Unreleased Nas Song “I’m a Villain” Surfaces

March 25th, 2014

Nina Corcoran

In just a few weeks, Queens rapper Nas‘ monumental debut album, Illmatic, will turn 20. To celebrate, a special double reissue titled Illmatic XX will be released and Nas will tour in support of the record. One of the discs features rare remixes, unreleased demos, and freestyles, one of which surfaced today.

The song, titled “I’m a Villain,” was recorded somewhere between 1991 and 1994, produced by Large Professor, and is reportedly an early version of “N.Y. State of Mind.” In classic Nas style, the song showcased Nas’ lyrical frenzy over a beat that doesn’t mess around. The vocals are, of course, that of a young Nas, making it a delight to hear. The track went up on Pigeons and Planes earlier, but it has now been removed due to a DMCA complaint.

Additional anniversary plans include a world tour and a behind-the-scenes documentary titled Time Is Illmatic that will debut at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Check out the Illmatic XX tracklist below:

Disc 1: Remastered original album
01 The Genesis
02 N.Y. State Of Mind
03 Life’s A Bitch
04 The World Is Yours
05 Halftime
06 Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park)
07 One Love
08 One Time 4 Your Mind
09 Represent
10 It Ain’t Hard To Tell

Disc 2: Demos, Remixes & Live Radio
01 I’m A Villain (previously unreleased)
02 The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR October 28, 1993 (previously unreleased freestyle)
03 Halftime (Butcher Remix)
04 It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Remix) (promo single)
05 One Love (LG Main Mix)
06 Life’s A Bitch (Arsenal Mix) (promo single)
07 One Love (One L Main Mix)
08 The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)
09 It Ain’t Hard To Tell (The Stink Mix) (UK single)
10 It Ain’t Hard To Tell (The Laidback Remix) (UK single)