Nas -1991-1993- Nasty Nas Tape (Pre-Illmatic Collection)

• Early recordings until the release of his first album Illmatic, the 19th of April 1994.

 

Pictures from 92.

 

### This homemade compilation follows and completes the fanmade tape Pre-Illmatic 91-94. ###

1. 17 Years Old Freestyling (1990)
2. Just Another Day In Projects (1991)
   
3. True Dialect (1991) - snippet
4. #1 With a Bullet feat. Kool G Rap & White Boy (1992)
5. Live at the Barbeque feat. Main Source, Akinyele & Joe Fatal (1991)
6. Stretch & Bobbito Show '91 feat. Akinyele (1991)
   
7. I'm a Villain
   
8. Half Time (Butcher Remix) (1992) 
9. Nas Will Prevail
   
10. Lunchroom Battles Freestyle feat. Akinyele (1991)
    
11. Number Man (1992) - snippet
    
12. Back to the Grill feat. MC Serch, Red Hot Lover Tone & Chubb Rock (1992)
13. Represent (DJ Premier Demo Mix) (1993)
14. Stretch & Bobbito Show '93 feat. 6.9, Sudan, Jungle & Wiz (Bravehearts) (1993)
15. Memory Lane (DJ Premier Demo Mix) (1993) 
    
16. Life's a Bitch (Freestyle) feat. Az (1993)
17. It Ain't Hard To Tell (Large Professor Demo Mix) (1993)
18. Gotta Get Over (Wake Up Show Freestyle) (1994)
19. Whose World Is This (DJ Hollywood Session) (1993)
    
20. Interview & Dogg Pound Freestyle (1994)
    

A-side (tracks 1-10) and B-Side (11-20) are more or less 40' each.

Credits :

1. Unknown source (1990).
2. Unreleased (1991).
3. Recently leaked. Unreleased (1991).
4. Johnny Blanco. Leftover from Kool G Rap's Live & Let Die (1992).
5. Large Professor. From Main Source, Breaking Atoms (1991).
6. From 89.9 FM (1991).
7. Jae Supreme. Unreleased (1992).
8. Large Professor remixed by Dr. Butcher. From Nas, Half Time (12'') (1992).
9. Large Professor. Early version of "It Ain't Hard To Tell". Unreleased (1992). 
10. Radio (1991).
11. Large Professor. Unreleased (1992).
12. MC Serch. From MC Serch, Back To The Grill (12'') & Return of The Product (1992).
13. DJ Premier. Unreleased (1993).
    
14. From Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito 10-28-93 (1993).
15. DJ Premier. Unreleased (1993).
16. Unknown source (1993).
17. Large Professor. Unreleased (1992).
18. From Sway & Tech, Best of Wake Up Show Free Styles, Vol. 1 (1994) 
19. Unknown source (1993).
20. Radio (1994).
    

Large Professor, Nas and Akinyele in '91

Parallel between Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones and Tupac Amaru Shakur...

Nas and 2Pac had their first official record the same year in 1991 as a featured artist for a group under the guidance of a mentor, old brother who will guide them forward in the beginning of their career : "Live at The Barbeque" with Large Professor's Main Source for Nas and "Same Song" with Shock G's Digital Underground for 2Pac. 

But whereas 2Pac straightly released his first album the same year at the age of 20. Nas will wait three years to release his first album, but as well at the age of 20. 

Both have parents who introduced them into intellectual and cultural world. But Nas' father is a jazz musician whereas 2Pac's mother and stepfather were political militants. Following wikipedia article about him, after having left school after his eight grade, Nas educated himself in African culture through the Five-Percent Nation (Afro-Muslim) and Nuwaubian Nation (Kemelism, ancient Egyptian mystic revival). So Nas' cultural imagery is more about African roots and mystic, whilst 2Pac's one is more about Communism, anit-colonialism and right to self-determination. What is somehow in accordance with their respective name : Nasir "helper and protector", Olu Dara "Lord is good" ; Tupac Amaru refering to the last Inca leader, to a well known indigenous rebellion leader in Peru, and to the Peruvian Communist guerilla group of the same name... Nevertheless, Tupac also incarnates an Afro king in the video of "Same Song". 

 Their background can depict well the main difference between their kind of lyricism. Whereas Nas tells stories full of images like an ancient African griot ; 2Pac's lyrics are more like political speeches with clear ideas and strong mottos. The Nas' poetry is more about rhetoric figures (metaphores, allegories...), Tupac's one about symbolism (to be entirely behind his words, to appropriate himself words and expressions).

Anyway, both of them depict themselves as rebel to America from their first lyrics (thinking to "Live at The Barbeque" and "Panther Power"). And both of them, despite their cultural background, their awareness side, they will tend to lose themselves into a gangster/mafioso persona, a commercial and nihilist shining side of themselves, which provided them money, women but attracted them in a gridlock... far from the social work goal they regularly attributed to themselves. 

Ill Will, Grands Wizard (Wiz) & Nas 

Friends & neighborhood

As we can see considering the Bobbito show of 93, from the early years, Nas promoted his friends around him like Wizard (Wiz from Bravehearts) and his young brother Jungle.

But even in his recent records, Nas dedicates songs to the memory of Ill Will. He told he was back in the days his upstairs neighbor, best friend, a DJ, and the one who introduced him in the Hip-Hop. He was killed in May 1992. 

Nas, aka the man who needs 10' to roll a blunt.

A good thing, otherwise maybe he wouldn't have this career... 

Nas and the king of the Queens Kool G Rap

fanmade tape made by gadc333

the picture is from Illmatic set in 94.