Released with little promotion, "The Lost Tapes" debuted at number 10 on the "Billboard" 200, selling over 70,000 copies in its first week. It received widespread acclaim from critics, some of whom viewed it as Nas' best record since his 1994 debut album "Illmatic". A second volume of previously unreleased songs was planned before Nas had signed with Def Jam Recordings in 2006, but the project was delayed because of issues with his record label; "The Lost Tapes 2" was eventually released on July 19, 2019.