The Essential Nas, released in August 2013, followed the rather flawed Greatest Hits (November 2007) and slightly less problematic Playlist: The Very Best of Nas (January 2013) as the third U.S. Nas anthology. A 30-track, two-disc set, The Essential Nas goes significantly deeper and lacks one major cut: It Was Written highlight "If I Ruled the World." The other 13 songs included on Playlist are here, along with deeper cuts from all but one of Nas' albums. (2008's Nas is shut out.) 1994's Illmatic, represented with four selections, is essential for anyone with the slightest amount of interest, and this complements that classic rather well since there are no other five-star releases in Nas' catalog. Columbia/Legacy would have been smart to include Main Source's "Live at the Barbeque" and MC Serch's "Back to the Grill," '91/'92 posse cuts on which a then-teenaged Nas is featured; perhaps licensing obstacles prevented their presence. Ego Trip's Gabe Alvarez contributes an excellent essay filled with knowledge, context, and insightful analysis about this brilliant and occasionally baffling MC. ~ Andy Kellman
- Format: Vinyl
- Genre: Hip-Hop, Rap
- Remember, for our lowest prices, always order directly from our official JocoRecords website!
Track Listing:
A1 Halftime
A2 The Message
A3 Nas Is Like
A4 Get Down
A5 I Gave You Power
B1 Bridging The Gap
B2 Nastradamus
B3 Street Dreams
B4 One Love
C1 Thief's Theme
C2 Hate Me Now
C3 Oochie Wally
C4 Got Ur Self A...
C5 No Idea's Original
D1 The World Is Yours
D2 You Owe Me
D3 Just a Moment
D4 Made You Look
D5 It Ain't Hard To Tell
