A compilation of unreleased material is usually meant for the most diehard fans; those for whom the hit singles and studio albums simply won’t cut it. But The Lost Tapes rises so far above that threshold, it throws the entire concept into question. This is a collection of throwaways in name only; to the listener’s ear, it’s an album as brilliant as anything in Nas’s catalog.

Comprised of songs from the I Am… and Stillmatic sessions, The Lost Tapes manages to tie these songs together in a package that solidifies Nas’s amazing reversal of fortunes. Just a year prior, Jay-Z’s “Takeover” threatened to be a death knell that would send Nas into relative obscurity. Instead, The Lost Tapes acts as a victory lap, showing fans that even his cutting-room-floor material surpasses much of what other rappers produce (songs as delightful as “Doo Rags” and “Nothing Lasts Forever” being holdovers is truly remarkable). Finally having studio-quality versions of coveted I Am… leaks like “Blaze a 50,” “Fetus,” and “Poppa Was A Playa” (the latter of which was produced by a then relatively unknown Kanye West) makes this an unquestionable treasure trove for Nas Stans.

Popular music is riddled with examples of long-awaited albums that never came to fruition (Prince’s Dream Factory, Dr. Dre’s Detox, etc.), and I Am… The Autobiography occupies a space on that list. But without that album being scrapped and reworked, we may not have gotten The Lost Tapes. Is it a fair trade? We’ll never know. But if it’s a consolation prize, it’s a damn good one.