Vinyl Frontier Records

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''The Lost Tapes'' is a compilation album by rapper Nas. Released shortly following his fifth studio album, ''Stillmatic'', the album was a compilation of Nas' previously unreleased tracks, some from the bootlegged second disc of the original double album version of ''I Am...''. The other tracks were underground singles, tracks recorded during the ''Stillmatic'' sessions.

Several of the tracks touch on many personal issues as ''I Am...'' was supposed to be an autobiography. Examples include "Poppa Was a Playa" a song which was ghost-produced by a young Kanye West for then-mentor Deric Angelettie. It's a record where Nas recounts childhood memories of his father Olu Dara's self-indulgent lifestyle. Another personal track is "Fetus" where Nas recounts his experience while inside his mother's womb before birth. Other notable songs include the social commentaries "Purple", "Black Zombie" and "Drunk By Myself"---a song that ventures into the tragic mind of an alcoholic. ''The Lost Tapes'', along with ''Stillmatic'', and to a lesser extent, ''God's Son'', revived the underground credibility that Nas seemed to have lost over the years while breaking into the mainstream. Gaining notable critical acclaim upon its release, the album is said to have some of his most artistically developed work ever.

''The Lost Tapes'' is highly acclaimed and considered better than most 'lost recordings' compilations. According to Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews.com: - Wikipedia