in Dec. Jan. 96 and N.Y. 87, Kurupt went to record tracks with East Coast artists, exactly like 2Pac for One Nation, and Dr. Dre in Aftermath "East Coast/West Coast Killaz". Maybe he was not feeling that well in this stupid war mainly orchestrated by Suge Knight and Puff Daddy... Dogg Pound were recording with East Coast artists like Nas and Wu-Tang in mid 95 before the "New York, New York" video.

These recordings are interesting notably for the different kind of music, jazz oriented, what gives an unique material for Kurupt skills.

 The RAM Squad : 

Boy Backs, Tommy Hill,

 Suave, 6/9

The RAM Squad (Richard Allen Mobb) is a Philadelphia group with Boy Backs, Six Nine, Suave, Tommy Hill and also DJ Mizery. They had their first record appearance in 1994 on Philly's rapper/producer Sha'Dasious LP for "Da Whole Shabang". They had their first 12'' the same year : Ramboom, produced by DJ Mizery and Sha'Dasious on which you can hear some echoes of Black Moon/Boot Camp first album. In 1995, they recorded a first cassette album titled The Plague with Bank Ent., finally left unreleased. In late 1995, they dropped a second 12'' Keep It Real/When & Where, first song with the same beat than "Wrekonize" remix by Smif N Wessun - published earlier that year. At the time Kurupt came to Philly, they probably just had finished to rework the album which was finally released as Operation Lock The City, published by Echo International (with no Kurupt featuring on it). In 1997, they released another LP with Thee Album Regardless with notably Bahamadia as guest. In 1999, they published "Mission Impossible" 12'' with Kurupt, and also the B-side "County Ties" recorded in August of 1996 with Kurupt. They had the new album R.andom A.ccess M.oney in 2001. Tommy Hill published a solo project Hilstreetblues in 2002, got shot and killed in 2011.

 

Nas -1998- I Am... The Autobiography (Columbia, Unreleased)

• 1998 : Nas recorded a whole concept double album. Unfortunately, because of the leak of a 13 tracks promo on internet, Nas and Columbia decided to totally reconfigure the album into one single disc (with maybe the addition of some new tracks - or as a compilation of tracks from both discs).
• Sources : Promo, Promo Sampler, released album, interviews...

Egyptian bust specially made by Dave Cortes for the cover of the album.

### WORK IN PROGRESS !! The original two discs tracklist is totally unknown (there are still doubts about the existence of it...). Our first disc follows the tracklist of the recently released Promo of I Am... The Autobiography (which was originally leaked in late 1998), with the addition of some expected tracks. Except for its first two and last two tracks, the second disc does not follow a specific order and is filled with tracks supposed to correspond to the project. ###

Disc One : "Life & Death of Escobar"

1. Life Flash (Intro)
   
2. Fetus (My Belly Button Window) (Original)
   
3. N.Y. State of Mind (Part. 2)
   
4. Small World
5. Money Is My Bitch *
6. Project Window (Original) (feat. Ron Isley)
   
7. Poppa Was A Playa
8. Dr. Knockboot ***
9. Day Dreamin' Stay Schemin  
10. Sometimes I Wonder (feat. Nature) 
11. Favor For A Favor (feat. Scarface)
12. Hardest Thing To Do Is To Stay Alive *
    
13. You Won't See Me Tonight (feat. Aaliyah) **
    
14. Drunk By Myself
15. Wanna Play Rough
16. Blaze a 50 
17. We Will Survive
18. Undying Love

• Bold :  included in the I Am... The Autobiography Promo, leaked in Dec. 1998, finally released in 2023. 

• Italic : added tracks taken from I Am... released version. They are mostly confirmed tracks from the original album, except "Favor for a Favor" and the second part of the intro (speaking over "Afterlife" instru), cf. Detailed tracklist.

Disc Two : "Nastradamus, The Rebirth of the Streets Disciple"

1. The Afterlife (Intro)
   
2. Amongst Kings
3. Life Is What You Make It (feat. DMX) *
4. Nas Is Like * **
5. Find Ya Wealth
6. U Gotta Love It (feat. AZ)
7. Seeds of Heaven (Blackness)
8. K-I-SS-I-N-G - original ??
   
9. Your Mouth Got You In It
10. Hate Me Now (Original) (feat. Puff Daddy) *
11. Come Get Me
12. Big Things
    
13. Pray (feat. Bravehearts)
14. Ghetto Prisoners
15. The Curse * - snippet
16. I Want To Talk To You
    
17. The Rise And Fall
    
18. My Worst Enemy
    

• Bold : tracks included for sure (or almost) in the 1998 original album. Tracks 1, 2, 17, 18 are supposedly at their right place. 
• Italic : added tracks taken from the I Am... released album and from Death of Escobar bootleg. 
• Crossed out : presumably not recorded for the album.

* excerpts of these tracks included in I Am... / For All Seasons Promo Sampler (1999), in this order : "Nas Is Like", "Hardest Thing", "Life Is What You Make It", "Money Is My Bitch", "Hate Me Now", The Curse. 

** tracks announced in the original advertising of the album.
*** announced as a B-side for the first single.

 

Nas at the record launch party, the 6th of April 1999

after the modification of the album

Other potential tracks for that album could be : "Hustlers & Killers", "Make It Last Forever", "Never Gonna Give It Up", "Tales From The Hood" and some Nastradamus songs. We thought they had more likely been recorded later for Nastradamus (1999) or Death of Escobar (Promo released in 2000, but probably with 1999 recorded tracks).

 

The Source, 1999

A concept album about writing in order to change his destiny

On the first disc, Nas put an end to his fictional gangster character Escobar by telling us the past life of a character like him, his birth, his childhood, his neighborhood, his father, the obsession to get money, the girls, the ghetto life, the troubles, the excess... until the death such a gangsta rapper could logically expect. 

Because he didn't want to end up like 2Pac & Biggie, the thug rappers, the ones he feels close to, he kind of exorcised that fate by picturing himself dying of such a violent death, by dying from his own words. Symbolically, he commits the suicide of his gangster character by rapping, like 2Pac did concretely (his raps led him to be murdered, and he knew it so it could be considered as a suicide - what Nas depicts in "Your Mouth Got You In It"). The Notorious B.I.G. will live the same gangsta rap life with many similar justice troubles than 2Pac. The titles of his two albums Ready 2 Die and Life After Death the same living dangerously rap life. But his rhymes are more often about women and parties, the type of problems Nas decribe for himself in "Drunk By Myself". Nas Escobar was somewhere between both rappers at the time of The Firm album in 1997 started during Makaveli recordings, released months after BIG's second album.

On the second disc, following B.I.G.'s second album title and 2Pac/Makaveli's album cover, Nas got resurrected as a new himself - a very Gospel thing. You have to die to yourself, to give up your illusions, the circle of your selfish obsessions (ambition, wealth, popularity) to get to a new dimension of being (same thing in Buddhism) ; to reach the heaven also. So he delivers his new visions of himself, the ghetto... his new mission to light up the way to a better future for the people from the ghetto. A new teacher (like KRS-One, Chuck D...), a prophet. But it is not that simple and he could be caught back by his demons...

So Nas shows us the power of writing. He tells the danger of writing by its impact to reality ; the power of writing to make one's life better ; the limits of rap.

advertising for the original album, probably in late 98

A Legendary project...

The promo of that project was leaked in internet in the very late 1998. Consecutively, Nas and Columbia decided to totally re-conceive the project by dropping most of that promo, and probably by combining the rest of both CDs in one single album, eventually with a couple of new songs...

Nas & DJ Premier 

article from the 3rd of April '99  

A misunderstood Message - The danger to be a thug

2Pac started to diss Nas in his songs right after having listened Nas' new album first song "The Message" (starting by "fake love, no love" ; second verse about a man taking shots in his legs and leaving the hospital the same night ; ending the verse by "a thug changes, love changes and best friends become strangers"....). The album also had producing credits by Dr. Dre & Stretch... two enemies of Tupac. It was released the 2nd of July. The next day, written on a REEL, Daz was working at a new version of "How Do U Want It" over an instrumental of his (finally used for Dogg Pound "Gitta Strippin"). Freshly back from his trip to Italy, 2Pac would eventually have dropped new vocals to it. But, probably instead of that, over that same instrumental, he recorded the whole diss song "War Gamez" starting by these lines : "that nigga rappin' about my muthafuckin life ? ...he got shot and left hospital the same day ? ...you ain't firm nigga, you soft... fuck ya clique" (cf. Killuminati, Original Diss Album). He then considered him among his usual enemies Bad Boy Records, Mobb Deep, Jay-Z... And he accused Dr. Dre who produced songs for him to have "switched sides". Probably the same day, 2Pac also recorded "U Don't Have 2 Worry" which also contains some references to Nas and the Firm : "no love shown... why you change ? ...there's only one clique... one love". The day after, at The House of Blues, 2Pac introduced his new song "Troublesome" by citing Nas among his enemies... Then after the show, about Death Row East project, he mentions Nas among weak rappers... 

In the whole month of July, 2Pac was into the recording of a whole diss album. Killuminati starts by "Bomb First" words against Nas depicted as "the ring leader" from "a conspiracy to assassinate the character of not only Mr. Shakur but of Death Row records as well." A lot of other unreleased songs leftover from the album had lines about that : "Watch Your Mouth" ("I heard Nas got beef cause i was dissin his clique [probably referring to Mobb Deep]"), "When Thugz Cry" (outro "hey Nas remember that shit you said ? ...I know you been listening cause you've been biting this shit so recognize and realize before your ass get rolled on"). This is like if 2Pac was entertaining a distant conversation with the friend, the nigga, he had respect and love for, finding a way to express, to expel his hurt. "Me And My Girlfriend" (where 2Pac considers his gun as being his most faithful girlfriend) almost sounds like an answer to "I Gave You Power" (a gun is talking). It reached the highest peak at the closure of the album, the infamous "Against All Odds". First verse : "This little nigga named Nas think he live like me, talkin' 'bout he left the hospital, took five like me" ; last verse : "Listen to me, God don't like ugly, it was written. Ayo Nas, your whole damn style is bitten (You sound like Rakim, man). You heard my melody, read about my life in the papers... now you wanna live my life ? so what's a 'chazzer', Nas ? 'niggaz that don't rhyme right, you've seen too many movies. Load em up against the wall, close his eyes, since you lie you die, goodbye !" (cf. Killuminati, The 3 Day Theory / The Don Killuminati, The 7 Day Theory).

Nas probably heard about what 2Pac was saying around about him stealing his style, being inspired by his life, being weak... It could be the time Nas recorded his disses to 2Pac in unreleased "Real Niggas" ("From tube-socks in Timbs to blue rocks and Benz, who got the ends, the type of nigga 2Pac pretends" which seems to answer to "Against All Odds"...) and in "Welcome To The Firm (The Firm Intro)" ("black pirellis rolling over this Makaveli" - which sounds like a direct answer to "When Thugz Cry"). Unless he recorded them after he heard the Killuminati album and couldn't help to give any answer to it... Nas said he almost cried when he first heard 2Pac's "Against All Odds" in 1996 (after 2Pac's death)... In Nature's verse from the same "Welcome to the Firm" leaked in the DJ Clue mixtape : "fake thugs style glue together saying old rhymes show signs. You're tough whatever, eat your heat out... I watch y'all get shot down [DJ Clue screaming 'Killuminati']". (cf. DJ Clue, Nas Vs. The Firm)

Nas with friends and among them Puff Daddy... hated enemy of 2Pac...

Nas showing forward his famous QB's medal, 

in a similar style to 2Pac's Death Row's one 

(given to Fatal and lost that famous day 2Pac and Nas met in Central Park) 

Showdown with Tupac in Central Park, the 4th of September 96

Sept. 4, 1996. 2Pac flew to New York to attend the MTV Awards as a nominee for best rap video ("California Love"). Nas was scheduled for a surprise performance with the Fugees at the awards show. It has been said they crossed paths once or twice and said some neutral words like "do your thing, I do mine". During that time New Jersey Fatal Hussein & Young Noble team and Nas friends from Queens also locked eyes.

When Nas confronted 2Pac  (video anime made by MemoDashDigital)

Very funny and well made anime re-construction even if some elements - taken from discussed interviews - are said to be wrong.

Later at the MTV Awards party at the Central Park, the two teams faced each other. It was a very tense moment. But Nas came to 2Pac and they started to speak in each other's ears. It seems they quickly solved the thing. 2Pac would have said that his album had some bad lyrics against him but if he was true, he would not answer... They eventually talked about recording a song together (maybe for One Nation). Nobody would ever know if the Makaveli album had been released whilst 2Pac was still alive, would really Nas have not given any answer to it ? Maybe the album would have had many diss removed but how to remove the things from the wonderful "Against All Odds" ?

Somebody had compiled every interviews and documents about this encounter. Unfortunately, the video is not active anymore in Youtube. List of elements :

• 0:00 Nas version 1 talking about 2Pac in 1996
• 0:53 2Pac talks House of Blues incident before Central Park
• 1:53 Eric B's version 1 talking about 2Pac was going to do songs with Nas
• 3:47 Kurt Kobane confirming 2Pac was studying Nas - It Was Written after the confrontation
• 4:31 Eric B's version 2
• 8:17 Snoop's version 1
• 9:37 Reggie Wright's version disputing Snoop's version
• 11:40 Napoleon's version 1 disputing Snoop's version
• 15:05 Outlawz' version
• 16:38 Jungle's documentary version (can't find Jungle's street version)
• 18:22 Nas version 2 in 2020
• 21:51 Hussein Fatal's version
• 24:11 Fatal's brother Yadi Yas' version
• 26:15 Snoop's version 2
• 27:57 Suge Knight's version
• 29:04 Napoleon's version 2
• 30:57 2Pac's bodyguard Frank Alexander's version
• 32:30 Tragedy Khadafi's version with Havoc
• 33:00 Prodigy talked about it in his book - The Infamous Life
• 33:34 Nas version 3 in 2006. that Nas book never coming out, lmao
• 35:22 Nas' We Will Survive verse talking about 2Pac
• 35:57 Nas' & 2Pac's words for each other on 2Pac Duets
• 36:31 Nas stopping his concert & had Ed Lover announce 2Pac's passing 

It is commonly said that the most truthful versions are Nas and Fatal and his goons versions.

Hussein Fatal's goons version

 Nas with Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Timbaland and Marky Mark...

Last one was the old partner of Prince Ital Joe for their famous 1994 album.

How to not end up like 2Pac & Biggie ?

In 1996, with his second album It Was Written (released the 2nd of July), Nas aka Escobar is at the top 10 rappers. One of the best. A superstar. Two months later, 2Pac is killed. 6 months later, Notorious B.I.G. is killed... 

Of course, Nas knew Stretch and Big L who also got killed in 1995, and the West coast veteran also Eazy-E died from Aids. But this was different, 2Pac and Biggie died after having reached the top... Because they still lived a crazy life, between the ghetto style and the luxury. The new rich man attracts envy, jealousy... lost himself in the vanity world. Will the ghetto also caught him back ?

So, after the total failure of The album with The Firm in 1997 (released the 21st of October), Nas decided to get rid of his "Escobar" character, of his ghetto gangster rapping who has no future, to become someone else.

The autobiography is the way to put an end to his gangsta lifestyle. To tell everything from the first step, even before, to the logic end it could. To invent himself the death he could have had if he would have kept his way of doing - he thinks to a depression and a suicide because of his wife, and they really had troubles at that time -, is a kind exorcism. Nas killed the mafioso in him to gain access to a new dimension of him. That is what he was supposed to present in the second disc of his album.

Inspired by Jesus Gospels, and by 2Pac in his Makaveli album, Nas imagines and tells his resurrection, his elevation to a new dimension of human rapping. From the ghetto leader to the street prophet. If the word play "Nas-Nos-tradamus" is weak, the imagery behind that and the new persona is interesting. Jesus says in the Gospels that a man has to die and to reborn to get access to a more soothed humanity, to get rid of the usual flesh preoccupations, to get access to the light and to the heaven.

So in the disc two, Nas gives an overlooking eye over above the world he's living in, detached. He now wants to act, to influence the world by telling his gospel...

DETAILED TRACKLIST

DISC ONE

1. **** "Intro (Life Flash)", produced by DJ Premier (?). The I Am... intro is clearly a life flash for the original scenario of the first disc, as well as a medley reminding listeners of Nas' classics. It anticipates the end of the Escobar story. A wonderful piece of DJing (by DJ Premier ? Gosh !). On the other hand the Jungle & Horse part (over "The Afterlife" beat) was very probably added later to it - maybe in order to ease the oppressive sound of that first part with its Amityville sample and background hospital noises... This dark background of the intro, very strange in comparison of most albums, probably wanted to make listeners understand after their first full listening that this medley is a life flash and that all the other songs from the first disc could be understood as part of the life flash, Escobar telling his life and death. 
2. "My Belly Button Window (Fetus Original)", producer unknown. Remixed in The Lost Tapes (2001).
3. **** "N.Y. State of Mind, pt. 2", by DJ Premier. Nas speaks from a child point of view. His eyes, feelings and dreams are filled up by these images from the projects. So he is still a kid and the song could fit well that first disc.
4. "Small World", by The Hitmen.
5. "Money Is My Bitch", by Al West, Poke & Tone.
6. "The Game Lives On (Project Window Original)", by The Hitmen. Remixed in Nastradamus (1999). From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000).
7. "Poppa Was A Player", by D. Dot & Kanye West. Remixed in The Lost Tapes (2001).
8. "Dr. Knockboot", by Poke & Tone. I suspect "Dr. Knockboot" could be initially aimed to be just a B-side to "Nas Is Like" or "Hate Me Now" planned first single, added to the promo. It doesn't fit the life&death story... It is not a very serious teacher style neither but it could more likely fit the second disc topic.
9. "Day Dreamin' Stay Schemin'", producer unknown. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000).
   
10. "Sometimes I Wonder", producer unknown. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000).
11. **** "Favor For a Favor", by L.E.S.. Not known if it was recorded for the original album, but topic is kind of recalled in "Hardest Thing" lyrics ("I did a favor for a favor") so this song could fit before it. Nas' lyrics also quote what could be previous songs : "sometimes dreamin'".
12. "Hardest Thing To Do Is Stay Alive", by L.E.S..
    
13. **** "You Won't See Me Tonight", by Timbaland. The song was announced in the advertising poster of the original album. It was also kind of announced by the chorus of "Hardest Thing" and could introduce the mood of "Drunk By Myself". Anyway the songs sounds like an Escobar love story, not a new dimension of love.
14. "Drunk By Myself", by Al West, Poke & Tone. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000) and The Lost Tapes (2001).
15. "Wanna Play Rough", by Dame Grease. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000).
16. "Blaze A 50", by L.E.S., Poke & Tone. From The Lost Tapes (2001).
17. "We Will Survive", by Jamel Edgerton, Poke & Tone. From I Am... (1999).
18. **** "Undying Love", by L.E.S.. From I Am... (1999). It was many times confirmed as the dramatic conclusion of this first disc.

DETAILED DISC TWO

1. "The Afterlife (Second Chance)", producer unknown. From Death of Escobar (Unofficial, 2000). The beat is also in the second part of I Am... album intro (what was a mysterious prolepse to the end of the first disc). So it is clearly the transition between the death of Escobar in "Undying Love" and the resurrection as Nastradamus in "Amongst Kings".
   
2. "Amongst Kings", producer unknown. Unknown source.
3. "Life Is What You Make It", by L.E.S.. Included in Excerpts from I Am... Promo Sampler and in I Am.... It is announced or recalled in "Nas Is Like" lyrics. The first verse has a kind of distant point of view on the ghetto life and the message is mostly positive (existentialist, you are not prisoner of a tragic ghetto destiny whatever you do), if we except the last Nas line... So Nas can define himself now. So Nas is like...
4. "Nas Is Like", by DJ Premier. Included in Excerpts from I Am... Promo Sampler and in I Am.... If Nas didn't present himself as Nastradamus, he says he's a prophet.
   
5. "Find Ya Wealth", by L.E.S.. From QB's Finest (2000).
   
6. "U Gotta Love It", by L.E.S.. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000) and The Lost Tapes (2001). At least a small AZ featuring !
   
7. "Seeds of Heaven (Blackness)", by Infinite Arkatechz. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000). Same producer as "My Worst Enemy". It sounds like the perfect obvious topic Nas would have explored with his new identity of prophet/teacher : black pride.
8. "K-I-SS-I-N-G (Original)", producer unknown. Unknown Source, be careful to correct the wrong pitch of the usual leaked track. Remixed in I Am... (1999). Is it a real original ?
9. "Your Mouth Got You In It", by Dame Grease. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000). Despite his dark mood beat, the song perfectly fits the post-resurrection. Why did the thug rappers die violently ? because they open their mouth, so they fuss & fight, and have to live and die by the gun. It could be felt as a diss to some rappers, like 2Pac, but in fact most likely addressed to Nas himself. He does not have to keep on this way of rapping. And it also mentions "Puff's party", so it could be linked to "Hate Me Now".
10. "Hate Me Now (Original)", by D-Moet & Pretty Boy. Included in Excerpts from I Am... Promo Sampler and Remixed in I Am... (1999). The video depicts the whole double album project. Death of the gangster and resurrection of a prophet. The Christ topic is clear. Nas follows that way of being sacrificed to live again. What is Puff Daddy ? a bad devil calling him back to his old character ? So he's already in a fight with himself. And that could be a link to "Some of Us Have Angels" or more likely to "My Worst Enemy".
11. "Come Get Me", by DJ Premier. From Nastradamus (1999). This song is the only one we kept from Nastradamus, but it was very probably recorded specifically for it.
12. "Big Things", by Al West. From I Am... (1999). Not sure, there is no "Nastradamus" reference in it and it is a kind of repetition of "Your Mouth Got You" topic. It also could be the kind of new thing Nas had tried in a second time to move to a new air for his album after dropping the original rigid structure... 
    
13. "Pray", by Ez Elpee. From I Am... (1999) bonus only cassette editions (between "Big Things" and "K-I-SS-I-N-G"). Logically, Nas made a place for his brother's group. It is something like a ghetto Muslim call to pray. It totally fits his Nastradamus perspective of being a prophet so to gather people to look to a new direction. I tend to think that if it was still in the cassette version of the album, it was because it was a song he didn't want to take off until the last time. Not a song he would have recorded for replace old ones in a second time. Nas didn't really rap in this one, but he lets his friends shine (otherwise he would have overshadowed them).
14. "Ghetto Prisoners", by Dame Grease. From I Am... (1999).
    
15. "The Curse", by L.E.S.. Included in Excerpts from I Am... Promo Sampler but finally leftover. Still unleaked. What is the curse ? It could be the chain from the ghetto destiny or the responsibility for a rap star from the ghetto to use well his new position, like what is said from Marvel Comics superheroes (the superpower is a gift and a curse).
16. "I Want To Talk To You", by Al West & L.E.S.. From I Am... (1999). It perfectly fits the new Nastradamus project, his mission, also making a link with the Egyptian imagery of the cover. A directly political thing that confirms he wanted to evolve into the direction of KRS-1 or Chuck D.
17. "The Rise & Fall", by Poke & Tone. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000).
18. "My Worst Enemy", by Infinite Arkatechz. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000).

OTHER POTENTIAL TRACKS

• "Never Gonna Give It Up" feat. Product G&B - Al West. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000). Al West produced a hand of tracks for I Am... and does not appear in Nastradamus LP credits, so the song could have been recorded for The Autobiography... The vibe is kind of compatible. Nas speaks about his platinum chain (after The Firm album). Considering the lyrics about his girl who didn't like when he goes out with his boys, about his mom and about wanting a normal life, not being Nas every day, it could really fit the second disc as a strain from being a prophet all day, receiving jealousy...
• "Make It Last Forever" - L.E.S.. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000) and The Lost Tapes (2001). Topic of the song can give the idea of a song written for the second disc of The Autobiography with a Carpe Diem message for listeners and a kind of warning for himself before "Hate Me Now"...
• "Tales From The Hood" - Curt Gowdy. From Death of Escobar (Unreleased, 2000). Curt Gowdy produced "Executive Decision" for The Firm album. Nas says in his verse : "this ends the first chapter of another Nas classic" So it would be an alternate ending to the first disc...? Or it was specifically recorded for the aborted project Death of Escobar.
• "Hustlers & Killers" - Rich Nice, Poke & Tone. From Nastradamus 12'' (1999) and Hustlers & Killers Promo Single (1999). Rich Nice appears for the first time in Nastradamus credits as producer and engineer, so the song is very likely a 1999 recording leftover from Nastradamus LP.
• "Gangsta Tears" - Bud'da. From Exit Wounds soundtrack (2001). Kind of elegiac song, but with a generally distant point of view. Not sure it'd perfectly fit the Prophecy disc topic. More likely post Nastradamus recorded.
• "Queens Style" feat. Noreaga - L.E.S. (?). The song presumably recorded n 1997-1998 was then remixed with Nature verses added as "Triple Threat" and given to Nature for first solo album For All Seasons (2000). This remix appearing in Excerpts from I Am... Promo Samplerthe original was very probably not included in I Am... The Autobiography in late 1998.

Tracks from Nastradamus.

We chose to use the less tracks from the album because it is usually said Nas didn't release many songs from The Autobiography in it, out of "Project Window" in a remixed version. "Come Get Me" is systematically added and we included it mainly because it is a DJ Premier production. Bootleggers often add following songs :

• "Come Get Me" / prod. DJ Premier
  
• "Life We Chose" / prod. L.E.S.
• "Some of Us Have Angels" / prod. Dame Grease
  
• "Last Words" feat. Nashawn / prod. L.E.S.
  
• "Family" feat. Mobb Deep / prod. Havoc
• "God Love Us" / prod. Dame Grease
• "Shoot Em Up" / prod. Havoc

I personally love the Havoc's beat of "Shoot Em Up" but the lyrics seemingly do not fit the second disc of I Am... The Autobiography.

Tracks from Death of Escobar and various sources :

1. "My Way" / prod. The Alchemist - different way of rapping and new sound
   
2. "You Don't Know Me" feat. Kelis / prod. Trackmasters - re-uses "Hardest Thing" beat so very probably recorded specifically for this aborted project
3. "Your Mout Got You In It"
4. "The Rise & Fall" 
5. "U Gotta Love It"
6. "Nothing Lasts / Make It Last Forever" / prod. L.E.S. - new style ?
7. "My Own Worst Enemy"
8. "The Foulness (Interlude)". Famous freestyle given to DJ Clue's mixtapes in 1995 (cf. DJ Clue Vs. The Firm).
9. "Street Dreams Remix" feat. R Kelly - prod. Trackmasters. Old track recorded for the single "Street Dreams" in 1996. 
   
10. "Never Gonna Give It Up" feat. Product G&B / prod. Al West - new style ?
11. * "Tales From The Hood" / prod. Curt Gowdy - specifically conceived as the last song of this project ? or was it recorded for an early version of I Am... ?
12. "Drunk By Myself"
13. "Projects Too Hot" feat. Nature & 50 Cent / prod. Chop Diesel. Not related to the topic of Nastradamus in Nas' lyrics, even if 50 Cent refers to it in his verse. The song was probably recorded around the time of that album but was for 50 Cent's projects. Not in Power of a Dollar promo, it was probably recorded after it.
14. "Poppa Was A Player"
    
15. "Seeds of Heaven"

 Alternate edition :

• "Gangsta Tears"
• "Another Day in The Projects"
• "The Second Coming (I'm A Villain)" / IAM - Third verse mentions Pop, his partner in a song from QB's Finest compilation, this song recycles Nas three verses of the album
• "In Too Deep"
• "Outro"

"Tales from The Hood" announcing : "this ends the first chapter of another Nas classic" ! But it would be an alternate ending to the first disc... "Seeds of Heaven" fits perfectly well to the Jesus inspired second disc and to the mystic sound of it. The title could refer to the second disc of I Am... and the come back as Nastradamus.

"Your Mouth" sounds old and could be a kind of advice to gangsta rappers, a diss to Cormega (answering to his "Never Personal (Fuck Nas & Nature)") and to all rappers who talk too much. Reminding of 2Pac and his craziness way of reacting too quickly. His mouth maybe costed his life. But knowing Nas' respect for him, except if the song is from 1996, it now sounds like a warning to himself. His Escobar persona of the first disc has been a victim of himself. He is his own worst enemy. But the song could also already be dissing Jay-Z...

"Gangsta Tears" has been released in a soundtrack from 2001, but it fits the topic. "Hustlers & Killers" has the I Am/Nastradamus style but it sounds maybe a bit too new stylish. "Queens Style" is the song "Triple Threat" recorded in 1998 before they gave the song to Nature for his album (included in I Am... / For All Seasons sampler), who replaced one verse of each other.

Death of Escobar - Re-thought

1. My Way Soundtrack To The Streets feat. Kid Capri (1998)
   
2. You Don't Know Me feat. Kelis (2000)
   
3. Your Mouth Got You In It Hustlers & Killers (1999)
4. The Rise And Fall
   
5. U Gotta Love It Queens Style (1998)
   
6. Make It Last Forever 
7. My Worst Enemy The Second Coming (I'm A Villain) (2000)
8. The Foulness (Interlude) In Too Deep (feat. Nature) (1999)
   
9. Sinful Living Eye For An Eye Freestyle (DJ Clue) (2000)
   
10. Never Gonna Give It Up (The Life) feat. Product G&B
11. Tales From The Hood
    
12. Drunk By Myself No Idea's Original (Original) (2000)
13. Projects Too Hot feat. 50 Cent & Nature (2000)
14. Poppa Was A Player Queens Finest (The Professional) (1998)
15. Seeds of Heaven Gangsta Tears (Exit Wounds) (2001)
    BONUS TRACKS
16. When Thugs Die (2000)
17. Rich Niggas (Too Late) (feat. Bravehearts) (2000)
18. Stillmatic (H. To The O.M.O.) (2000)
    

Dave Cortes' bust made for Nas photoset

Sam Sneed -1995- Street Scholars (Original LP) (Death Row Unreleased)

• Recorded circa 1994-1995.
• Source : unofficial bootleg album.

Tracklist - Discogs (alternate version) - Listen

1. Intro feat. Dr. Dre & 2Pac (speaking) *
   
2. Like Sneed (Blueberries) feat. Snoop Dogg
   
3. Goin' Hollywood (Original) 
4. Drug Related (Original) 
5. Ghetto Hero feat. Nanci Fletcher
   
6. New World Order (Original) (One Verse) feat. Sharief - uncompleted
7. Lady Heroin (Original) feat. J-Flexx 
8. In Da Zone feat. J-Flexx & Drauma 
9. It's So Hot feat. Drauma (as reference for Dr. Dre) - uncompleted
10. Street Scholars feat. Drauma 
11. Trump Tight 
12. Guilty as Sin feat. Sharief, Drauma & Kurupt 
13. Bone Breaker feat. J-Flexx & Sharief 
14. The Heist feat. Sharief & Drauma 
15. Dear God (Confessions Original) feat. Lady of Rage - uncompleted
16. Lyrical Assasins feat. J-Flexx - snippet

 Bonus Tracks : 

  17. Natural Born Killaz (Original) feat. Dr. Dre & Ice Cube

* We don't know if the "Intro" could be a real thing or if it was made way later in order to sell bootlegs of that unfinished album...

A different version of the bootleg album

Another hidden gem from Death Row vault...

This album was like a kind of side project directed by Dr. Dre, the same way Snoop Dogg promoted his protégés the LBC Crew - with much more success even if they also couldn't release their first album on Death Row (Haven't You Heard ?) before WideAwake got the rights. 

If some tracks are uncompleted, we can guess that it would have had many Death Row superstars featured : Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Lady of Rage, Dr. Dre... and maybe it could have a 2Pac's featuring, who knows, as a gift back for the song "Outlaw Immortalz" he produced for him and his group... Otherwise we could imagine East Coast artists (Kool G Rap, Prodigy and Big Shig (?) appear in the "Lady Heroin" video, but it could also be K-Solo who recorded with the label circa 1995...

K-Solo, Daz & Sam Sneed, circa 1995.

The album is uncompleted and maybe even unfinished because some tracks given ("Like Sneed") or reused ("The Heist") would not have been included in it. Moreover, the production was still lacking of a final mixdown, what was supposed to be the Dr. Dre's magic touch. From this state we have, it sounds not extraordinary, but when you think to the explosive result of the Sam Sneed/Dr. Dre association on "Keeps their Heads Ringin", "Natural Born Killaz" and "U Better Recognize", you can't help to think it could have been a very good album. Even if we can admit that the Sam Sneed's style is kind of repetitive, as well in his lyrical style as in his production...

Anyway the album was condemned when Dr. Dre decided to leave the label...

 

Sam Sneed, Kurupt & Dr. Dre, circa 94-95

Sam Sneed (b. 1968, 3 years younger than Dre, 3 years older than 2Pac) is from Pittsburgh and started to produce material for K-Solo before Hit Squad split (cf. I Can't Hold It Back). After that, he was introduced to Dr. Dre and began to work under his wing in his producing team alongside J-Flexx, Mel-Man, Bud'Da... His first work was upon Snoop's Doggystyle in 1993 : he claimed to have worked on interludes and upon "G'z Up & Hoez Down" (but not litterally producing even if his well known phrase "My name is Sam Sneed, you better recognize" appears in "Checkin (skit)"). Then his "The Heist" beat was re-used and improved by Dr. Dre for the superhit "Natural Born Killaz" with Ice Cube finally replacing him. But in exchange, also for Murder Was The Case Soundtrack, Dr. Dre pushed his solo song "U Better Recognize" with his famous title gimmick. The next year, he co-produced the Dr. Dre superhit "Keep Their Heads Ringin" for Friday soundtrack.

After that, he started to record his album with his posse the Street Scholars : Sharief (Killa Ben), Drauma (Stocks McGuire), alongside the other Dr. Dre collaborators team J-Flexx, Mel-Man and Bud'Da. 

When Dr. Dre left Death Row to found his label and recorded his compilation Dr. Dre Presents... The Aftermath, he took all the team with him with the exception of Sam Sneed and J-Flexx who still had a contract with Death Row... (Mel-Man had the song "Shitting on top of the world", Sharief the song "L.A.W.", Drauma co-produced "East Coast / West Coast Killers" and Bud'Da produced or co-produced 6 tracks)... What is less known is that J-Flexx very probably wrote the lyrics of "Been There Done That" (he recorded a version of the song dissing Dr. Dre mainly to have let him hang with Death Row whereas he said him he would solved the contract before leaving...).

Sam Sneed only produced one song for 2Pac right after he arrived in Death Row : "Outlaw Immortalz" (the 26th of October) for the shelved album Outlaw Immortalz : Thug Live Volume 2. The song appears in the first tracklist of the album but not in the second one... maybe the beef between 2Pac and Dr. Dre already made him drop the song, but more likely 2Pac decided to give the song to Thug Pound, the Sam Sneed's beat maybe more accurate to the Dogg Pound's vibe. Gonzoe claimed to have recorded a verse for that song, maybe to replace Big Syke after he left Death Row circa May or August of 96 for the Outlawz album (his name appears in Ghetto Starz planned guests).

"Like Sneed (Bluberries)" beat was apparently sold to Snoop Dogg & LBC Crew album (Haven't You Heard ?) before being transferred to Tha Doggfather. It didn't bother Death Row people to use Sam Sneed's beat after having beaten him up (so 2Pad wouldn't have dropped the song for that neither) and probably without never giving him money for it... Another funny thing about it is that 2Pac and Snoop recorded a St. Ides Commercial with Snoop referring to this track, maybe not a long time before 2Pac beat up Sneed... 

When was this picture shot ?
Could be in mid 95 when Nas came to record "Don't Stop" for Dogg Pound
when East Coast was not the enemy...

The Sam Sneed's beat up...

The 21st of February 1996, after Snoop Dogg's acquitting, Sam Sneed showed the Death Row team the video he made with J-Flexx for "Lady Heroin", the first single of his upcoming first album Street Scholars - probably more or less in the state of this bootleg album. In front of everybody, Dogg Pound, Suge and his Blood circle, many other people from the label, 2Pac started to beat up Sam Sneed (he notably punched him in the eye), what led maybe Outlawz and more likely Sixx 8 of 6 Feet Deep to participate (he gave him a kick in the butt, from behind). After that, they forced Sam Sneed with his black eye and other marks with them to go to Snoop's trial (?) and to Snoop's acquittal party (the 21st of Feb.)...

After they watched the video, Suge turns himself to some of his peeps : "were you in the movie ? and you ? No ? Sam, who paid for the movie ? So why are there only East Coast niggaz and no Death Row niggaz in that movie ?" (according the Darryl Harper interview). The video had appearances by East Coast artists like Prodigy (maybe not yet a problem for 2Pac at that time, but Napoleon recorded lines against Mobb Deep in "First 2 Bomb" the 16th of Jan., and they could have already answered to "New York, New York"), Big Shug (?) or Kool G Rap (not a problem in itself, 2Pac always wanted to record with him), and moreover was not paying any kind of reverence to Death Row or West Coast... Adding the fact that Sam Sneed did a cameo in Raekwon's "Ice Cream" video (released as a single in Sept. 95, the 25th - video made probably a little time after that). So they would have been angry for Sam Sneed not chosing his side...

In fact, Dogg Pound people were around the video set and Sam Sneed purposed to Death Row people to come but no one did (according to J-Flexx)... Another explanation is that 2Pac and Suge Knight already had heavy issues with Dr. Dre, and that Sam Sneed being his closer protégé, it was a way to reach him, to threat him... 2Pac was disappointed by Dr. Dre for him refusing to produce more for him (when everybody was supposed to work for the forthcoming project of the label), even pretending to have produced "Got My Mind Made Up" when it was a Daz track, maybe also starting to understand about the old jealousy of Dr. Dre about his friendship with his then girlfriend Natasha Walker (who disappeared from the label at that time)... Suge Knight probably kind of guessing Dr. Dre was thinking about leaving the label...

Sam notably said in a late interview that 2Pac and Suge reproached him to have asked money to produce a track for Snoop (probably "Blueberry" from the LBC Crew original album, recorded in second half of 95, finally released on Doggfather). People also said that Sam Sneed was kind of feeling himself, acting like the big man when Dr. Dre was not there... Daz baby mama also claimed they asked Sam Sneed to confirm Dr. Dre was gay - and maybe him being his boy - what could also be related to the fact that Dr. Dre didn't show at the Snoop's trial, what 2Pac denounced (so as being a coward more than the fact of being gay what was maybe not a problem in itself).

That event could have marked a real change in the musical collaboration, a big disease, with Dr. Dre of course ! but maybe also with the rest of the Death Row team, indirectly with Snoop and the Dogg Pound who were somewhere still friends with their mentor Dr. Dre...

After that, Sam Sneed escaped from Death Row but, still linked to the label by his contract, he couldn't release many things and concentrated on a brain tumor he had to heal...Then he was mainly active as a producer.

Nas -1994-1996- From Nasty To Esco (Homemade Compilation)

• 1994-1996 : Soundtracks songs, B-Sides, leftover from Illmatic to It Was Written.
• The evolution from the young ghetto guide Nasty Nas to the infamous mafioso star Nas Escobar.
• source : bootleg

Nas by Danny Clinch, Illmatic photoshoot

### WORK IN PROGRESS - This compilation more or less follows the tracklist of an old bootleg titled "The Illmatic Archives", maybe made by hiphopisread.com, today hard to find. We just replaced the album released songs by lost songs recorded from that period. ###

Tracklist :

1. Capital Rap Show Freestyle (1994)
2. One Love (One L Remix) feat. Sadat X (1994)
3. On The Real (Original) feat. KL (Screwball) & Cormega (1994)
4. One On One (1994)
5. Fast Life (Norfside Remix) feat. Kool G Rap (1995)
6. Understanding feat. Az & Biz Markie (1995)
7. Life Is Like A Dice Game (1994)
8. The World is Yours (Q Tip Mix) (1994)
9. Déjà Vu (1995)
10. Life's A Bitch (Arsenal Mix) feat. Az (1994)
11. Everything Is Real feat. Nashawn (??) & Shapelle (1995) - speed -7% *
12. Wake Up Show Anthem '94 feat. Organised Konfusion, Ras Kass, Dred Scott, Shyheim, Chino XL, Saafir & Lauryn Hill (1994)
    
13. Street Dreams (Unreleased 3rd Verse) (1996)
14. It Ain't Hard To Tell (Large Professor Remix) (1994)
15. La Familia (Original) feat. Cormega, Foxy Brown & Az (1996)
16. Watch Dem Niggas (Unreleased 3rd Verse) (1996)
17. Analyze This feat. Lord Tariq & Jay-Z (1996)
18. The Message (Unreleased Version) (1996)
19. Affirmative Action (Poke & Tone Remix) feat. Foxy Brown, AZ, Cormega & Jungle (1996)
20. Street Dreams pt. 2 feat. R. Kelly (1996)
21. The Bridge Keeps Rockin' (Clueless Freestyle) (1996)
    

. Keep It Raw (1995) (?)
. 40th Side Of Things (Good Fellas) feat. Syl Drama & Cormega (1995) / Nas' verse already in another track
. Wake Up Show Anthem '94 feat. Organised Konfusion, Ras Kass, Dred Scott, Shyheim, Chino XL, Saafir & Lauryn Hill
. Tim Westwood Freestyle feat. Mobb Deep (1995)
. Tim Westwood Freestyle feat. De La Soul (1996)
. Funk Flex Freestyle Hot 97 feat. Cormega (1996)
. Illmatic Release Party (1994)

* The speed or pitch of the usual leak is obviously wrong - voices are deformed. We tried to slow down -7.0 (new track duration is 2:25, against 2:15), it sounds perfect and the Nas delivery really sounds like in 1995, what suspect many fans.

Credits :

1. Tim Westwood Radio, UK (May 6th, 1994). Archives

2. Godfather Don & Victor Padilla from the Beatnuts, One Love single, 1994

3. Marley Marl. On The Real single (1997). Released for the 10th anniversary of Illmatic.

4. Chris Large & Mr. Freak Nasty. Street Fighter OST (1994)

5. Saalam Remi. From Kool G Rap's Check Da Bitch single (1996) or Epic Street sampler

6. Large Professor. Bad Boys Soundtrack promo (1994-1995)

7. Easy Mo Bee. Unreleased. Nas talks about his daughter, Easy Mo Bee confirmed it was between Illmatic and It Was Written

8. Q-Tip. Alternate lyrics, from The World is Yours single (1994)

9. Chris Winston. Unreleased. Nas says 95 in his lyrics.

10. Def Jef & Meech Wells. Life's A Bitch single (1994).

11. L.E.S. (?). Unreleased. Leaked with 91-93 demos but with a distort voice which makes him sound younger.

12. Sway & Tech. From Wake Up Show Freestyles, Vol. 2 (1996)

13. Poke & Tone. From Street Dreams single (1996).

14. Large Professor. From It Ain't Hard To Tell (Remix) single promo (1994).

15. Unknown Producer. Unreleased. Recorded before Nas/Cormega dispute. (1996).

16. Poke & Tone. Unreleased. (1996)

17. Trackmasters. Unreleased until unofficial Lord Tariq Past & Present compilation (1999) and Lord Tariq's Analyze This single (2001).

18. Poke & Tone & DJ Kid Capri. Unreleased. With the original Scarface voice sample in the intro (1996).

19. Poke & Tone. From Street Dreams single (1996).

20. Poke & Tone. From Street Dreams single (1996).

21. Poke & Tone. Beat from Foxy Brown's "Get Me Home" feat. Blackstreet (1996). From DJ Spinbad, Clueless mixtape (1996).

. "Keep It Raw". Unknown producer. Included in J-Love's Nas Finest Part 1 (1996).

 

 

It is funny to think that Danny Clinch made these pictures for Illmatic album around the time he made a wonderful photoset for 2Pac's forthcoming album then titled Mr. Middle Finger or Out On Bail (famous front cover of Until The End of Time)

Unused Tracks : 

. One Love (The LG Experience Remix) (1994)

. It Ain't Hard To Tell (Stink Mix) (prod. by Dave Scratch & Dj Ron) (1994) 

. It Ain't Hard To Tell (The Laidback Remix) (1994)

. Life's A Bitch (Buckwild Remix 1) feat. Az (1994)

. Life's A Bitch (Buckwild Remix 2) feat. Az (1994)

 

. Tim Westwood Freestyle feat. Mobb Deep (1995)
. Tim Westwood Freestyle feat. De La Soul (1996)

. Funk Flex Freestyle feat. Cormega (1996) / Partially included in Cormega's The Montana Way / The Montana Diary mixtape (1997). Maybe recorded just before Mega was dropped from the group by Steve Stoute in summer of 96. A shame ! He was the one who could have saved the Firm project from disaster.

. 40th Side Of Things (Good Fellas) feat. Syl Drama & Cormega (1995)  / Hot Day & Jae Supreme. Jae Supreme said "Produced by The Dream Team (Hot Day & Jae Supreme). The 1st guy spittin, is my cousin Syl Drama. We did this demo for Cormega album." Nas here re-use his 3rd verse from "Déjà Vu". We prefered include it in our Cormega's Montana Way advanced version, especially because of DJ Hot Day who Mega started with.
. Fast Life (Original) feat. Kool G Rap (1995) / On the chorus, the singer is saying "everywhere we go bitches know who we are" instead of "people" in the Kool G's album version
. One + One feat. Large Professor (1996) / Large Professor. From Large Professor's The LP (1996-2009)

Al Pereira, Nas, 2Pac and Redman at Club Amazon (1993, July 23)

The diligent kid who was preparing his destiny

Nas always looks so serious... not often smiling and joking in comparison of Tupac ! In July 1993, he was still an unknown for the general public, even if his features with Main Source, MC Serch and his first single Half Time gave him one of the biggest hype, earning him the underground nickname of "new Rakim". Maybe at that time, he was deeply preoccupied by the recording of his first album, to not miss his entrance into the Hip-Hop hall of fame.

At the time of these pictures, 2Pac was recording his whole New York flavored album (almost entirely unleaked), well titled Mr. Middle Finger, mainly produced by produced by the Queensbridge rapper Stretch, probably also known from Nas. It is said that when Nas met 2Pac, they quickly became friends, as often with 2Pac. The Notorious B.I.G. was also at this party, about to go on tour with 2Pac and his Thug Life group. They were all good friends at that time...

A nasty aftertaste for Nasty Nas

When Nas finally released his album Illmatic, the 19th of April 94, 2Pac has had to change his projects (three times) and was announcing his new R U Still Down (Original album) for the following summer. Illmatic is an instant classic acclaimed by the whole Hip-Hop community, East to West. But five months later in September, while 2Pac again had to change his solo album plans for his group's first album Thug Life : Volume 1, The Notorious B.I.G. released his first album Ready To Die, also acclaimed by the whole community, also with a picture of the rapper as a child in the front cover, also with amazing stories told about the hood, but with a much greater commercial success... 

At the end of the year of 94, Nas was the admiration of the critics, B.I.G. was the king of New York and 2Pac was going to prison... In March of 1995, 2Pac's new solo Me Against The World was finally released, exploding the chart whilst he was behind bars...

 

The revenge of Nas : the metamorphosis into Nas Escobar...

Can these facts explain the turning point from Nas, maybe during the first half of 95, adopting his new nickname Escobar after the Colombian drug lord, and the gangster style which fits with it ? The leftover songs from late 94 - early 95, "Understanding", "Life Is Life A Dice Game", "Déjà Vu" or "Everything Is Real" still sound Nasty Nas. Maybe he was mad at the success of The Notorious B.I.G., feeling that he had stolen something from him - and from 2Pac - with the cover and the storytelling, stolen the New York crown he deserved... Maybe considering that the gangster imagery, was selling more than his pure lyricism.

His new songs, like "The Message", are full of a kind of bitterness about that. The lyrics seem to talk about B.I.G. and 2Pac... introduced as characters into his fictional gangsta stories. 

What's the catch ? Was Nas dissing The Notorious B.I.G. ?

So maybe we can understand why when 2Pac listened to It Was Written in the 3rd of July 96 (the album was released the 2nd), hearing the first song starting by "Fake Thugs, no love...", with his heavy paranoia syndrome, he took it against him and was very hurt, more than if it would have been from an unknown rapper... "And friends became strangers". He straight recorded answers to Nas with "U Don't Have 2 Worry" and "War Gamez" before filling up his new album with words against him (cf. Makaveli : Killuminati early diss album project).

Nas was hearing here and there that 2Pac was talking against him. It is probably the time - in July-August of 96 where he and Steve Stoute - a kind of Puff Daddy / Suge Knight for the Queens - decided to fire Cormega from the Firm project. The time Nas recorded a few songs where he disses 2Pac/Makaveli in the original Firm Intro "Welcome To The Firm" with Noreaga (who already entered the East/West rap war) : "Black Pirellis rolling over this Makaveli", and in "Real Niggas" (cf. DJ Clue Vs. The Firm), before solving their short lived different in early September of 96. 

Nas would have said to 2Pac he was thinking to the Notorious B.I.G. when wrote the lyrics of "The Message". 2Pac & Nas never recorded together but they were planning to do so. The Dogg Pound song, "Don't Stop, Keep Going" is the only song which can really reunite them because both of them recorded a verse for that same song (not at the same time, maybe half a year later). But Nas never recorded with The Notorious B.I.G...