The Lost Tapes II
by Nas
  • Record Label: Def Jam
  • Release Date: Jul 19, 2019
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 74 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 74
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 74
  3. Negative: 11 out of 74
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  1. itsaboutdrive
    Dec 6, 2022
    0
    Simply bad. Nothing more, nothing less. Listened to this while working and it just encouraged my brain to go to sleep.
  2. todaywasagooday
    Dec 1, 2022
    0
    One of the worst albums Nas ever released. awful lyrics and awful beats. huge L
  3. bobbysolo
    Nov 29, 2022
    0
    one of the **** albums i've ever heard. retire Nas, your time is over. please
  4. belzebu
    Nov 20, 2022
    0
    boring af, worst NY rapper of the last 20 years, nothing compared to the real goat J-Z
  5. JSD1212
    Aug 18, 2021
    3
    Had 4 good song songs and alot of bad ones. Many of the tracks had lackluster beats that shouldve never been released with the worst being the jarreau of rap.
  6. BigApple4AM
    Aug 13, 2020
    10
    Nas is the highest tier hiphop has conceived poetically. Though this is not as anticipated as the original, it contains many songs that are classic and attests to Nas having the greatest body of unreleased work. best album of 2019
  7. dubsv
    Mar 8, 2020
    0
    nas is a great example of 1 of them rappers that made 1 album people loved n then traded creativity for cockiness i really dont see why people would like this
  8. Ryanmo55
    Nov 18, 2019
    10
    Man it’s an instant classic , i can listen to this album all day , nas in 2019 is still better than 90% of the mainstream artist
  9. ElPhoenix
    Aug 15, 2019
    10
    The bars are what you expect from one of the greats. His style doesn’t age.
  10. awb5401
    Jul 29, 2019
    8
    Best Nas project in years. A huge step up from last year's "Nasir". Some incredible production and amazing lyrics. There are a couple skips, but not many. I think the critical consensus is incorrect
  11. Kukateka
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    Not a cohesive album , but still gives you what you want to hear which is Nas rapping at his best. It’s a good tour through various stages of Nas.
  12. yung_ronald18
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    Que se jodan los que critican mal x una compilación, nas is the GOAT, este álbum es mil veces mejor que NASIR
  13. goldman480
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    Real Hip Hop..This is what Nas Fans have been waiting for..Amazing album..it's ridiculous how these so called professional critics are giving the album low ratings.
  14. Gods_Son23
    Jul 26, 2019
    8
    Fire rapping with good beats. There are only a couple of tracks that I probably won't be revisiting.

    Before I get into it, remember that NME gave Father of Asahd 4/5... That NME review is pathetic. No wonder they don't allow comments on their page. They call the production 'dated', tinny' and 'regressive' compared to the 'punk trap sound' of today. They want Nas over trap beats doing    Fire rapping with good beats. There are only a couple of tracks that I probably won't be revisiting.

    Before I get into it, remember that NME gave Father of Asahd 4/5...

    That NME review is pathetic. No wonder they don't allow comments on their page. They call the production 'dated', tinny' and 'regressive' compared to the 'punk trap sound' of today. They want Nas over trap beats doing what everyone else is doing? They complain about his flow not being natural here but want him over trap beats? Yet they also commend his flow on 'Jarreau of Rap'. So he sounds natural over that but not the other more standard beats? I'll say that 1-2 songs do sound a bit dated but it's a collection of old tracks. What did they expect? Illmatic doesn't sound like it came out in 2019, it still bumps. It doesn't have to sound like it came out yesterday to be good music. it's a stupid argument. You don't listen to old music? 'The tracks here just don’t sit as well together.' Again, it's a compilation of unreleased tracks. What did they expect? It's like complaining that a collection of MJ songs don't sit well together because everything from Off the Wall to Invincible is so different. While i don't think the songs sit together poorly at all, you shouldn't really expect something like this to flow from one track to the next as well as a carefully crafted album might.

    I've been listening to Nas ever since I got into hip hop and as mentioned at the beginning the rapping is great and he does sound natural over almost all of this. They also pick out two bad bars and make a big deal about it to try to justify their 2/5. They also have the wrong album art on their page. And call him misogynistic. Haha. Pathetic. Then there is the joke that is Pitchfork saying Nas sounds like he is trying to hard. I don't know what these people are hearing or what axe they are trying to grind with their BS critiques.    … Expand
  15. Rizzyatu
    Jul 25, 2019
    0
    Most of the critic review i have seen is just pathetic. I don't know whether to call it lazy reporting or bandwagon reporting. This album is fire from beats to flow everything is top notch. Best Nas album in a while.
  16. childofthe90s
    Jul 25, 2019
    10
    This album is incredible from top to bottom, it's Nas's best album ever to come out this year and it is way better than the album that Kanye West produced last year and also an amazing bounce back. Nas has delivered an immaculate project. definitely album of the year.
  17. Connorcox1997
    Jul 23, 2019
    10
    Who knew that a sequel would be better than the original. The Lost Tapes 2 is one of the best compilation albums I have heard all year long. All the songs are perfect from start to finish, and the Beats are on fire. This album is worth a listen.
  18. nicartsent
    Jul 23, 2019
    9
    Best work since Stillmatic. It's an album you gotta take your time to digest. Not for an impatient generation, it's one for those with "knowledge".
  19. Thefrontstoop
    Jul 22, 2019
    8
    Listen to this album with the proper context. This album is universally rated against its predecessor, the original Lost Tapes, although they process of creation was fundamentally different. The original Lost Tapes weren't "lost" at all. They were not songs that were cut from an album, in fact, just the opposite, they were album cuts intended for the original version of I AM. Due to thoseListen to this album with the proper context. This album is universally rated against its predecessor, the original Lost Tapes, although they process of creation was fundamentally different. The original Lost Tapes weren't "lost" at all. They were not songs that were cut from an album, in fact, just the opposite, they were album cuts intended for the original version of I AM. Due to those songs being bootlegged, Nas was forced change I AM from a double disc to a single disc and record a few new songs. Three years later Nas released those songs on the Lost Tapes. It is the reason the original Lost Tapes was such a well produced and cohesive piece of work.

    The Lost Tapes 2 is very different. It is actually made of songs that were cut from previous albums such as Hip Hop is Dead, Untitled, Life Is Good and from about a year and a half ago. LT 2 is in essence a true version of the concept of Lost Tapes. You can hear songs with concepts that may not have come to fruition but came to fruition on the song that did make the album.

    Some songs may not sound fully mixed. One song to another may sound sonically different because they were recorded for different albums and at different points in Nas' career. This is point of the album. There are a songs such as Royalty where you can see why it was left off an album. Others such as Tanasia, War Against Love, Highly Favored and Queens Wolf you wonder why they never made an album. Some such as Vernon Family, Who Are You, and Beautiful Life you can here concepts that may have been better delivered on album cuts. Songs like No Bad Energy, Adult Film, QueensBridge Politics seem like songs recorded for a new album that did not come together. Basically, Nas' cutting room floor songs can make an album better than most MC's can make a regular album. It's both intriguing and fun to listen to and discuss the anatomy of certain songs. Why they missed the cut, the era, etc. Nas brings it lyrically, storytelling and over mostly dope beats with a few duds.

    I rank the album 8 out of 10    … Expand
  20. queensbridge92
    Jul 22, 2019
    9
    This new Album The Lost Tapes 2
    Way better than Nasir But little worse than Life is good
  21. Kiss0fdeath
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    Lost Tapes II is a surprisingly cohesive compilation for music that spans more than a decade across several iterations of Nas’ work. The tone is quickly set by “No Bad Energy” The Swizz Beatz and Arrab Music assisted intro that fits nicely into Nas’ legendary streak of classic album openers. “Vernon Family” quickens the pace on a Pharrell Williams produced track that finds Nas repping hisLost Tapes II is a surprisingly cohesive compilation for music that spans more than a decade across several iterations of Nas’ work. The tone is quickly set by “No Bad Energy” The Swizz Beatz and Arrab Music assisted intro that fits nicely into Nas’ legendary streak of classic album openers. “Vernon Family” quickens the pace on a Pharrell Williams produced track that finds Nas repping his beloved Queensbridge neighborhood. “Jarreau of Rap” is reminiscent of “Jungle” and other jazzy collaborations Nas has done with his father Olu Dara over the years. Although this one is more experimental with Nas displaying a masterful flow over an Al Jarreau sample. “Lost Freestyle” lives up to its name with Nas freestyling off the top of the dome over the second half of this inspired Static Selektah beat. “Tanasia” is a RZA produced masterpiece that is already in heavy rotation among New York City drivers with booming stereo systems. It features sharp Nas lyrics inspired by a girl Nas knew in Queensbridge back in the day. It’s enough to make you salivate about the prospect of God knows how many other tracks that might exist from the RZA produced album Nas has been inexplicably sitting on. “Royalty” features Nas in gem dropping mode imparting wisdom over a Hit-Boy produced track with a hook that takes some getting used to. “Who Are You” is a smooth Eric Hudson track with a savage takedown of Black Civil Rights leaders who criticized Nas for his Untitled album. It begs the question why it wasn’t included on that masterwork. “Adult Film” features Nas in relationship mode addressing complex issues as only he can over another nifty Swizz Beatz produced track. “War Against Love” is one of the album’s standouts produced by DJ Kalil and DJ Dahi providing smooth beat Nas expertly deconstructs to espouse the virtues of empowerment in the Black community. “The Art Of It” is Nas at his best, decimating a Pete Rock track with blinding lyrical precision. “Highly Favored” is another overwhelming sonic wonder produced by RZA complimented perfectly by Nas’ cadence. “Queens Wolf” is a lustrous DJ Toomp beat that features Nas in concept mode while displaying his considerable storytelling acumen. Alchemist, one of Nas’ most effective collaborators, assists on “It Never Ends” which finds him using classic Biggie lyrics to frame his braggadocio flow. “You Mean The World To Me” is a melancholic soul sample featuring Nas telling a heartfelt story about a lost love. Pete Rock brings more heat on “Queensbridge Politics” which Nas uses to pay homage to Prodigy and the history of his legendary neighborhood. No ID produced the standout “Beautiful Life” the album’s defining track in which Nas goes in depth about his personal struggles with life, love, and family. Overall, Lost Tapes II is simply an amazing effort that must be placed alongside Nas’ other seminal works.… Collapse
  22. Jjames
    Jul 20, 2019
    9
    Truly a return to glory. After the underwhelming album Nasir, Nas delivered a body of work that will make true fans of hip hop ecstatic. From War Against Love to Lost Freestyle, impeccable flow combined with worthy productions makes for a sure fire and sonically pleasing album. Not a classic, but definitely 4-4.5. mics worthy.
  23. Tanasia
    Jul 20, 2019
    9
    Great project. I could deal without jarreau of rap but it was still a great album.
  24. Drosenbergg
    Jul 20, 2019
    9
    Once again, Nas delivers knowledge, introspection and maturity throughout his bars, in an album that perfectly fits the social issues that are happening today, taking a trip down memory lane in his own life as well.
  25. kalebgirmay
    Jul 20, 2019
    10
    I can easily say that this is a bounce back from the somewhat mediocre "Nasir", Nas picked some Great tracks where he is in his element
  26. SITBR1995
    Jul 20, 2019
    8
    Nas’s album is easily one of the best rap albums of the year. Tanasia, Queensbridge Politics, You Mean the World to Me, Vernon Family, Lost Freestyle, Beautiful Life, and Jarreau of Rap are particularly good. It’s not perfect and can be dated, but the production is mostly good, Nas’s lyrical displays are mostly impressive, and it’s a better project than Nasir. This is a solid B.

Awards & Rankings

54
#54 Most Discussed Album of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. RapReviews.com
    Jul 29, 2019
    60
    He can clearly still spit elite bars, at more or less the same rate he could over twenty years ago. “The Lost Tapes 2” may be marketed as a sequel, but it’s a selection of largely forgettable album cuts that didn’t make Nas’ last few albums.
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  2. AllMusic
    Jul 29, 2019
    50
    A secondary release in execution and intent, this is recommendable only to serious fans with a justifiably insatiable curiosity for what the artist creates.
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  3. Pitchfork
    Jul 24, 2019
    51
    For much of the record, Nas sounds like he’s trying too hard.
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