The Firm album - How It Should've Been

[Comedy Quaddafi]

Nas and Nature did a lot of dope songs with Noreaga in 1997 and the following years after Capone went to jail. I'm almost tempted to make my own version of NORE too/instead.

[Stieflkater]

I wonder what they have sitting in the vaults. NP

[Gyangsta 4 Life]

Ayo, I spliced together the Nas and Canibus versions of "Desperados" if anyone wants it. Someone get a higher quality Nas rip so we can really make this happen.

Nas, Canibus, AZ, Nature - Desperado.mp3 - http://www69.zippyshare.com/v/p6YY99vn/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Stieflkater]

Desperados II of DJ Clue Platinum Plus feat. Nas, Fox, Canibus, Nature and AZ. (two sources 192, 128) and the Nas, Fox and Nature one of a J-Love tape. (tags)

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https://www.sendspace.com/file/4mhs3o

la famiglia version 2 of the fox vls in great qual (no heavy uncleaned vinyl noise like on the one angelo posted into stepblog - check +35 etc. secs - props to him for ripping though) and https://www.discogs.com/de/Nas-Foxy-Bro ... se/1669008" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; goes 3:37 classic break...not sure if same - check/ edit: that free is on the firm biz cdm in great qual...lol

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https://www.sendspace.com/file/anj2d6

[step one]

^^ that freestyle is the one I was talking about. Think I posted it on the blog years ago off the CD single but I've got that 12" aswell

[step one]

here's the freestyle from the CD single. Still has the Clue shouts on it so I assume it was done especially for this https://www.discogs.com/Firm6-Versus-DJ ... se/1616038" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Cant remember if he's on the bootleg vinyl or not.

http://www25.zippyshare.com/v/1LrdbtUt/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(original blog post : http://djstepone.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06 ... reats.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )

[Stieflkater]

I already posted the boot - weaker qual rip - NO CLUE...you could rip yours if you want to...

[madstadik]

This post is great

[BrandanEvans]

cant wait for the final product!! i will b jamming it everyday!!

the next album we can tackle is that Boot Camp Clik album or Children Of The Corn? or a proper QB finest album?

[lescratch]

Same here!

SOSA that ended up on Pieces of a Man would suit. The version from the Hey AZ 12" has the scarface sample in the intro as the sampler cassette did.

I recently did Murda Muzik according to the original tracklisting. https://we.tl/T1pBnpct9w" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; The one song I couldn't retrieve properly was F*ck That B*tch. Would be great if someone has a better version of it.

Would love to help out doing a proper I Am ever since I lost the bootleg. Cheers, Angelo

[stype_ones]

I have the Hey AZ 12" ripped if anyone needs that Sosa, although I'd bet it is in 192. Have to check.

Also, I am def down to do a proper I AM. If I Am would have come out the way it was supposed to, Jay wouldn't have been feeling himself as much as he did. He was coming off selling 5M and Nas dropped 2 wack albums in a row? Jay was looking to end Nas right there lol But the streets knew.. I had that I Am bootlegg copped off the Ave. That shit had joints!

[step one]

Didn't a lot of the original I Am end up on the Lost Tapes?

[Stieflkater]

NP DJ Filthy Rich - step should rip it...don't know if the boot pressing is crap in general...if not he ll for sure get a better result than what the other person did.

Brandan how do you wanna do COC? https://www.discogs.com/de/Children-Of- ... se/1614313" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; that is all there is and maybe 2 or 3 other tracks. Somebody needs to get at Digga. The Blind Fury shit also never came out, but was semi announced.

[night_shade]

Ayo, I spliced together the Nas and Canibus versions of "Desperados" if anyone wants it. Someone get a higher quality Nas rip so we can really make this happen.

Nas, Canibus, AZ, Nature - Desperado.mp3 - http://www69.zippyshare.com/v/p6YY99vn/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the splice!

[BrandanEvans]

i do not think Nas dropped 2 wack albums in a row, i Am was dope & Nastradamus was pretty good to me
now people do need to remember that the OG version of I Am would put Nas in a different light but he deserves credit for recording new bangers for that album after it got bootlegged!
i would love to own the OG version of Nas I Am, we can do that!!

@stiefkater, u maybe right..wasnt that many tracks out there to begin wit and most of it is already out.

we def need to tackle that Nas I Am & Boot camp Clik album

[djfilthyrich]

SOSA that ended up on Pieces of a Man would suit. The version from the Hey AZ 12" has the scarface sample in the intro as the sampler cassette did.

I recently did Murda Muzik according to the original tracklisting. https://we.tl/T1pBnpct9w" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; The one song I couldn't retrieve properly was F*ck That B*tch. Would be great if someone has a better version of it.

Would love to help out doing a proper I Am ever since I lost the bootleg. Cheers, Angelo

Angelo ripped La Familia [Version 2] and AZ - Sosa (version with Scarface intro) from vinyl & sent me the WAV files & I cleaned out most of the clicks/crackles.
If anybody owns the original CD to Pieces Of A Man, please rip and send me the WAV file, and I can splice in the Scarface intro from Angelo's version

here's the download link for lescratch's La Familia and Sosa:
http://www21.zippyshare.com/v/VbgZBsXK/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Didn't a lot of the original I Am end up on the Lost Tapes?

Some ended up on Lost Tapes, some stayed on I Am, and a few landed on the Nastradamus album.

[step one]

here's the bootleg vinyl rip of the Hip Hop Drunkies freestyle. No DJ Clue on this one. Its called 'Firm Members' on the label

http://www79.zippyshare.com/v/vA50GiQ0/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[step one]

also, here's a remix of Firm Biz that I got a few years back when it was posted on or one of the associated blogs. Think its just some unknown producer/soundcloud type thing but could be wrong.

Firm Biz (Howling Mad remix)
http://www54.zippyshare.com/v/5yYoiF7W/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Stieflkater]

THX step, yours is better...

[lescratch]

Here's SOSA via iTunes.
http://www102.zippyshare.com/v/aaa1SVAt/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you're really big on not having it sound like it came from vinyl perhaps a better idea is to add the scarface dialogue on the cd version.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-X8rv4m ... plit_ways/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the Claaa7 link, I'll have a listen. The tracklisting, whilst im sure is great, is not what was supposed to be the og album.

[djfilthyrich]

Here's SOSA via iTunes.
http://www102.zippyshare.com/v/aaa1SVAt/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you're really big on not having it sound like it came from vinyl perhaps a better idea is to add the scarface dialogue on the cd version.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-X8rv4m ... plit_ways/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the Claaa7 link, I'll have a listen. The tracklisting, whilst im sure is great, is not what was supposed to be the og album.

Thanks for the iTunes rip lescratch...I already have 'Sosa' ripped as a 320 mp3 from a CD source (not mine). In order for me to splice the intro from your vinyl version (or add the Scarface dialogue from the movie), I'd have to re-encode/re-compress the track back to a lossy format (mp3), which would degrade the sound quality. If I can get the original WAV file (or any other lossless format like FLAC) from the CD, then encoding to an mp3 is not a problem

[TheBigSleep]

AZ Pieces of a Man CD FLAC rip of Sosa:

http://www92.zippyshare.com/v/XP4KKeJU/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[djfilthyrich]

AZ Pieces of a Man CD FLAC rip of Sosa:

http://www92.zippyshare.com/v/XP4KKeJU/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks BigSleep. I took your FLAC version and combined it with the vinyl version intro

AZ - Sosa (with Scarface intro) [CDQ]
http://www57.zippyshare.com/v/36dbi0Sk/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BrandanEvans]

cant wait for the finished product to drop so i rock it in my whip!!

we still on for Nas I AM?

[lescratch]

Thanks Rich!

Yes please Brandan!

[Stieflkater]

https://www.discogs.com/de/DJ-Zooted-Zo ... ter/448724" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mill on the Liks (firm members) beat.

[itzmurda]

Great thread. The Firm freestyle came from the album promo sampler:

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/3aoAAOSw- ... -l1600.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

1.Firm Freestyle
2.Executive Decision
3.Desperados
4.hardcore
5.Firm Biz

[cairokid]

Great thread ,thanks to everyone posting tracks and working on this.

I just wanted to throw a few cents in on the "I Am..." topic, but don't want to hijack the topic. There was/is another forum I used to frequent often that had someone undertake a similar effort. What they ultimately were trying to put together was as close as possible a representation of what the original "I Am..." album would have been (2 disc version). They produced what I think is the most researched and thought out explanations for what they chose to include on their version, which they admit isn't perfect. Long story short, they searched the Internet for old articles, interviews etc. Also of great use were liner notes for "I Am...", "Nastradamus", and "The Lost Tapes". This didn't dawn on me until reading the explanations on the liner notes, but quite a bit of information can be gathered from them when you look at where songs were recorded and who worked on them (engineers, etc).

All of the songs are out there that ended upon that particular compilation, it wasn't like he found some super secret "I Am..." era songs. Whoever ends up working on the Philaflava version, I can share some of this with you if you'd like for your reference. I would think many of the actual people (engineers, etc) who worked on "I Am..." may be available on social media nowadays and might be able to share even more insights into what went on with the various leaks and what was/wasn't recorded.

If anyone is interested, I worked with Claaa on a "Death of Escobar" project, after doing some research of my own. You can find that here: http://claaa7.blogspot.com/2014/05/nas- ... death.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Stieflkater]

Desperados Nas Version

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https://www.sendspace.com/file/yagsn4

[itzmurda]

Great thread ,thanks to everyone posting tracks and working on this.

I just wanted to throw a few cents in on the "I Am..." topic, but don't want to hijack the topic. There was/is another forum I used to frequent often that had someone undertake a similar effort. What they ultimately were trying to put together was as close as possible a representation of what the original "I Am..." album would have been (2 disc version). They produced what I think is the most researched and thought out explanations for what they chose to include on their version, which they admit isn't perfect. Long story short, they searched the Internet for old articles, interviews etc. Also of great use were liner notes for "I Am...", "Nastradamus", and "The Lost Tapes". This didn't dawn on me until reading the explanations on the liner notes, but quite a bit of information can be gathered from them when you look at where songs were recorded and who worked on them (engineers, etc).

All of the songs are out there that ended upon that particular compilation, it wasn't like he found some super secret "I Am..." era songs. Whoever ends up working on the Philaflava version, I can share some of this with you if you'd like for your reference. I would think many of the actual people (engineers, etc) who worked on "I Am..." may be available on social media nowadays and might be able to share even more insights into what went on with the various leaks and what was/wasn't recorded.

Can you link the thread or post up the track list?