Re-imagining of Nas "I Am"

[itzmurda]

@itzmurda LES did Blaze a 50 though, didn't he?

Smh...I have no clue why I keep getting the titles for those two songs mixed up in my head (other than they are back to back on the promo)....

I meant "Wanna Play Rough"....thanks for the correction.

[madstadik]

Yea wanna play rough is Grease

[lescratch]

@madstadik No worries! That would be most appreciated. Thank you!
I'm gonna have a look in storage this weekend for the physical bootleg. Fingers crossed

[madstadik]

@madstadik No worries! That would be most appreciated. Thank you!
I'm gonna have a look in storage this weekend for the physical bootleg. Fingers crossed

Thanks for checking. I had a buddy that had it when it dropped but he sucks at saving stuff. Its probably long gone

[madstadik]

@madstadik No worries! That would be most appreciated. Thank you!
I'm gonna have a look in storage this weekend for the physical bootleg. Fingers crossed

Here is the Nastradamus Bonus Disc AKA Hustler's and Killers ripped as Wav files... I also included the instrumental. If anyone has QB's finest and can rip Find Ya Wealth and Dame Grease live on Lennox and rip Wanna Play rough in WAV I'd appreciate the hook up

https://www.sendspace.com/file/dsns39

[Stieflkater]

The I AM boot is out in V0.

[madstadik]

U have a link? I posted a link to the V0 and it was the canadian version. It only has afterlife interlude, amongst kings. Nature Shines... Im looking for the 13 track bootleg with mostly non album tracks

[madstadik]

Someone posted this on the coli awhile back. Missing the second page tho.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkoou ... 1_1280.jpg

[madstadik]

Gcp just released the bootleg as stated above this is the 13 track bootleg!!!

http://k2s.cc/file/540d1278e88f8

[lescratch]

@Stieflkater & @Madstadik Amazing find guys! It's def the one. I remember the digital distortion on some songs. Plus it did have Nas Is Like on it as the final song. Also the version of Small World on here didn't yet have the Timbaland ad-libs.

@madstadik Thank you for Hustlers & Killers!!! Would Flac rips of Wanna Play Rough & Find Your Wealth suffice?

[madstadik]

Sure! No rush

[madstadik]

How convenient all these joints got re-ripped by the scene

[itzmurda]

@cairokid thanks for uploading Cairokid! Hopefully we can obtain a slightly better sounding version out of the vinyl for Hustlers & Killers or one of the alternate Nastradamus CD's or cd-singles. And Gangsta Tears from the CD of Exit Wounds OST.

Here is Gangsta Tears in flac lossless: https://www.sendspace.com/file/bj37q6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[lescratch]

Earlier today I discovered some really decent sounding versions of: (although 192 kbps sadly) I've requested DJ Rhude who uploaded these from CD if he could reupload 320kbps / Wav rips. Fingers crossed. http://www15.zippyshare.com/v/QjSHV4uN/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

*Never Gonna Give It Up
*Seeds Of Heaven
*Tales From The Hood
*The Rise & Fall
*Worst Enemy
*You Don’t Know
*Your Mouth Got You In It

[lescratch]

Also some of the vinyl that I ordered came in. Luckily it were the three white-labels I remember from back then.
Not sure how to add pics in this message so I've included them in a .zip

If anyone feels like improving the sound quality, would be most appreciated. Anyhow, here's the unedited 24bit audio.
http://www111.zippyshare.com/v/amo2KLeR/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www79.zippyshare.com/v/8NPdWddo/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www33.zippyshare.com/v/ucdaDNPc/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www101.zippyshare.com/v/jaIwWAVI/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www9.zippyshare.com/v/cn9ye0TT/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www10.zippyshare.com/v/tEXyBJFx/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www22.zippyshare.com/v/qizjLAae/file.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[lescratch]

@madstadik Apologies! I just saw that only Find Your Wealth is in FLAC, Wanna Play Rough is in 320 kbps.

http://www.1994hiphop.com/2014/09/nas-a ... -320-kbps/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.1994hiphop.com/2015/07/dame- ... ore-105097" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[madstadik]

All good

[djfilthyrich]

@madstadik - thanks for finding the GCP rip. It's good to finally have this and hear (and see) what it was like. It's too bad they didn't include a picture of the front cover. It might've been cool to use a good scan of it for our re-tooling of 'I Am'. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can tell, every track on here has since been released in better quality which is good. Except for 'Small World'....I think this is maybe the best quality I've heard so far? Can anybody point out any other differences?

Thanks for reposting that album review scan from The Source. It's too bad they didn't post the reverse side...the first page was just a long introduction. I tried spending some time last night searching for the full review, but no luck. Maybe somebody else around here might have it and can scan or take a pic of the full review with their phone?

I also find it interesting that the scene is releasing both the Canadian Advance and the Street Bootleg versions of 'I Am' just as we're putting this together and asking for them haha. Maybe we have some scene guys reading here who like what we're trying to do. PSSSSST hey scene guys...if you have a good version of 'My Worst Enemy' please release it haha. Or a FLAC rip of this would be much appreciated:
https://www.discogs.com/Nas-Death-Of-Es ... se/3175599" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

EDIT: just as I was asking for a better quality version of 'My Worst Enemy', Lescratch found it! amazing

[lescratch]

@djfilthyrich Do you perhaps know the issue number of the source it was in? I know i have it in storage but it would save me a lot of time if i know the number.

[lescratch]

@djfilthyrich Small world is on the retail with Timbaland replacing the guide ad-lib vox

[djfilthyrich]

@Lescratch - I don't know the issue number either. All we know is that it was in a 1999 issue so that narrows it down a bit (not sure if you stored your mags in order or not)....and that it's on page #195

You're right about the 'Small World' joint. Not sure why I thought that one wasn't released in good quality. Although now that I'm listening to the CD version of 'Small World', it was mastered pretty poorly. I almost prefer the street bootleg version with the more pronounced vocals, if it weren't for the hiss and the sharp EQ in the higher frequencies

[cairokid]

I have a scan of the "I Am" Source review. Let me search my old emails I should have it there or an laptop. Might be a a few before I can get to it. Someone, I can't recall who, was.nice enough to provide me with it when I was looking up the DOE stuff.

[cairokid]

Amazing find on the bootleg postings! Thanks so much for posting those!

If anyone comes across the Nastradamus bootleg that was circulating I'd love see that. I just recall people posting and selling those online in '99 with many of the I Am leaks and the covers being that picture of bad looking through the telescope/spy glass.

Ive also seen people refer to some "Nas2000" tape/album that had aot of these leaks. I haven't spent much time trying to track that down however.

[madstadik]

Nas 2000 was a mix cd hosted by the dream team

[cairokid]

Here is the scan (2 pages) of The Source's review of "I Am...". This is from April of'99 with C-Murder on the cover (i think). It was Rapzines (http://www.rapzines.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) who was nice of enough to provide me with it a couple of years ago. Nothing Earth shattering in the review if you ask me. No mention of any of the leaked/bootlegged tracks, i.e. Fetus, Project Windows, Poppa Was A Player, etc. No mention of it being a double CD. "I Wanna Talk To You" is listed as "C.I.A", which it was listed as elsewhere if I recall.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/7p46qp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[cairokid]

Nas 2000 was a mix cd hosted by the dream team

Thanks. I just recall someone mentioning that on another forum, in reference to the "I Am" leaks when the topic was brought up. I didn't/don't know much about the tape myself.

[madstadik]

Yea ive never seen it, nor a tracklisting. Id assume there are drops and dj yelling over the tracks

[madstadik]

In regards to the album review. Thanks for sharing nice to finally read it but i was disappointed. No references to any cut/bootleg tracks

[madstadik]

@madstadik - thanks for finding the GCP rip. It's good to finally have this and hear (and see) what it was like. It's too bad they didn't include a picture of the front cover. It might've been cool to use a good scan of it for our re-tooling of 'I Am'. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can tell, every track on here has since been released in better quality which is good. Except for 'Small World'....I think this is maybe the best quality I've heard so far? Can anybody point out any other differences

Are you saying the GCP rip is the best quality rip of these tracks youve heard so far? I was re-listening to the APC 160kbps rip from 1998 and it isnt that bad either

[madstadik]

Damn i listened to the GCP rip with good headphones. Sounds like that bootleg cd was sourced from a hissy tape. I dont recall the APC rip being hissy like that