After the Source Awards thread, figured more 90s rap history threads would be appreciated. Today we looking at big what ifs on the West side....This man Dre might just have the best vault in rap history. Ima be looking at 3 projects, in specific, that were scrapped and/or never released during the 1990s/early 00s. So follow me, follow me, follow me, follow me but don't lose your grip (snoop voice)

1992-1993
1)Eazy E-Temporary Insanity
Eazy E was the face of NWA, the most popular member at the groups beginnings. It had been 4 years since his classic debut "Eazy Duz It" and Eazy felt it was time to drop his most ambitious project yet. A 30 track double album, produced entirely by Dr. Dre. The president of Priority Records, Bryant Turner, described the album at the time as "The War and Peace"(Motown) of rap. There are so many aspects to it, from pop like songs to take to the radio, to street cuts for the rap set."The album was done, and the promotion for the album was well underway. When NWA went to the Arsenio Hall show and performed "100 Miles And Running", Eazy wore a Jason Voorhees mask and did not talk during the interview portion. When he was introduced during the show, Ren said "this is the crazy man Eazy E" and Dre followed it up by saying "he's temporarily insane". The promo was well under way.

^^ 40 second mark.
Unfortunately for us, shortly after their classic 1991 album "Niggaz4Life" was completed, the group broke up due to contract issues and lack of trust between the group members towards Eazy and manager Jerry Heller. Not only did they break up, Dre and Eazy started beefing, with Dre sending multiple shots at Eazy on his 1992 classic, The Chronic. All of this led to Eazy getting so angry at Dre that he scrapped the entire project and instead released "Its On(Dr. Dre) 187um Killa”, which was an 8 track project almost entirely aimed at Dre, featuring the classic "RMGs" and cult classics "Gimme That Nutt" and "Its On". Still, its hard not to imagine what could've been. 30 tracks by Eazy, all produced by Dre? Pop tracks and street tracks? Sign me up. One of the features was Guns N Roses, too lol Eazy wanted to take over.

1994
2)Dr. Dre and Ice Cube-Helter Skelter
Now this album was palpably close to actually coming out. They teased the album on Snoops "Doggystyle" album and were even selling T-Shirts to hype the album up.

These two got together to make this project and they began hyping it up with not only shirts and ads, they put out this classic track on the Murder Was The Case short film soundtrack

Here's an interview with Dre and Cube in 1994 hyping up the album

For whatever reason, this album never came out. Dre left Death Row in 96 to focus on Aftermath, while Cube got deeper into his career as an actor. In an interview you can find online, Cube blames Eminems explosion for why Dre couldn't focus on the album, but that makes little sense since Eminem wasn't around during the Death Row/1994 days. The D.O.C, great West Coast rapper and friend of Dre; also creator of the Death Row label name, got mad at Dre for not paying him for ghostwriting for him during his time at Death Row. So he left Death Row and released his own Helter Skelter album in 1996, keeping the name to spite Dre. He even took a lot of the lyrics he had wrote for Dre and that album. Though the album was largely ignored, its about as close as we'll get to ever actually having the project.

1998-2000
3)N.W.A-Not These Niggaz Again
The reunion album hip hop deserved but never got. First Eazy wanted to make this project in 1994, but after his death the members of the group felt that opportunity had slipped through their fingers. They had recorded some music together but it wasn't until late in 1999 that Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Xzibit, Warren G and Nate Dogg would take part in a massive tour, called the "Up In Smoke Tour". By the beginning of the tour, Ice Cube was on board. Ren soon joined in and talks of a new look NWA project were underway. Snoop would take Eazy's place in the group, while Eminem, Nate Dogg and the rest of the Aftermath crew would also help out. They began recording while they were on tour, in a mobile tour bus studio. Despite the hunger and passion they had for the project, road blocks started appearing quickly. There were so many different labels involved between all the artists, that just getting the official N.W.A name back and able to be used for profit was difficult. By the end of the tour, they were still having trouble acquiring the exclusive rights to the name and the ability to endorse the album. Everybody went their own way and s*** never came out. Only 2 songs from those sessions ever came out: Chin Check, recorded in 98 and released in 99 on the Next Friday soundtrack. The other was this classic on Ice Cube's "War and Peace 2" in 2000, both were included in N.W.A's Greatest Hits project..

I always wanted to hear Helter Skelter. I love Natural Born Killaz and thought Cube and Dre would’ve dropped an absolute killer album. Shame it never saw the light of day.

Shame about all of them really, I’d love to hear his vault.

He must still have a bunch of killer tracks from a bunch of legendary artist. One thing I forgot to include in OP, The D.O.C said his favorite vaulted Dre project was Temporary Insanity

I always loved Natural Born Killaz. "Im hot like lava, you got a problem? I got a problem solver, and his name is revolver" line blew my mind as a kid lmao

Some Helter Skelter shirts and promo poster from back in 94. Promo poster may be fake though

Some E Temporary Insanity promo

Up In Smoke Tour probably the most legendary tour in rap history. The new look NWA:

This s*** fire

dope

Crazy how close we were to getting all 3 albums. And I aint even getting into "Detox" and "Make Up To Break Up", the Snoop+Dre LP that was promised by Snoop after he left Death Row in 98. Even Chairmen Of The Boards, the joint project that was supposed to come out with Timberland. Dre must have so many unbelievable songs vaulted bro

goat

He really is tbh

helter skelter would've been an instant classic

Man those dudes should've collaborated more often during the 90s. Beef n s*** robbed us of a ton of classics. Even after Eazy's death they waited too long to get back in the studio, all of em. Whenever Cube and Dre get in the studio together, magic happens. "Hello" to this day gives me chills thinking about it. First song with Ren, Cube and Dre together since N4L and its so good would've been a moment had I been old enough to appreciate the significance of that song at the time

Em as ghostwriter

dre had the midas touch man, nwa without eazy would've been weird but efil4zaggin is one of my favorite rap albums of the 90s and that was without cube snoop always had great chemistry with dre and eminem was a beast at the time

Oh for sure it would've been amazing. It would've been like a continuation of 2001. The OG members + Snoop would've worked fine imo and then you add features and vocals from Nate Dogg, Em and the rest of them dudes in that tour? Would've probably been amazing lol

More Temporary Insanity promo

Eazy was one of the first rappers to have commercials for his albums lol. These weird/creepy ass commercials were for his last album. "Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton"

Fantastic thread.

Interview with Eazy talking about the album and how he's going about promoting it. "So you're temporarily insane?" "not right now, I took my medicine"

Will also specify that Eazy continued with the insanity theme on his next projects, he just scrapped the Dre beats. A handful of the songs on the project are on his next two albums. But again, no Dre beats.

This coulda easily been a a rap group spitting the most disrespectful s*** known to man

bruh Eazy is a larger than life, mythical character I swear lol he's like a hood super hero, the black James Bond. Sway said that in 1991 Eazy told him to come down so he could see his new car. It was a normal looking SUV(the one in the Easier Said Than Dunn video) but Sway said that Eazy told him to get in so he could see.."he sat down and pressed a button and suddenly the dash board would flip over and you'd see a gun...another button, arm rest would flip over and it would be another gun. He would press another button and my arm rest would flip and there would be another gun. Eazy had a Batman car with all the gadgets and stuff but in 1991" at 1:40 here

And this Bone Thugs story is so incredible. "We were at a house party on the wrong side of town and mad niggas was looking at us side ways. Like 10-20 niggas were just mean muggin us and we had no heat on us, so we called E...a short time later we hear the honking outside from his Benz and the tension breaks cause everybody is like "holy s*** thats Eazy E!!" We get to him and he says "where them niggas at?" and pops open the trunk....mf had a grenade launcher." I honestly aint doing the story justice, the way Bizzy tells the story is hilarious lol Eazy was the man, simple as that lol coolest to ever do it

grenade launcher story is at the end, funny story at the beginning too

"So what do you say to somebody you hate?
Or anyone tryna bring trouble your way
Wanna resolve things in a bloodier way?
Then just study a tape of N.W.A"