A Beat Tape Made In 2001 By Kanye West Resurfaces

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edited April 2015 in The Reason
The tape was uploaded to Youtube after being reportedly rediscovered in Jensen Karp‘s garage. Karp attests to the following:

“I was stumbling through my garage, searching through old storage bins, when I came across some old beat CDs from my days as a signed Interscope rapper. I was shocked to find that two of them, both given to me in ‘01, had the name Kanye West on them. These two CDs, which I believe are the oldest Kanye beats ever released.

I think this collection of early Kanye beats shows you where he came from, even if it doesn’t necessarily sound like ‘Kanye’ now. He kept at it and became the incredible producer he is today. I remember he even had to leave the studio sessions early, so he could make the last train back to his mom’s house. He’s come a long way, and I’m proud to have been around, even if for just a second at the start.”


The 70-minute tape is a brilliant reminder of West’s creative approach to hip-hop, and features plenty of classic samples that fans of other great producers’ work will recognize. (J Dilla heads take notice at 6:30). Pull your favorite backpack out of the closet and listen to the full tape below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjnk-ryCk-s

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