Nas
planned to release
The Lost Tapes II
in 2003, a year following the first volume of circulated outtakes and leaked tracks dating back to the latter part of the previous decade.
Columbia
,
' label at the time, wasn't accommodating. The project seemed even less likely as the rapper forged ahead with two discs of new material,
Street's Disciple
, and moved to
Def Jam
. Issued in 2019,
functions instead as an excavation of the
era, which has yielded the number one albums
Hip Hop Is Dead
, and
Life Is Good
, and the Top Ten entry
Nasir
. That's a period of 13 years, so this sequel is expectedly far more scattered than the comparatively narrow-scoped first volume. Production-wise, it's a buffet, with only three of the mostly prominent, dozen-plus beatmakers credited on two tracks. A few of the cuts push the MC into deep and inspired concentration.
RZA
characteristically mutates a reggae version of a
Stax
-related composition to eerie effect on "Highly Favored," fostering
' imaginative likening of himself to a legendary pianist who can "still hit the right keys" in a sandstorm while injured and without vision. A wriggling feel-good backdrop from
DJ Dahi
and
DJ Khalil
ideally supports "War Against Love," where
is in top resist-and-uplift mode. The
Kanye West
-produced "You Mean the World to Me," originating from the
sessions, is a kind of cautionary relationship narrative with a hypnotic
Leroy Hutson
loop, and eclipses most of the
West
-produced
. There are some fascinating diversions. Boldest and busiest of all is "Jarreau of Rap (Skatt Attack),"
' valiant attempt at matching the vocal calisthenics of the featured (sampled)
Al Jarreau
. ~ Andy Kellman