Here Are What Kanye West’s Beats Sounded Like Before He Made It Big

Old school Yeezy.

Before Kanye West became one of the top rappers in music, he was one of the top producers in music. And before Kanye became one of music’s top producers, he was peddling beat CDs, trying to make his mark.

On Sunday, writer, musician and gallery-owner Jensen Karp posted a very rare Yeezy beat tape from 2001. The tunes were then picked up byTheStashed.com, and now we’re bringing them to you.

The tape features the original beat versions of State Property’s “Got Nowhere,” Geda K.’s “Respect Carter,” plus more unreleased gems.

Here’s what Karp had to say about the tape:

“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.”