Nas Illmatic Cd

1. Nas Illmatic Cd

NAS - ILLMATIC XX (2-Disc, CD) (2014). - 2 Disc features 10 rare remixes, demos, and freestyles. - includes liner notes by Sacha Jenkins, tributes and rare photos.

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones (/nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), known professionally as Nas (/nɑːz/), is an American rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor.^[1] The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums and has sold over 30 million records worldwide. He is also an entrepreneur through his own record label; he serves as associate publisher of Mass Appeal magazine and the co-founder of Mass Appeal Records.

His musical career began in 1991, as a featured artist on Main Source's 'Live at the Barbeque'. His debut album Illmatic (1994) received universal acclaim from both critics and the hip-hop community and is frequently ranked as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.^[2][3] Nas's follow-up It Was Written debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks, went Double Platinum in two months, and made Nas internationally known. From 2001 to 2005, Nas was involved in a highly publicized feud with Jay-Z, popularized by the diss track 'Ether'. Nas signed to Def Jam in 2006. In 2010, he released Distant Relatives, a collaboration album with Damian Marley, donating all royalties to charities active in Africa. His 11th studio album, Life Is Good (2012) was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.

Nas has been considered as one of the best rappers of all time. MTV ranked him at #5 on their list of 'The Greatest MCs of All Time'. In 2012, The Source ranked him #2 on their list of the 'Top 50 Lyricists of All Time'. In 2013, Nas was ranked 4th on MTV's 'Hottest MCs in the Game' list. About.com ranked him first on their list of the '50 Greatest MCs of All Time' in 2014, and a year later, Nas was featured on 'The 10 Best Rappers of All Time' list by Billboard. Nas has released eight consecutive platinum albums and has sold over 30 million records worldwide.

• 2Career
  • 2.62006–2008: Politicized efforts and controversies
• 4Feuds
• 7Awards and nominations

Early life

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones^[4] was born on September 14, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York.^[5][6] His father, Olu Dara (born Charles Jones III), is a jazz and blues musician from Mississippi. His mother, Fannie Ann (Little) Jones, was a Postal Service worker from North Carolina.^[7] He has one sibling, a brother named Jabari Fret who is best known as 'Jungle', a member of the hip-hop group Bravehearts. His father took his name 'Olu Dara' from the Yoruba people.^[8] His African DNA indicates he has roots in countries with high Yoruba populations Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana – as well as Mali, the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo, South Africa, and Senegal. His matrilineal DNA haplogroup is of African origin, found among the Yoruba^[9] and Fulbe populations in Western Africa.^[8]

As a young child, Nas and his family relocated to the Queensbridge Houses in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. His neighbor, Willy 'Ill Will' Graham, influenced his interest in hip hop by playing him records.^[10] His parents divorced in 1985,^[10] and he dropped out of school after the eighth grade.^[6] He educated himself about African culture through the Five Percent Nation and the Nuwaubian Nation.^[11] In his early years, he played the trumpet and began writing his own rhymes.^[12]

Career

Late 1980s–1994: Underground beginnings and album debut

As a teenager, Nas enlisted his best friend and upstairs neighbor Willy 'Ill Will' Graham as his DJ. Nas initially went by the nickname 'Kid Wave' before adopting his more commonly known alias of 'Nasty Nas'.^[13] In the late-1980s, he met up with the producer Large Professor and went to the studio where Rakim and Kool G Rap were recording their albums. When they were not in the recording studio, Nas would go into the booth and record his own material. However, none of it was ever released.^[14][15] In 1991, Nas performed on Main Source's 'Live at the Barbeque'. In mid-1992, Nas was approached by MC Serch of 3rd Bass, who became his manager and secured Nas a record deal with Columbia Records during the same year. Nas made his solo debut under the name of 'Nasty Nas' on the single 'Halftime' from MC Serch's soundtrack for the film Zebrahead.^[6] Called the new Rakim,^[16] his rhyming skills attracted a significant amount of attention within the hip-hop community.

In 1994, Nas's debut album, Illmatic, was finally released. It was awarded best album of 1994 by The Source.^[17] It also featured production from Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, LES and DJ Premier, as well as guest appearances from Nas's friend AZ and his father Olu Dara. The album spawned several singles, including 'The World Is Yours', 'It Ain't Hard to Tell', and 'One Love'. Shaheem Reid of MTV News called Illmatic 'the first classic LP' of 1994.^[18] In 1994, Nas also recorded the song 'One on One' for the soundtrack to the film Street Fighter.^[19] In his book To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic, William Jelani Cobb writes of Nas's impact at the time:

Nas, the poetic sage of the Queensbridge projects, was hailed as the second coming of Rakim—as if the first had reached his expiration date. [..] Nas never became 'the next Rakim,' nor did he really have to. Illmatic stood on its own terms. The sublime lyricism of the CD, combined with the fact that it was delivered into the crucible of the boiling East-West conflict, quickly solidified [his] reputation as the premier writer of his time.^[20]

Steve Huey of AllMusic described Nas's lyrics on Illmatic as 'highly literate' and his raps 'superbly fluid regardless of the size of his vocabulary', adding that Nas is 'able to evoke the bleak reality of ghetto life without losing hope or forgetting the good times'.^[21] Reviewing Nas's second album It Was Written, Leo Stanley of allmusic believed the rhymes to be not as complex as those in Illmatic but still 'not only flow, but manage to tell coherent stories as well'.^[22] About.com ranked Illmatic as the greatest hip-hop album of all time,^[2] and Prefix magazine praised it as 'the best hip-hop record ever made'.^[3]

1995–1997: Mainstream direction and the Firm

Columbia Records began to press Nas to work towards more commercial topics, such as that of The Notorious B.I.G., who had become successful by releasing street singles that still retained radio-friendly appeal. In 1995, Nas did guest performances on the albums Doe or Die by AZ, The Infamous by The Infamous Mobb Deep, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by Raekwon and 4,5,6 by Kool G Rap. Nas also parted ways with manager MC Serch, enlisted Steve Stoute, and began preparation for his second LP, It Was Written, consciously working towards a crossover-oriented sound. It Was Written, chiefly produced by Tone and Poke of Trackmasters, was released in mid-1996. Two singles, 'If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)' (featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees) and 'Street Dreams', including a remix with R. Kelly were instant hits.^[23] These songs were promoted by big-budget music videos directed by Hype Williams, making Nas a common name among mainstream hip-hop. It Was Written featured the debut of the Firm, a supergroup consisting of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. The album also expanded on Nas's Escobar persona, who lived a Scarface/Casino-esque lifestyle. On the other hand, references to Scarface protagonist Tony Montana notwithstanding, Illmatic was more about his early life growing up in the projects.^[6]

Signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, the Firm began working on their debut album. Halfway through the production of the album, Cormega was fired from the group by Steve Stoute, who had unsuccessfully attempted to force Cormega to sign a deal with his management company. Cormega subsequently became one of Nas's most vocal opponents and released a number of underground hip hop singles 'dissing' Nas, Stoute, and Nature, who replaced Cormega as the fourth member of the Firm.^[24]Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album was finally released in 1997 to mixed reviews. The album failed to live up to its expected sales, despite being certified platinum, and the members of the group disbanded to go their separate ways.^{[citation needed]}

During this period, Nas was one of four rappers (the others being B-Real, KRS-One and RBX) in the hip-hop supergroup Group Therapy, who appeared on the song 'East Coast/West Coast Killas' from Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath.^[25]

1998–2000: Inconsistent output

In late 1998, Nas began working on a double album, to be entitled I Am.. The Autobiography; he intended it as the middle ground between Illmatic and It Was Written, with each track detailing a part of his life.^[6] In 1998, Nas co-wrote and starred in Hype Williams's 1998 feature film Belly.^[6]I Am.. The Autobiography was completed in early 1999, and a music video was shot for its lead single, 'Nas Is Like'. It was produced by DJ Premier and contained vocal samples from 'It Ain't Hard to Tell'. Music critic M.F. DiBella noticed that Nas also covered 'politics, the state of hip-hop, Y2K, race, and religion with his own unique perspective' in the album besides autobiographical lyrics.^[26] Much of the LP was leaked into MP3 format onto the Internet, and Nas and Stoute quickly recorded enough substitute material to constitute a single-disc release.^[17]

The second single on I Am.. was 'Hate Me Now', featuring Sean 'Puffy' Combs, which was used as an example by Nas's critics accusing him of moving towards more commercial themes. The video featured Nas and Combs being crucified in a manner similar to Jesus Christ; after the video was completed, Combs requested his crucifixion scene be edited out of the video. However, the unedited copy of the 'Hate Me Now' video made its way to MTV. Within minutes of the broadcast, Combs and his bodyguards allegedly made their way into Steve Stoute's office and assaulted him, at one point apparently hitting Stoute over the head with a champagne bottle. Stoute pressed charges, but he and Combs settled out-of-court that June.^[17] Columbia had scheduled to release the infringed material from I Am.. under the title Nastradamus during the later half of 1999, but, at the last minute, Nas decided to record an entire new album for the 1999 release of Nastradamus. Nastradamus was therefore rushed to meet a November release date. Though critics were not kind to the album, it did result in a minor hit, 'You Owe Me'.^[6]

In 2000, Nas & Ill Will Records Presents QB's Finest, which is popularly known as simply QB's Finest, was released on Nas's Ill Will Records.^[6]QB's Finest is a compilation album that featured Nas and a number of other rappers from Queensbridge projects, including Mobb Deep, Nature, Capone, the Bravehearts, Tragedy Khadafi, Millennium Thug and Cormega, who had briefly reconciled with Nas. The album also featured guest appearances from Queensbridge hip-hop legends Roxanne Shanté, MC Shan, and Marley Marl. Shan and Marley Marl both appeared on the lead single 'Da Bridge 2001', which was based on Shan & Marl's 1986 recording 'The Bridge'.^[27] Fans and critics feared that Nas's career was declining, artistically and commercially, as both I Am.. and Nastradamus were criticised as inconsistent.^[28]

2001–2003: Dispute with Jay-Z and artistic comeback

After trading veiled criticisms on various songs, freestyles and mixtape appearances, the highly publicised dispute between Nas and Jay-Z became widely known to the public in 2001.^[6] Jay-Z, in his song 'Takeover', criticised Nas by calling him 'fake' and his career 'lame'.^[29] Nas responded with 'Ether', in which he compared Jay-Z to such characters as J.J. Evans from the sitcom Good Times and cigarette company mascot Joe Camel. The song was included on Nas's fifth studio album, Stillmatic, released in December 2001. His daughter, Destiny, is listed as an executive producer on Stillmatic so she can always receive royalty checks from the album.^[30][31]Stillmatic peaked at No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and featured the singles 'Got Ur Self A..' and 'One Mic'.

In response to 'Ether', Jay-Z released the song 'Supa Ugly', which Hot 97 radio host Angie Martinez premiered on December 11, 2001.^[29] In the song, Jay-Z explicitly boasts about having an affair with Nas's girlfriend, Carmen Bryan.^[32] New York City hip-hop radio station Hot 97 issued a poll asking listeners which rapper made the better diss song; Nas won with 58% while Jay-Z got 42% of the votes.^[33] In 2002, in the midst of the dispute between the two New York rappers, Eminem cited both Nas and Jay-Z as being two of the best MCs in the industry, in his song 'Till I Collapse. Both the dispute and Stillmatic signalled an artistic comeback for Nas after a string of inconsistent albums.^[34]The Lost Tapes, a compilation of previously unreleased or bootlegged songs from 1997-2001, was released by Columbia in September 2002. The collection attained respectable sales and received rave reviews from critics.^[17]

In December 2002, Nas released the God's Son album including its lead single, 'Made You Look' which used a pitched down sample of the Incredible Bongo Band's 'Apache'. The album peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts despite widespread Internet bootlegging.^[35] Time Magazine named his album best hip-hop album of the year. Vibe gave it four stars and The Source gave it four mics. The second single, 'I Can', which reworked elements from Beethoven's 'Für Elise', became Nas's biggest hit to date in 2003, garnering substantial radio airplay on urban, rhythmic, and top 40 radio stations, as well as on the MTV and VH1 music video networks. God's Son also includes several songs dedicated to Nas's mother, who died of cancer in April 2002, including 'Dance'. In 2003, Nas was featured on the Korn song 'Play Me', from Korn's Take a Look in the Mirror LP. Also in 2003, a live performance in New York City, featuring Ludacris, Jadakiss, and Darryl McDaniels (of Run-D.M.C. fame), was released on DVD as Made You Look: God's Son Live.

God's Son was critical in the power struggle between Nas and Jay-Z in the hip-hop industry at the time.^[36] In an article at the time, Joseph Jones of PopMatters stated, 'Whether you like it or not, 'Ether' did this. With God's Son, Nas has the opportunity to cement his status as the King of NY, at least for another 3-4-year term, or he could prove that he is not the savior that hip-hop fans should be pinning their hopes on.'^[36] After the album's release, he began helping the Bravehearts, made up of his younger brother Jungle and friend Wiz (Wizard), put together their debut album, Bravehearted. The album features guest appearances from Nas, Nashawn (Millennium Thug), Lil Jon, and Jully Black.

2004–2006: Double album and Def Jam

Nas released his seventh album Street's Disciple, a sprawling double album,^[6] on November 30, 2004. It addressed subject matter both political and personal, including his impending marriage to recording artist Kelis.^[6] The double-sided single 'Thief's Theme'/'You Know My Style' was released months before the album's release, followed by the single 'Bridging the Gap' upon the album's release.^[6] Although Street's Disciple went platinum, it served as a drop-off from Nas's previous commercial successes.^[6]

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In 2005, New York-based rapper 50 Cent dissed Nas on his song 'Piggy Bank', which brought his reputation into question in hip-hop circles.^[6] In October, Nas made a surprise appearance at Jay-Z's 'I Declare War' concert, where they reconciled their beef.^[6] At the show, Jay-Z announced to the crowd, 'It's bigger than 'I Declare War'. Let's go, Esco!' and Nas then joined him onstage,^[37] and the two performed Jay-Z's 'Dead Presidents' (1996) together, a song that featured a prominent sample of Nas's 1994 track: 'The World Is Yours' (1994).^[6] The reconciliation created the opportunity for Nas to sign a deal with Def Jam Recordings, of which Jay-Z was president at the time.^[6] He signed Nas in January 2006.^[38] The signing included an agreement that Nas was to be paid about $3,000,000, including a recording budget, for each of his first two albums with Def Jam.

2006–2008: Politicized efforts and controversies

Tentatively called Hip Hop Is Dead..The N,^[38]Hip Hop Is Dead was a commentary on the state of hip-hop and featured 'Black Republican', a hyped collaboration with Jay-Z.^[6] The album debuted on Def Jam and Nas new imprint at that label, The Jones Experience, at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts, selling 355,000 copies—Nas' third number one album, along with It Was Written and I Am...^[39] It also inspired reactions about the state of hip-hop,^[6] particularly controversy with Southern hip hop artists who felt the album's title was a criticism aimed at them.^[40] Nas's 2004 song 'Thief's Theme' was featured in the 2006 film The Departed.^[41] Nas's former label, Columbia Records, released the compilation Greatest Hits in November.^[42]

On October 12, 2007, Nas announced that his next album would be called Nigger. Both progressive commentators, such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and the conservative-aligned news channel Fox News were outraged; Jackson called on entertainers to stop using the epithet after comedian Michael Richards used it onstage in late 2006.^[43] Controversy escalated as the album's impending release date drew nearer, going as far as to spark rumors that Def Jam was planning to drop Nas unless he changed the title.^[44] Additionally, Fort Greene, Brooklyn assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries requested New York's Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to withdraw $84,000,000 from the state pension fund that has been invested into Universal and its parent company, Vivendi, if the album's title was not changed.^[45] On the opposite side of the spectrum, many of the most famous names in the entertainment industry expressed a sense of trust in Nas for using the racial epithet as the title of his full-length LP.^[46][47] Nas's management worried that the album would not be sold by chain stores such as Wal-Mart, thus limiting its distribution.^[48]

On May 19, 2008, Nas decided to forgo an album title.^[49] Responding to Jesse Jackson's remarks and use of the word 'nigger', Nas called him 'the biggest player hater', stating 'His time is up. All you old niggas' time is up. We heard your voice, we saw your marching, we heard your sermons. We don't want to hear that shit no more. It's a new day. It's a new voice. I'm here now. We don't need Jesse; I'm here. I got this. We the voice now. It's no more Jesse. Sorry. Goodbye. You ain't helping nobody in the 'hood and that's the bottom line.'^[50] He also said of the album's title:

It's important to me that this album gets to the fans. It's been a long time coming. I want my fans to know that creatively and lyrically, they can expect the same content and the same messages. The people will always know what the real title of this album is and what to call it.^[51]

The album was ultimately released on July 15, 2008, untitled. It featured production from Polow da Don, stic.man of Dead Prez, Sons of Light and J. Myers,^[52]'Hero', the album's lead single released on June 23, 2008, reached No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 87 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.^[53] In July, Nas attained a shoe deal with Fila.^[54] In an interview with MTV News in July, Nas speculated that he might release two albums: one produced by DJ Premier and another by Dr. Dre—simultaneously the same day.^[55] Nas worked on Dr. Dre's studio album Detox.^[56] Nas was also awarded 'Emcee of the Year' in the HipHopDX 2008 Awards for his latest solo effort, the quality of his appearances on other albums and was described as having 'become an artist who thrives off of reinvention and going against the system.'^[57]

Bill O'Reilly and Virginia Tech controversy

On September 6, 2007, Nas performed at a free concert for the Virginia Tech student body and faculty, following the school shooting there. He was joined by John Mayer, Alan Jackson, Phil Vassar, and Dave Matthews Band.^[58] When announced that Nas was to perform, political commentator Bill O'Reilly and Fox News denounced the concert and called for Nas's removal, citing 'violent' lyrics on songs such as 'Shoot 'Em Up', 'Got Urself a Gun', and 'Made You Look'. During his Talking Points Memo segment for August 15, 2007, an argument erupted in which O'Reilly claimed that it was not only Nas's lyrical content that made him inappropriate for the event, citing the gun conviction on Nas's criminal record.^[59] In the midst of his debate with author Bakari Kitwana (The Hip Hop Generation), who defended Nas, claiming that Fox News had 'cherry picked' select fragments of the songs to make their case, O'Reilly shouted, 'Even in his personal life, man, he's got a conviction for weapons, all right? He's got a weapons conviction, sir! On his sheet! This is a school that had a mass murderer with a shotgun gunning down people—this guy has got a conviction for weapons, and you say he's appropriate? Come on!' O'Reilly repeated the claim another five times before cutting the segment short.^{[citation needed]}

On September 6, 2007, during his set at 'A Concert for Virginia Tech', Nas twice referred to Bill O'Reilly as 'a chump', prompting loud cheers by members of the crowd. About two weeks later, Nas was interviewed by Shaheem Reid of MTV News, where he criticised O'Reilly, calling him uncivilized and willing to go to extremes for publicity.^[60] Responding to O'Reilly, Nas, in an interview with MTV News, said:

He doesn't understand the younger generation. He deals with the past. The people he represents are Republican, older, a generation that has nothing to do with the reality of what's happening now with my generation. .. He's not really on my radar. People like him are supposed to be taught and people like me are supposed to let niggas like him know. I don't take him serious. His shit is all about getting facts twisted or whatever. I wouldn't honor anything Bill O'Reilly has to say. It just shows you what bloodsuckers like him do: They abuse something like the Virginia Tech tragedy for show ratings. You can't talk to a person like that.^[61]

On July 23, 2008, Nas appeared on The Colbert Report to discuss his opinion of O'Reilly and Fox News, which he accused of bias against the African-American community and re-challenged O'Reilly to a debate.^[62] During the appearance, Nas sat on boxes of more than 625,000 signatures gathered by online advocacy organisation Color of Change in support of a petition accusing Fox of race-baiting and fear-mongering.^[62]

2009–present: Collaborations, Life Is Good and Nasir

At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Nas confirmed he was collaborating on an album with reggae singer Damian Marley which was expected to be released in late 2009. Nas said of the collaboration in an interview 'I was a big fan of his father and of course all the children, all the offspring, and Damian, I kind of looked at Damian as a rap guy. His stuff is not really singing, or if he does, it comes off more hard, like on some street shit. I always liked how reggae and hip-hop have always been intertwined and always kind of pushed each other, I always liked the connection. I'd worked with people before from the reggae world but when I worked with Damian, the whole workout was perfect'.^[63] A portion of the profit was planned to go towards building a school in Africa.^[64] He went on to say that it was 'too early to tell the title or anything like that'.^[65]The Los Angeles Times reported that the album would be titled Distant Relatives.^[66]Nas also revealed that he would begin working on his tenth studio album following the release of Distant Relatives.^[67] During late 2009, Nas used his live band Mulatto with music director Dustin Moore for concerts in Europe and Australia.^[68]

After announcing a possible release in 2010,^[69] a follow-up compilation to The Lost Tapes (2002) was delayed indefinitely due to issues between him and Def Jam.^[70] His eleventh studio album, Life Is Good (2012) was produced primarily by Salaam Remi and No I.D, and released on July 13, 2012. Nas called the album a 'magic moment' in his rap career.^[71]

In 2011, Nas announced that he would release collaboration albums with Mobb Deep, Common, and a third with DJ Premier.^[72][73][74] Common said of the project in a 2011 interview, 'At some point, we will do that. We'd talked about it and we had a good idea to call it Nas.Com. That was actually going to be a mixtape at one point. But we decided that we should make it an album.'^[75]Life is Good would be nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards.

In January 2013, Nas announced he had begun working on his twelfth studio album, which would be his final album for Def Jam.^[76] The album was supposed to be released during 2015.^[77] In October 2013, DJ Premier said that his collaboration album with Nas, would be released following his twelfth studio album.^[78] In October 2013, Nas confirmed that a rumored song 'Sinatra in the Sands' featuring Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, and Timbaland would be featured on the album.^[77]

On April 16, 2014, on the twentieth anniversary of Illmatic,^[79] the documentary Nas: Time Is Illmatic was premiered which recounted circumstances leading up to Nas's debut album.^[80] It was reported on September 10, that Nas has finished his last album with Def Jam.^[81] On October 30, Nas released a song which might have been the first single on his new album, titled 'The Season', produced by J Dilla.^[82] Nas has also collaborated with the Australian hip-hop group, Bliss n Eso, in 2014. They released the track 'I Am Somebody' in May 2014. Nas was featured on the song 'We Are' from Justin Bieber's fourth studio album, Purpose, released in November 2015.

Nas was announced as one of the executive producers of the Netflix original series, The Get Down, prior to its release in August 2016. He narrated the series and rapped as adult Ezekiel of 1996. He also appeared on DJ Khaled's album Major Key, on a track simply titled 'Nas Album Done', suggesting an upcoming album was not only completed, but also was imminent.

On October 16, 2016, he received the Jimmy Iovine Icon Award at 2016 REVOLT Music Conference for having a lasting impact and unique influence on music, numerous years in the rap business, his partnership with Hennessy, and Mass Appeal imprint by Puff Daddy.^[83]

In November 2016, Nas collaborated with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dave East and Aloe Blacc on a song called 'Wrote My Way Out', which appears on The Hamilton Mixtape.

On April 12, 2017, Nas released the song Angel Dust as soundtrack for TV series The Getdown. It contains a sample of the Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson song Angel Dust.

In June 2017, Nas appeared in the award-winning 2017 documentary The American Epic Sessions directed by Bernard MacMahon, where he recorded live direct-to-disc on the restored first electrical sound recording system from the 1920s.^[84] He performed 'On the Road Again', a 1928 song by the Memphis Jug Band,^[85] which received universal acclaim with The Hollywood Reporter describing his performance as 'fantastic'^[86] and the Financial Times praising his 'superb cover of the Memphis Jug Band's 'On the Road Again', exposing the hip-hop blueprint within the 1928 stomper.'^[87] 'On the Road Again', and a performance of 'One Mic',^[88] were released on Music from The American Epic Sessions: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on June 9, 2017.^[89]

In April 2018, Kanye West announced on Twitter that Nas' twelfth' studio album will be released on June 15, also serving as executive producer for the album.^[90][91] The album was announced the day before release, titled Nasir, after Nas' first name.

Following the release of Nasir, Nas confirmed he would return to completing a previous album, including production from Swizz Beatz and RZA.^[92][93][94]

Artistry

Nas has been praised for his ability to create a 'devastating match between lyrics and production' by journalist Peter Shapiro, as well as creating a 'potent evocation of life on the street', and he has even been compared to Rakim for his lyrical technique. In his book Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop (2009), writer Adam Bradley states, 'Nas is perhaps contemporary rap's greatest innovator in storytelling. His catalog includes songs narrated before birth ('Fetus') and after death ('Amongst Kings'), biographies ('UBR [Unauthorized Biography of Rakim]') and autobiographies ('Doo Rags'), allegorical tales ('Money Is My Bitch') and epistolary ones ('One Love'), he's rapped in the voice of a woman ('Sekou Story') and even of a gun ('I Gave You Power').'^[95]Robert Christgau writes that 'Nas has been transfiguring [gangsta rap] since Illmatic'.^[96]Kool Moe Dee notes that Nas has an 'off-beat conversational flow' in his book There's a God on the Mic – he says: 'before Nas, every MC focused on rhyming with a cadence that ultimately put the words that rhymed on beat with the snare drum. Nas created a style of rapping that was more conversational than ever before'.^[97]

OC of D.I.T.C. comments in the book How to Rap: 'Nas did the song backwards ['Rewind'].. that was a brilliant idea'.^[98] Also in How to Rap, 2Mex of The Visionaries describes Nas's flow as 'effervescent',^[99]Rah Digga says Nas's lyrics have 'intricacy',^[100]Bootie Brown of The Pharcyde explains that Nas does not always have to make words rhyme as he is 'charismatic',^[101] and Nas is also described as having a 'densely packed'^[102] flow, with compound rhymes that 'run over from one beat into the next or even into another bar'.^[103]

In 2006, Nas was ranked fifth on MTV's '10 Greatest MCs of All Time' list.^[16] In 2012, The Source ranked him No. 2 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.^[104] In 2013, Nas was ranked fourth on MTV's 'Hottest MCs in the Game' list.^[105] His debut Illmatic is widely considered among the greatest hip hop albums of all time.^[106][107]

Feuds

Jay Z

Initially friends, Nas and Jay Z had met a number of times in the 1990s with no animosity between the two. Jay Z requested that Nas appear on his 1996 album Reasonable Doubt on the track 'Bring it On'; however, Nas never showed up to the studio and was not included on the album. In response to this, Jay Z asked producer Ski Beatz to sample a line from Nas' song The World is Yours, with the sample featured heavily in what went on to be Dead Presidents II. The two traded subliminal responses for the next couple of years, until the beef was escalated further in 2001 after Jay Z publicly addressed Nas at the Summer Jam, performing what would go on to be known as Takeover, ending the performance by saying 'ask Nas, he don't want it with Hov'. After Jay Z eventually released the song on his 2001 album The Blueprint, Nas responded with the song Ether, from his album Stillmatic, with both fans and critics saying that the song had effectively saved Nas' career and marked his return to prominence, and almost unanimously agreeing Nas had won their feud. Jay Z responded with a freestyle over the instrumental to Nas' Got Ur Self a Gun, known as 'Supa Ugly'. In the song, Jay Z makes reference to Nas' girlfriend and daughter, going into graphic detail about having an affair with his girlfriend.^{[108][109][110][111]} Jay Z's mother was personally disgusted by the song, and demanded he apologise to Nas and his family, which he did in December 2001 on Hot 97.^[112] Supa Ugly marked the last direct diss song between Jay Z and Nas, however, the two continued to trade subliminals on their subsequent releases. The feud was officially bought to an end in 2005, when Jay Z and Nas performed on stage together in a surprise concert also featuring P Diddy, Kanye West and Beanie Sigel.^[113] The following year, Nas signed with Def Jam Recordings, of which Jay Z then served as president.^[114]

Cam'ron

After Nas was kicked off of the 2002 Summer Jam lineup due to allegedly planning to perform the song Ether while a mock lynching of a Jay Z doll took place behind him, Cam'ron was announced as a last minute replacement and headlined the show instead. Nas appeared on Power 105.1 days later and addressed a number of fellow artists, including Nelly, Noreaga and Cam'ron himself.^[115] Nas praised Cam'ron as a good lyricist, but branded his album Come Home With Me as 'wack'.^[116] After Cam'ron heard of Nas' words, he appeared on Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 and performed a freestyle diss over the beat to Nas' Hate Me Now, making reference to Nas' mother, baby mother and daughter. Nas did not respond directly but appeared on the radio days later, calling Cam'ron a dummy for supposedly being used by Hot 97 to generate ratings. Nas eventually responded on his 2002 album God's Son on the song 'Zone Out', claiming Cam'ron had HIV. Cam'ron and the rest of The Diplomats, specifically Jim Jones continued to attack Nas throughout 2003, on numerous mixtapes, albums and radio freestyles, however, the feud between the two slowly died down and they eventually reconciled in 2014.^[117]

2Pac

After 2Pac interpreted lines directed to the Notorious B.I.G. on Nas' 1996 album It Was Written to be aimed towards him, he attacked Nas on the track Against All Odds from The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. Nas himself later admitted he was bought to tears when he heard the diss because he idolised 2Pac.^[118] The two later met in Central Park before the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards and ended their feud, with Tupac promising to remove any disses aimed at Nas from the official album release, however, Shakur was murdered in September that year before any edits to the album could be made. Since his death, Nas has praised Shakur for being 'one of a kind'.^[119][120]

Young Jeezy

After Nas proclaimed 'Hip Hop was dead' on his 2006 song of the same name and blamed southern Hip Hop as the cause, many artists from the South took offence, including Nas' then-Def Jam labelmate Young Jeezy, who claimed Nas had 'no street credibility' and vowed to sell more copies of his album The Inspiration than Nas' upcoming Hip Hop Is Dead album. After failing to do so, Jeezy took back his disses towards Nas, and the two later collaborated on the 2008 hit single My President.^[121][122]

Nas Illmatic Cd

Business ventures

On April 10, 2013, Nas invested an undisclosed six-figure sum into Mass Appeal Magazine, where he went on to serve as the publication's associate publisher, joined by creative firm Decon and White Owl Capital Partners.^[123][124] In June 2013, he opened his own sneaker store.^[125][126]

In September 2013, he invested in a technology startup company, a job search appmaker called Proven.^[127] In 2014, Nas invested as part of a $2.8M round in viral video startup ViralGains another addition to Queens-bridge venture partners portfolio.^[128][129]

Nas has a partnership with Hennessy and has been working with their 'Wild Rabbit' campaign.^[130]

In May 2014, Nas partnered with job placement startup Koru to fund a scholarship for 10 college graduates to go through Koru's training program. Nas also will be joining the startup as a guest coach.^[131] Nas is a co-owner of a Cloud-based service LANDR, an automated, drag-and-drop digital audio postproduction tool which automates 'mastering', the final stage in audio production.^[132] In June 2015, Nas joined forces with New York City soul food restaurant Sweet Chick.^[133] He plans to expand the restaurant brand nationally.^{[134][135][136][137]} The Los Angeles location opened in April 2017.^[138] He owns his own clothing line called HSTRY.^[139]

He has continued to invest heavily in technology startups including Dropbox, Lyft, and Robinhood.^[140]

Personal life

Nas is a spokesperson and mentor for P'Tones Records, a non-profit after school music program with the mission 'to create constructive opportunities for urban youth through no-cost music programs.'^[141]

He is a cousin of American actress Yara Shahidi.^[142]

On June 15, 1994, Nas's ex-fiancée Carmen Bryan gave birth to their daughter, Destiny.^{[143][144][145]} She later confessed to Nas that she had a relationship with his then-rival rapper and nemesis Jay-Z, also accusing Jay-Z of putting subliminal messages in his lyrics about their relationship together, causing an even bigger rift in the feud between the two hit rap music giants.

Nas also briefly dated Mary J. Blige.^[144] In 2005, Nas married R&B singer Kelis in Atlanta after a two-year relationship.^[146][147] On April 30, 2009, a spokesperson confirmed that Kelis filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.^[148][149] Kelis gave birth to Nas's first son on July 21, 2009, although the event was soured by a disagreement which ended in Nas announcing the birth of his son, Knight, at a gig in Queens, NY, against Kelis's wishes.^[150] The birth was also announced by Nas via an online video.^[151] The couple's divorce was finalized on May 21, 2010.^[152] In 2018, Kelis accused Nas of being physically and mentally abusive during their marriage.^[153] Nas replied to the accusations on social media, accusing Kelis of attempting to slander Nas in the time of a custody battle and accusing Kelis of abusing his daughter, Destiny.^[154]

In January 2012 Nas was involved in a dispute with a concert promoter in Angola, having accepted $300,000 for a concert in Luanda, Angola's capital for New Year's Eve and then not showing up. American promoter Patrick Allocco and his son, who arranged for Nas's concert, were detained at gunpoint and taken to an Angolan jail by the local promoter who fronted the $300,000 for the concert. Only after the US Embassy intervened were the promoter and his son allowed to leave jail—but were placed under house arrest at their hotel.^[155] As of the end of the month Nas returned all $300,000 and after 49 days of travel ban Allocco and his son were both released.^[156]

On March 15, 2012, Nas became the first rapper to have a personal verified account on Rap Genius where he explains all his own lyrics and commenting on the lyrics of other rappers he admires.^[157][158]

In September 2009 the U.S. Internal Revenue Service filed a federal tax lien against Nas for over $2.5 million, seeking unpaid taxes dating back to 2006.^[159] By early 2011 this figure had ballooned to over $6.4 million.^[160] Early in 2012 reports emerged that the IRS had filed papers in Georgia to garnish a portion of Nas's earnings from material published under BMI and ASCAP, until his delinquent tax bill is settled.^[161]

In May 2013, it was announced that Nas would open a sneaker store in Las Vegas called 12 am RUN (pronounced Midnight Run) as part of The LINQ retail development.^[162]

In July 2013, he was honored by Harvard University, as the institution established the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship, which would serve to fund scholars and artists who show potential and creativity in the arts in connection to hip hop.^[163]

In an October 2014 episode of PBS's Finding Your Roots, Nas learned about five generations of his ancestry. His great-great-great-grandmother, Pocahontas Little, was a slave who was sold for $830. When host Henry Louis Gates showed Nas her bill of sale and told him more about the man who bought her, Nas remarked that he is considering buying the land where he lived. Nas is also shown the marriage certificate of his great-great-great-grandmother, Pocahontas, and great-great-great-grandfather, Calvin.^[164][165]

Nas is a New York Mets fan.^[166]

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are held annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Nas has 13 Grammy nominations altogether.^[167]

MTV Video Music Awards

BET Hip Hop Awards

Sports Emmy Award

Discography

Studio albums

• Illmatic (1994)
• It Was Written (1996)
• I Am.. (1999)
• Nastradamus (1999)
• Stillmatic (2001)
• The Lost Tapes (Nas album) (2002)
• God's Son (2002)
• Street's Disciple (2004)
• Hip Hop Is Dead (2006)
• Untitled (2008)
• Life Is Good (2012)
• Nasir (2018)

Collaboration albums

• The Firm: The Album(with the Firm) (1997)
• Distant Relatives(with Damian Marley) (2010)

Filmography

References

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153. ^Lamarre, Carl (April 26, 2018). 'Kelis Accuses Nas of Being Physically Abusive During Their 5-Year Marriage'. Billboard.
154. ^'Nas Writes Seven-Part Series of Instagram Posts to Ex-Wife Kelis'. The Source. September 7, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
155. ^Jessica Calefati (January 9, 2012). 'After rapper Nas is no-show at Angolan concert, N.J. father and son are detained in country'.
156. ^Concert Promoter Patrick Allocco & His Son Finally Free After Being Held In Angola For 49 Days Following No Show By Nas For ConcertArchived September 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. ThisIs50.com (February 18, 2012). Retrieved on December 19, 2012.
157. ^'Nas's profile'. Rap Genius. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
158. ^'NAS INTERVIEW: why Nas wants to explain his own lyrics on Rap Genius'. Rapgenius.com. March 15, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
159. ^TMZ Staff (October 19, 2009). 'Federal Tax Lien Against Nas'.
160. ^Matthew Perpetua (January 26, 2011). 'Nas Owes the IRS Nearly $6.5 Million'.
161. ^BET Staff (March 26, 2012). 'IRS to Garnish Nas's Wages'.
162. ^'Nas is Opening a Sneaker Store in Las Vegas'. Complex. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
163. ^Erin Coulehan (July 16, 2013). 'Harvard Establishes a Nas Hip-Hop Fellowship Music News'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
164. ^Minsker, Evan (October 29, 2014). 'Nas Learns About His Ancestors on PBS's 'Finding Your Roots''. Pitchfork. Pitchfork. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
165. ^'Nas Researches His Ancestry And Finds The Man Who Enslaved His Family'. VIbe. Vibe. October 28, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
166. ^Nasir Jones (April 15, 2014). 'Nasir Jones sports tweet'.
167. ^ ^ab'Nas'. Grammy.com.
168. ^'Nas Joins Divine, Naezy & Ranveer Singh For 'NY Se Mumbai''. HotNewHipHop. February 19, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
169. ^'Hear Nas Jump In with Divine and Naezy on 'NY Se Mumbai' -'. Rolling Stone. February 12, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.

Further reading

• Bradley, Adam (February 23, 2009). Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop. Basic Civitas Books. ISBN0-465-00347-8.
• Dee, Kool Moe (2003). There's a God on the Mic: The True 50 Greatest MC's. New York, N.Y., U.S.: Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN1-56025-533-1.
• Edwards, Paul (2009). How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC. Chicago, Ill., U.S.: Chicago Review Press. ISBN1-55652-816-7.
• Hess, Mickey, ed. (2007). Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture. Westport, Conn., U.S.: Greenwood. ISBN0-313-33904-X.CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list (link)
• Shapiro, Peter (2005). The Rough Guide to Hip-hop (2nd ed.). London, England, UK: Rough Guides. ISBN1-85828-637-9.

External links

• Nas at AllMusic
• Nas at MTV
• Nas on IMDb

Illmatic is the debut studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records. After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Its production was handled by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S. and Nas himself. Styled as a hardcore hip hop album, Illmatic features multi-syllabic internal rhymes and inner-city narratives based on Nas' experiences in Queensbridge, New York.

The album debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 94,000 copies in its first week. However, its initial sales fell below expectations and its five singles failed to achieve significant chart success. Despite the album's low initial sales, Illmatic received rave reviews from most music critics, who praised its production and Nas' lyricism. On January 17, 1996, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and on December 11, 2001 it earned a platinum certification after shipping 1,000,000 copies in the United States. The album has sold 2 million copies in the United States as of February 6, 2019.

Since its initial reception, Illmatic has been recognized by writers and music critics as a landmark album in East Coast hip hop. Its influence on subsequent hip hop artists has been attributed to the album's production and Nas' lyricism. It also contributed to the revival of the New York City rap scene, introducing a number of stylistic trends to the region. The album is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time, appearing on numerous best album lists by critics and publications.^[1][2]

• 3Themes
• 7Artwork
• 9Critical reception
  • 9.1The Source
• 10Impact
  • 10.1East Coast hip hop
  • 10.2Lyricism
  • 10.3Hip hop artists
  • 10.4Intellectual response
• 11Track listing

Background[edit]

As a teenager, Nas wanted to pursue a career as a rapper and enlisted his best friend and neighbor, Willy 'Ill Will' Graham, as his DJ.^[3] Nas initially went by the nickname 'Kid Wave' before adopting the alias 'Nasty Nas'.^[3] At the age of fifteen, he met producer Large Professor from Flushing, Queens, and was introduced to his group Main Source. Nas made his recorded debut with them, performing the opening verse on 'Live at the Barbeque' from their 1991 album Breaking Atoms.^[4] Nas subsequently made his solo debut on his 1992 single 'Halftime' for the soundtrack to the film Zebrahead. The single added to the buzz surrounding Nas, earning him comparisons to influential golden age rapper Rakim.^[5] Despite his buzz in the underground scene, Nas did not receive an offer for a recording contract, being rejected by major rap labels such as Cold Chillin' and Def Jam Recordings. Nas and Ill Will continued to work together, but their partnership was cut short when Graham was murdered by a gunman in Queensbridge on May 23, 1992;^[6] Nas' brother was also shot that night, but survived.^[7] Nas has cited that moment as a 'wake-up call' for him.^[7]

In mid-1992, MC Serch, whose group 3rd Bass had dissolved, began working on a solo project and approached Nas.^[8] At the suggestion of producer T-Ray, Serch collaborated with Nas for 'Back to the Grill', the lead single for Serch's 1992 solo debut album Return of the Product.^[9] At the recording session for the song, Serch discovered that Nas did not have a recording contract and subsequently contacted Faith Newman, an A&R executive at Sony Music Entertainment.^[10] As Serch recounted, 'Nas was in a position where his demo had been sittin' around, 'Live at the Barbeque' was already a classic, and he was just tryin' to find a decent deal .. So when he gave me his demo, I shopped it around. I took it to Russell first, Russell said it sounded like G Rap, he wasn't wit' it. So I took it to Faith. Faith loved it, she said she'd been looking for Nas for a year and a half. They wouldn't let me leave the office without a deal on the table.'^[11]

Once MC Serch assumed the role of executive producer for Nas' debut project, he attempted to connect Nas with various producers. Based on his buzz at the time, numerous New York-based producers were eager to work with him and went to Power House Studios with Nas. Among those producers was DJ Premier,^[11] recognized at the time for his raw and aggressive production with jazz-based samples and heavy scratching, and for his work with rapper Guru as a part of hip hop duo Gang Starr.^[12] After his production on Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth's Funky Technician (1990) and Jeru the Damaja's The Sun Rises in the East (1994), Premier began recording exclusively at D&D Studios in New York City, before working with Nas on Illmatic.^[12][13]

Recording[edit]

—DJ Premier on the recording of the song 'N.Y. State of Mind'^[14]

Prior to recording, DJ Premier had listened to Nas' debut single, later stating 'When I heard 'Halftime', that was some next shit to me. That's just as classic to me as 'Eric B For President' and 'The Bridge'. It just had that type of effect. As simple as it is, all of the elements are there. So from that point, after Serch approached me about doing some cuts, it was automatic. You'd be stupid to pass that up even if it wasn't payin' no money.'^[11] Serch later noted the chemistry between Nas and DJ Premier, recounting that 'Primo and Nas, they could have been separated at birth. It wasn't a situation where his beats fit their rhymes, they fit each other.'^[11] While Serch reached out to DJ Premier, Large Professor contacted Pete Rock to collaborate with Nas on what became 'The World Is Yours'. Shortly afterwards, producers Q-Tip and L.E.S. chose to work on the album.^[11] 'Life's a Bitch' contains a cornet solo performed by Nas' father, Olu Dara. The song also features Brooklyn-based rapper AZ.^[11]

In an early promotional interview, Nas claimed that the name 'Illmatic' (meaning 'beyond ill' or 'the ultimate') was a reference to his incarcerated friend, Illmatic Ice.^[15] Nas later described the title name as 'supreme ill. It's as ill as ill gets. That shit is a science of everything ill.'^[16] At the time of its recording, expectations in the hip hop scene were high for Illmatic.^[11] In a 1994 interview for The Source, which dubbed him 'the second coming', Nas spoke highly of the album, saying that 'this feels like a big project that's gonna affect the world [..] We in here on the down low [..] doing something for the world. That's how it feels, that's what it is. For all the ones that think it's all about some ruff shit, talkin' about guns all the time, but no science behind it, we gonna bring it to them like this.'^[11] AZ recounted recording on the album, 'I got on Nas' album and did the 'Life's a Bitch' song, but even then I thought I was terrible on it, to be honest. But once people started hearing that and liking it, that's what built my confidence. I thought, 'OK, I can probably do this.' That record was everything. To be the only person featured on Illmatic when Nas is considered one of the top men in New York at that time, one of the freshest new artists, that was big.'^[11] During the sessions, Nas composed the song 'Nas Is Like', which he later recorded as a single for his 1999 album I Am….^[17]

Concerning the recording of the album's opening song 'N.Y. State of Mind', producer DJ Premier later stated 'When we did 'N.Y. State of Mind,' at the beginning when he says, 'Straight out the dungeons of rap / Where fake niggas don't make it back,' then you hear him say, 'I don't know how to start this shit,' 'cause he had just written it. He's got the beat running in the studio, but he doesn't know how he's going to format how he's going to convey it. So he's going, 'I don't know how to start this shit,' and I'm counting him in [to begin his verse]. One, two, three. And then you can hear him go, 'Yo,' and then he goes right into it.'^[14]

Themes[edit]

Illmatic contains discerning treatment of its subject matter: gang rivalries, desolation, and the ravages of urban poverty.^[18][19] Nas, who was twenty years old when the album was released, focuses on depicting his own experiences, creating highly detailed first-person narratives that deconstruct the troubled life of an inner city teenager. Jeff Weiss of Pitchfork describes the theme of the album as a “[S]tory of a gifted writer born into squalor, trying to claw his way out of the trap. It's somewhere between The Basketball Diaries and Native Son..”^[20] The narratives featured in Illmatic originate from Nas' own experiences as an adolescent growing up in the Queensbridgehousing projects located in the Long Island City-section of Queens.^[21] Nas said in an interview in 2001: “When I made Illmatic I was a little kid in Queensbridge trapped in the ghetto. My soul was trapped in Queensbridge projects.”^[22] In a 2012 interview, he explained his inspiration for exploring this subject matter:

'[W]hen my rap generation started, it was about bringing you inside my apartment. It wasn't about being a rap star; it was about anything other than. I want you to know who I am: what the streets taste like, feel like, smell like. What the cops talk like, walk like, think like. What crackheads do — I wanted you to smell it, feel it. It was important to me that I told the story that way because I thought that it wouldn't be told if I didn't tell it. I thought this was a great point in time in the 1990s in [New York City] that needed to be documented and my life needed to be told.'^[23]

When depicting life in the projects, Nas alternates from moments of pain and pleasure to frustration and braggadocio.^[24] The columnist for OhWord.com wrote: '[His] narrative voice swerves between personas that are cynical and optimistic, naïve and world-weary, enraged and serene, globally conscious and provincial'.^[21] Jeff Weiss describes the 'enduring image' often associated with Nas' narrated stream of consciousness: '[A] baby-faced Buddha monk in public housing, scribbling lotto dreams and grim reapernightmares in dollar notebooks, words enjambed in the margins. The only light is the orange glow of a blunt, bodega liquor, and the adolescent rush of first creation. Sometimes his pen taps the paper and his brain blanks. In the next sentence, he remembers dark streets and the noose.'^[20] Critic and blogger Kenny Waste comments on the significance of Queensbridge as a setting in Illmatic, writing, “The songs are made up largely of recollections or Nas describing his emotions, which range from feeling trapped to overt optimism about his abilities to escape the 'hands of doom'. But they always remain within the walls of his Queensbridge home.”^[25]

Along with its narratives, Illmatic is also distinct for its many portrayals and descriptions of places, people, and interactions.^[26] In his songs, Nas often depicts the corners and boulevards of Queensbridge, while mentioning the names of streets, friends, local crews and drug dealers, and utilizing vernacularslang indigenous to his hometown.^[26] Poet and author Kevin Coval describes this approach to songwriting as that of a “hip-hop poet-reporter..rooted in the intimate specificity of locale.”^[26] Commenting on Nas' use of narrative, Sohail Daulatzai, Professor of Film and Media Studies at University of Southern California, compares the album to cinema, citing its 'detailed descriptions, dense reportage, and visually stunning rhymes..' In Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic, he writes: 'Like the 1965 landmark masterpiece film The Battle of Algiers, which captured the Algerian resistance against French colonialism, Illmatic brilliantly blurred the lines between fiction and documentary, creating a heightened sense of realism and visceral eloquence for Nas' renegade first-person narratives and character-driven odes.”^[27]

Drug violence[edit]

Many of the themes found in Illmatic revolve around Nas' experience living in an environment where poverty, violence, and drug use abound. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, residents of Queensbridge experienced intense violence, as the housing development was overrun by the crack epidemic. Illmatic contains imagery inspired by this prevalence of street crime. In 'N.Y. State of Mind', Nas details the trap doors, rooftop snipers, street corner lookouts, and drug dealers that pervade his urban dreamscape.^[28] Sohail Daulatzai describes this language as 'chilling' and suggests that it “harrowingly describes and imagines with such surreal imagery, with so much noir discontent and even more fuck-you ambition, the fragile and tenuous lives of ghetto dwellers…”^[28] Author Adam Mansbach interprets Nas' violent aesthetics as a metaphoric device meant to authenticate the rough edges of his persona: 'Nas's world and worldview are criminal and criminalized. Hence, he uses metaphoric violence as a central trope of his poetic.'^[29] Writer and musician Gregory Tate regards this violent imagery as part of a trend towards dark subject matter that came to prevail among East Coast rappers in the hardcore hip hop scene. He writes, “[S]ome of the most memorably dark, depressive but flowing lyrics in hip hop history were written by Nas, Biggie, and members of the Wu-Tang Clan on the death knell of the crack trade.^[30]

Other writers, such as Mark Anthony Neal, have described these lyrical themes as a form of “brooding introspection”, disclosing the tortured dimensions of drug crime and its impressions on an adolescent Nas.^[31] Sam Chennault wrote, 'Nas captures post-crack N.Y.C. in all its ruinous glory .. [r]ealizing that drugs were both empowering and destructive, his lyrics alternately embrace and reject the idea of ghetto glamour'.^[19] According to Steve Juon of RapReviews.com, Nas 'illustrates the Queensbridge trife life of his existence, while at the same time providing hope that there is something greater than money, guns and drugs.'^[32] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post described Nas' coming-of-age experience as 'balancing limitations and possibilities, distinguishing hurdles and springboards, and acknowledging his own growth from roughneck adolescent to a maturing adult who can respect and criticize the culture of violence that surrounds him.^[33]

Artistic credibility[edit]

The content of Illmatic is also informed by notions of artistic authenticity.^[34] The promotional press sheet that accompanied the album's release implied Nas' refusal to conform to commercial trends, stating: “While it's sad that there's so much frontin' in the rap world today, this should only make us sit up and pay attention when a rapper comes along who's not about milking the latest trend and running off with the loot.”^[20] At the time of the album's release, the hip hop community was embroiled in a debate about artistic authenticity and commercialism in popular music.^[34]Chicago rapper Common describes in the preface to Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic the concerns that were felt by him and his contemporaries: “It was that serious for so many of us. We didn't just grow up with hip hop; we grew up with hip hop as hip hop was also growing, and so that made for a very close and intimate relationship that was becoming more and more urgent – and we felt it. Our art was being challenged in many ways as the moneymen began to sink their teeth into us.”^[35]

In the context of this debate, music writers have interpreted Illmatic as an admonishment for hip hop purists and practitioners.^[36][25] In the opening track, 'The Genesis', Nas bemoans the lack of legitimacy among other MCs in the projects, insisting that he has 'Been doin' this shit since back then.'^[25] Citing songs such as “Life's a Bitch”, Guthrie Ramsay Jr. argues that Nas “set a benchmark for rappers in an artistic field consumed by constantly shifting notions of 'realness', authenticity, and artistic credibility.'^[37] Sohail Daulatzai writes: 'Though Illmatic was highly anticipated release, far from under the radar, Nas's taking it back to 'the dungeons of rap' was…a kind of exorcism or purging ('where fake niggas don't make it back') that was at the very least trying to claim a different aesthetic of resistance and rebellion that was all too aware of hip-hop's newfound mainstream potential.'^[34]

Musical endowment[edit]

In addition to its lyrical content, many writers have commented on the thematic significance of Illmatic's musical endowments. “Drawing on everything from old school hip hop, to blues, to fairly avant-garde jazz compositions,” writes music blogger Kenny Waste, “the sampling choices within Illmatic reflect an individual with not only a deep appreciation for but also a deep knowledge of music.”^[25]Musicologist and pianist Guthrie Ramsay Jr. describes Illmatic as 'an artistic emblem' that 'anchors itself in the moment while reminding us that powerful musical statements often select past material and knowledge for use in the present and hope for the future.'^[34] Kevin Coval considers the sampling of artists Craig G and Biz Markie in 'Memory Lane' as an attempt to build upon the hip hop tradition of Queens, most notably the Juice Crew All Stars.^[26] These samples are intended to serve as tributes to “Nas' lyrical forebearers [sic] and around-the-way influences. He is repping his borough's hip hop canon.”^[26] The involvement of older artists, including Nas' father, has also been cited as a formative influence in the making of Illmatic. Author Adam Mansbach argues, “It's the presence of all these benevolent elders –his father and the cadre of big brother producers steering the album – that empowers Nas to rest comfortably in his identity as an artist and an inheritor of tradition, and thus find the space to innovate.”^[34]

Music writers have also characterized the album's contents as a commentary on hip hop's evolution. As Princeton University professor Imani Perry writes, Illmatic “embodies the entire story of hip-hop, bearing all of its features and gifts. Nas has the raw lyrics of old schoolers, the expert deejaying and artful lyricism of the 1980s, the slice of hood life, and the mythic .. The history of hip-hop up to 1994 is embodied in Illmatic.”^[38] In the song, 'Represent', Nas alludes to the Juice Crew's conflict with Boogie Down Productions, which arose as a dispute over the purported origins of hip hop. Princeton University professor Eddie S. Glaude Jr. claims that this 'situates Queensbridge and himself within the formative history of hip-hop culture.'^[39] The opening skit, 'The Genesis,' also contains an audio sample of the 1983 film, Wild Style, which showcased the work of early hip hop pioneers such as Grandmaster Flash, Fab Five Freddy, and the Rock Steady Crew. After the music of Wild Style is unwittingly rejected by one of his peers, Nas admonishes his friend about the importance of their musical roots. Kenny Waste suggests that embedded deep within this track 'is a complex and subtle exposition on the themes of Illmatic.”^[25] Similarly, Professor Adilifu Nama of California State University Northridge writes, “'[T]he use of Wild Style..goes beyond a simple tactic to imbue Illmatic with an aura of old-school authenticity. The sonic vignette comments on the collective memory of the hip hop community and its real, remembered, and even imagined beginning, as well as the pitfalls of assimilation, the importance of history, and the passing of hip-hop's 'age of innocence'.”^[40]

Lyricism[edit]

Illmatic has been noted by music writers for Nas' unique style of delivery and poetic substance.^[24] His lyrics contain layered rhythms, multisyllabic rhymes, internalhalf rhymes, assonance, and enjambment.^[26] Music critic Marc Lamont Hill of PopMatters elaborates on Nas' lyricism and delivery throughout the album, stating 'Nas' complex rhyme patterns, clever wordplay, and impressive vocab took the art [of rapping] to previously unprecedented heights. Building on the pioneering work of Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, and Rakim, tracks like 'Halftime' and the laid back 'One Time 4 Your Mind' demonstrated a [high] level of technical precision and rhetorical dexterity.'^[41] Hill cites 'Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)' as 'an exemplar of flawless lyricism',^[41] while critic Steve Juon wrote that the lyrics of the album's last song, 'It Ain't Hard to Tell', are 'just as quotable if not more-so than anything else on the LP – what album could end on a higher note than this?':^[32]

Focusing on poetic forms found in his lyrics, Princeton University professor Imani Perry describes Nas' performance as that of a 'poet-musician' indebted to the conventions of jazz poetry. She suggests that Nas' lyricism might have been shaped by the 'black art poetry album genre,' pioneered by Gil Scott-Heron, The Last Poets, and Nikki Giovanni.^[36]Chicago-based poet and music critic Kevin Coval attributes Nas' lyricism to his unique approach to rapping, which he describes as a 'fresh-out-the-rhyme-book presentation': 'It's as if Nas, the poet, reporter, brings his notebook into the studio, hears the beat, and weaves his portraits on top with ill precision.'^[26] Coval also comments on the rapper's vignettes of inner-city life, which are depicted using elaborate rhyme structures: 'All the words, faces and bodies of an abandoned post-industrial, urban dystopia are framed in Nas's tightly packed stanzas. These portraits of his brain and community in handcuffs are beautiful, brutal and extremely complex, and they lend themselves to the complex and brilliantly compounded rhyme schemes he employs.'^[26]

Production[edit]

Illmatic also garnered praise for its production. According to critics, the album's five major producers (Large Professor, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip and L.E.S.) extensively contributed to the cohesive atmospheric aesthetic that permeated the album, while still retaining each's individual, trademark sound.^[42][43]' For instance, DJ Premier's production on the album is noted by critics for his minimalist style, which featured simple loops over heavy beats.^[44] Charles Aaron of Spin wrote of the producers' contributions, 'nudging him toward Rakim-like-rumination, they offer subdued, slightly downcast beats, which in hip hop today means jazz, primarily of the '70s keyboard-vibe variety'.^[45]Q magazine noted that 'the musical backdrops are razor sharp; hard beats but with melodic hooks and loops, atmospheric background piano, strings or muted trumpet, and samples .. A potent treat.'^[43] One music critic wrote that 'Illmatic is laced with some of the finest beats this side of In Control Volume 1'.^[44]

The majority of the album consists of vintage funk, soul, and jazz samples.^[46] Commenting on the album and its use of samples, Pitchfork's Jeff Weiss claims that both Nas and his producers found inspiration for the album's production through the music of their childhood: 'The loops rummage through their parent's collection: Donald Byrd, Joe Chambers, Ahmad Jamal, Parliament, Michael Jackson. Nas invites his rolling stone father, Olu Dara to blow the trumpetcoda on 'Life's a Bitch'. Jazz rap fusion had been done well prior, but rarely with such subtlety. Nas didn't need to make the connection explicit—he allowed you to understand what jazz was like the first time your parents and grandparents heard it.'^[20] Similarly, journalist Ben Yew comments on the album's nostalgic sounds, 'The production, accentuated by infectious organ loop[s], vocal sample[s], and synthesizer-like pads in the background, places your mind in a cheerful, reminiscent, mood.'^[47]

Songs[edit]

The intro, 'The Genesis', is composed as an aural montage that begins with the sound of an elevated train and an almost-inaudible voice rhyming beneath it. Over these sounds are two men arguing.^[24] It samplesGrand Wizard Theodore's 'Subway Theme' from the 1983 film Wild Style, the first major hip hop motion picture.^[46] Nas made another ode to Wild Style, while shooting the music video for his single, 'It Ain't Hard to Tell', on the same stage as the final scene for the film.^[48] His verse on 'Live at the Barbeque' is played in the background of 'The Genesis'.^[32] According to music writer Mickey Hess, in the intro, 'Nas tells us everything he wants us to know about him. The train is shorthand for New York; the barely discernible rap is, in fact, his 'Live at the Barbeque' verse; and the dialogue comes from Wild Style, one of the earliest movies to focus on hip hop culture. Each of these is a point of genesis. New York for Nas as a person, 'Live at the Barbeque' for Nas the rapper, and Wild Style, symbolically at least, for hip hop itself. These are my roots, Nas was saying, and he proceeded to demonstrate exactly what those roots had yielded.'^[24]

Setting the general grimy, yet melodic, tone of the album,^[46] 'N.Y. State of Mind' features a dark, jazzy piano sample courtesy of DJ Premier.^[49] It opens with high-pitched guitar notes looped from jazz and funk musician Donald Byrd's 'Flight Time' (1972), while the prominent groove of piano notes was sampled from the Joe Chambers composition 'Mind Rain' (1978).^[46] The lyrics of 'N.Y. State of Mind' have Nas recounting his participation in gang violence and philosophizing that 'Life is parallel to Hell, but I must maintain', while his rapping spans over forty bars.^[50] 'N.Y. State of Mind' focuses on a mindstate that a person obtains from living in Nas' impoverished environment.^[32] Critic Marc Hill of PopMatters wrote that the song 'provides as clear a depiction of ghetto life as a Gordon Parks photograph or a Langston Hughes poem.'^[41]

In other songs on Illmatic, Nas celebrates life's pleasures and achievements, acknowledging violence as a feature of his socio-economic conditions rather than the focus of his life.^[24] 'Life's a Bitch' contains a sample of The Gap Band's hit 'Yearning for Your Love' (1980),^[46] and has guest vocals from East New York-based rapper AZ.^[49] It also features Nas's father, Olu Dara, playing a trumpet solo as the music fades out.^[49] A columnist for OhWord.com wrote that Dara's contribution to the song provides a 'beautifully wistful end to a track that feels drenched in the dying rays of a crimson sunset over the city.'^[46] 'The World Is Yours' provides a more optimistic narrative from Nas' viewpoint,^[49] as he cites political and spiritual leader Gandhi as an influence in its verse, in contrast to the previous Scarface references of 'N.Y. State of Mind'.^[51] While citing 'Life's a Bitch' as 'possibly the saddest hip-hop song ever recorded', Rhapsody's Sam Chennault wrote that 'The World Is Yours' 'finds optimism in the darkest urban crevices'.^[19] 'The World Is Yours' was named the seventh greatest rap song by About.com.^[52]

The nostalgic 'Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)' contains a Reuben Wilson sample, which comprises the sound of a Hammond organ, guitar, vocals and percussion,^[46] and adds to the track's ghostly harmonies.^[53] Spence D. of IGN wrote that the lyrics evoke 'the crossroads of old school hip hop and new school.'^[51] 'One Love' is composed of a series of letters to incarcerated friends,^[54] recounting mutual acquaintances and events that have occurred since the receiver's imprisonment,^[41] and address unfaithful girlfriends, emotionally tortured mothers, and underdog loyalty.^[55] The phrase 'one love' signifies street loyalty in the song.^[51] After delivering 'shout-outs to locked down comrades', Nas chastises a youth who seems destined for prison in the final verse, 'Shorty's laugh was cold blooded as he spoke so foul/Only twelve tryin' to tell me that he liked my style [..] Words of wisdom from Nas, try to rise up above/Keep a eye out for Jake, shorty-wop, one love'.^[32] Produced by Q-Tip, 'One Love' samples the double bass and piano from the Heath Brothers' 'Smilin' Billy Suite Part II' (1975) and the drum break from Parliament's 'Come In Out the Rain' (1970), complementing the track's mystical and hypnotic soundscape.^[46]

'One Time 4 Your Mind' features battle rapbraggadocio by Nas.^[51] With a similar vibe as 'N.Y. State of Mind', the rhythmic 'Represent' has a serious tone, exemplified by Nas' opening lines, 'Straight up shit is real and any day could be your last in the jungle/get murdered on the humble, guns will blast and niggaz tumble'.^[49] While the majority of the album consists of funk, soul and jazz samples, 'Represent' contains a sample of 'Thief of Bagdad' by organist Lee Erwin from the 1924 film of the same name.^[46] Nas discusses his lifestyle in an environment where he 'loves committin' sins' and 'life ain't shit, but stress, fake niggas and crab stunts',^[17] while describing himself as 'The brutalizer, crew de-sizer, accelerator/The type of nigga who be pissin' in your elevator'.^[41] 'It Ain't Hard to Tell' is a braggadocio rap:^[24] 'Vocals'll squeeze glocks, MC's eavesdrop/Though they need not to sneak/My poetry's deep, I never fail/Nas's raps should be locked in a cell'.^[56] It opens with guitars and synths of Michael Jackson's 'Human Nature' (1983); the song's vocals are sampled for the intro and chorus sections, creating a swirling mix of horns and tweaked-out voices.^[51]Large Professor looped in drum samples from Stanley Clarke's 'Slow Dance' (1978) and saxophone from Kool & the Gang's 'N.T.' (1971).^[46]

Artwork[edit]

On the vinyl and cassette pressings of Illmatic, the traditional side A and side B division are replaced with '40th Side North' and “41st Side South,” respectively – the main streets that form the geographic boundaries that divide the Queensbridge housing projects. Professor Sohail Daulatzai views this labeling as significant, since it transforms Illmatic into 'a sonic map.' The album serves as the legend for Nas's ghetto cartography, as he narrates his experiences and those who live in the Queensbridge” ^[36] In a 2009 interview with XXL, Nas discussed the purpose behind the album artwork among other promotional efforts, stating 'Really the record had to represent everything Nasir Jones is about from beginning to end, from my album cover to my videos. My record company had to beg me to stop filmin' music videos in the projects. No matter what the song was about I had 'em out there. That's what it was all about for me, being that kid from the projects, being a poster child for that, that didn't exist back then.'^[16]

Album cover[edit]

The album cover of Illmatic features a picture of Nas as a child, which was taken after his father, Olu Dara, returned home from an overseas tour.^[5] The original cover was intended to have a picture of Nas holding Jesus Christ in a headlock,^[5] reflecting the religious imagery of Nas' rap on 'Live at the Barbeque'; 'When I was 12, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus'.^[11]

The accepted cover, designed by Aimee Macauley, features a photo of Nas as a child superimposed over a backdrop of a city block,^[32] taken by Danny Clinch.^[57] In a 1994 interview, Nas discussed the concept behind the photo of him at age 7, stating 'That was the year I started to acknowledge everything [around me]. That's the year everything set off. That's the year I started seeing the future for myself and doing what was right. The ghetto makes you think. The world is ours. I used to think I couldn't leave my projects. I used to think if I left, if anything happened to me, I thought it would be no justice or I would be just a dead slave or something. The projects used to be my world until I educated myself to see there's more out there.'^[15] As yet, Nas has not pointed to any outside influence for the artwork of his album cover. However, according to Ego Trip, the cover of Illmatic is 'reputedly' believed to have been inspired by a jazz album, Howard Hanger Trio's A Child Is Born (1974) — whose cover also features a photograph of a child, superimposed on an urban landscape.^[58]

Since its release, the cover art of Illmatic has also gained an iconic reputation — having been subject to numerous parodies and tributes.^[58] Music columnist Byron Crawford later called the cover for Illmatic 'one of the dopest album covers ever in hip-hop.'^[59] Commenting on the cover's artistic value, Rob Marriott of Complex writes, 'Illmatic's poignant cover matched the mood, tone, and qualities of this introspective album to such a high degree that it became an instant classic, hailed as a visual full of meaning and nuance.'^[60]XXL magazine called the album cover a 'high art photo concept for a rap album' and described the artwork as a 'noisy, confusing streetscape looking through the housing projects and a young boy superimposed in the center of it all.'^[61] The XXL columnist also compared the cover to that of rapper Lil Wayne's sixth studio album Tha Carter III (2008), stating that it also 'reflects the reality of disenfranchised youth today.'^[61]

On the song 'Shark Niggas (Biters)' from his debut album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.. (1995), rapper Raekwon with Ghostface Killah criticized the cover of The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die (1994), which was released a few months after Illmatic, for featuring a picture of a baby with an afro, implying that his cover had copied the idea from Nas.^[62] This generated long-standing controversy between the rappers, resulting in an unpublicized feud which Nas later referenced in the song 'Last Real Nigga Alive' from his sixth studio album God's Son (2002).

Commercial performance[edit]

Illmatic was released on April 19, 1994 through Columbia Records in the United States.^[57] The album also featured international distribution that same year in countries including France, the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom.^{[63][64][65][66]} In its first week of release, Illmatic made its debut on the Billboard 200 at number 12, selling 60,000 copies.^[67] In spite of this, initial record sales fell below expectations.^[5] The album's five radio singles failed to obtain considerable chart success. The lead single, 'Halftime', only charted on the Hot Rap Singles chart at number 8, while 'Life's a Bitch' did not chart at all.^[68] The album also suffered from extensive bootlegging prior to its release. 'Regional demand was so high,' writes music critic Jeff Weiss, 'that Serch claimed he discovered a garage with 60,000 bootlegged copies.'^[20] While initial sales were low, the album was eventually certified Gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 17, 1996 after shipping 500,000 copies; the RIAA later certified Illmatic Platinum on December 11, 2001, following shipments in excess of a million copies.^[67] Charting together with the original Illmatic (according to the rules by Billboard), the twentieth anniversary release, Illmatic XX, sold 15,000 copies in its first week returning to Billboard 200 at number 18, with an 844% sales gain.^[69] As of April 20, 2014, the album sold 1,686,000 copies in the US.^[69] In April 2002, the album was also certified gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association for shipments in excess of 50,000 copies in Canada.^[70] The album has sold 2 million copies in the United States as of February 6, 2019.

Critical reception[edit]

Illmatic received widespread acclaim from contemporary critics,^[77] many of whom hailed it as a masterpiece.^[78]NME called its music 'rhythmic perfection',^[73] and Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune cited it as the best hardcore hip hop album 'out of the East Coast in years'.^[42] Dimitri Ehrlich of Entertainment Weekly credited Nas for giving his neighborhood 'proper respect' while establishing himself, and said that the clever lyrics and harsh beats 'draw listeners into the borough's lifestyle with poetic efficiency.'^[71]Touré, writing for Rolling Stone, hailed Nas as an elite rapper because of his articulation, detailed lyrics, and Rakim-like tone, all of which he said 'pair [Illmatic's] every beautiful moment with its harsh antithesis.'^[74]

Christopher John Farley of Time praised the album as a 'wake-up call to [Nas'] listeners' and commended him for rendering rather than glorifying 'the rough world he comes from'.^[7]USA Today's James T. Jones IV cited his lyrics as 'the most urgent poetry since Public Enemy' and also commended Nas for honestly depicting dismal ghetto life without resorting to the sensationalism and misogyny of contemporary gangsta rappers.^[76] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post praised Nas for 'balancing limitations and possibilities, distinguishing hurdles and springboards, and acknowledging his own growth from roughneck adolescent to a maturing adult who can respect and criticize the culture of violence that surrounds him'.^[33]

In a mixed review, Heidi Siegmund of the Los Angeles Times found most of Illmatic hampered by 'tired attitudes and posturing', and interpreted its acclaim from East Coast critics as 'an obvious attempt to wrestle hip-hop away from the West'.^[72]Charles Aaron of Spin felt that the comparisons to Rakim 'will be more deserved' if Nas can expand on his ruminative lyrics with 'something more personally revealing'.^[45] In his initial review for Playboy, Robert Christgau called it 'New York's typically spare and loquacious entry in the post-gangsta sweepstakes' and recommended it to listeners who 'crave full-bore authenticity without brutal posturing'.^[79] He gave Illmatic a three-star honorable mention rating in his 2000 book Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s, indicating 'an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure'.^[80] Christgau would later retract the rating and award the album an elevated A− rating in a retrospective review for MSN Music.^[81]

The Source[edit]

Upon its release, The Source gave Illmatic a five mic rating,^[75] their highest rating and a prestigious achievement at the time,^[82] given the magazine's influence in the hip hop community.^[5]Jon Shecter, co-founder of The Source, had received a copy of the album eight months before its scheduled release, and soon lobbied for it to receive a five mic rating.^[83] On his Tumblr blog, Schecter recounts hearing Illmatic in a meeting with editors on the staff:

It's about 9pm… I get to the office and I gather all the heads in the conference room. I remember who was there: @MatteoGlen [the twitter account of Matty C, then The Source's 'Unsigned Hype' editor] @CeeWild [twitter account of Chris Wilder, another editor], @FrozenFiles [twitter account of Schott 'Free' Jacobs, another contemporary editor]. Everyone is nodding their heads, eyes wide, mouths open, it's hip-hop paradise. We had a pretty shitty system in there but it didn't matter, I pop in the tape and the powerful musical magic emits from the speakers. When those funky/eerie/powerful xylophone notes from 'One Love' come on, I remember @FrozenFiles is literally lying on the floor… He can't comprehend how good it is. None of us can. It's the best shit we've heard in our lives… Internally, we start debating how we're gonna handle this. I say right away that it's gotta get a '5'^[84]

Eventually, the review for Illmatic was handled by the magazine's columnist Miss Info (real name Minya Oh, then writing under the nom de plume 'shortie'), who shared Schecter's enthusiasm for Nas' album. In her review of Illmatic, Oh wrote, 'I must maintain this is one of the best hip-hop albums I have ever heard' and wrote of its content, 'Lyrically, the whole shit is on point. No cliched metaphors, no gimmicks. Never too abstract, never superficial.'^[75] She also commented on the impact of Nas' 'poetic realism' writing: “Nas' images remind me of the personal memories and people, both passed and present.. All this may sound like melodrama but it not just me. I've been hearing similar responses all over. While 'Memory Lane' is my shit, my homies claim 'The World Is Yours,' and if you've got peoples doing time, then 'One Love' may hit you the hardest.'^[75] With the backing of Schecter and the other editors on the staff, Minya awarded Illmatic with the magazine's highest rating.

Controversy[edit]

At the time, it was unheard of for a debuting artist to receive the coveted rating.^[83] Author Matthew Gasteier writes, “It's difficult to overestimate the impact of receiving the five out of five mics, the first such rating given to any new release by the magazine since its then-editor Reginald Dennis put a moratorium on them.'^[85] Reginald Dennis, former music editor of the magazine and XXL co-founder, later recounted, 'Awarding records 5 mics – classic status – has always been, on some levels, troubling to me. I mean, we are not only saying that a particular piece of music is superior to everything that is out now, but it will be better than most things released in the future as well [..] I only gave one 5 under my watch and it went to Nas's Illmatic.'^[83] Dennis cited it as 'the only time I ever broke the 'no 5' rule' and added, 'I told Jon that we'd work all of that stuff out when it was time to review the album. But everyday, Jon was like, 'yo, this album is 5 mics — seriously, Reg, 5 mics!'^[83]

The rating did not come without its share of controversy.^[85] Reginald Dennis described to the reaction that followed Minya Oh's review: 'I was happy, Jon was happy, Nas was happy, everybody was happy — except for all of the people who felt that The Chronic should have also gotten a 5.'^[83] Only two years prior, Dr. Dre's groundbreaking The Chronic failed to earn the coveted rating, despite redefining the musical landscape of hip hop. It was later revealed that while everybody at the magazine knew it was an instant classic, they decided to comply with the strict policy of staying away from a perfect rating.^[86] Subsequently, when Nas's album was exempted from this moratorium, many fans pointed to this decision as a confirmation of journalistic bias towards East Coast hip hop.^[60][85] Despite receiving criticism over his staff's earlier review of The Chronic, Reginald Dennis continues to defend the decision to award Illmatic with the magazine's highest rating: 'I'm just happy that Illmatic is universally acclaimed as a classic, so no one can accuse me of dropping the ball .. And if I hadn't gone through what I did with The Chronic, I wouldn't have had the flexibility to allow for the bending of my policy. So I think it all worked out well.”^[83]

Retrospect[edit]

Since its initial reception, Illmatic has been viewed by music writers as one of the quintessential hip hop recordings of the 1990s, while its rankings near the top of many publications' 'best album' lists in disparate genres have given it a reputation as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.^[94][95][96] Jon Pareles of The New York Times cited Illmatic as a 'milestone in trying to capture the 'street ghetto essence'.^[97] The album has been described by a number of writers and critics as 'classic'.^{[87][98][99][100]} Chris Ryan, writing in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), called Illmatic 'a portrait of an artist as a hood, loner, tortured soul, juvenile delinquent, and fledgling social critic,' and wrote that it 'still stands as one of rap's crowning achievements'.^[92] In a retrospective review for MSN Music, Christgau said the record was 'better than I thought at the time for sure—as happens with aesthetes sometimes, the purists heard subtleties principled vulgarians like me were disinclined to enjoy', although he still found it inferior to The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album Ready to Die (1994).^[81] In 2002, Prefix Mag's Matthew Gasteier re-examined Illmatic and its musical significance, stating:

Illmatic is the best hip-hop record ever made. Not because it has ten great tracks with perfect beats and flawless rhymes, but because it encompasses everything great about hip-hop that makes the genre worthy of its place in music history. Stylistically, if every other hip-hop record were destroyed, the entire genre could be reconstructed from this one album. But in spirit, Illmatic can just as easily be compared to Ready to Die, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, and Enter the Wu-Tang as it can to Rites of Spring, A Hard Day's Night, Innervisions, and Never Mind the Bollocks. In Illmatic, you find the meaning not just of hip-hop, but of music itself: the struggle of youth to retain its freedom, which is ultimately the struggle of man to retain his own essence.^[50]

Illmatic has been included in numerous publications' 'best album' lists in disparate genres.^[96]Pitchfork listed the album at number 33 on its list of the Top 100 Albums of the 1990s, and the publication's columnist Hartley Goldstein called the album 'the meticulously crafted essence of everything that makes hip-hop music great; it's practically a sonic strand of the genre's DNA.'^[101] It was listed as one of 33 hip hop/R&B albums in Rolling Stone's 'Essential Recordings of the 90s'.^[102] It was ranked number five in 'The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time' and number three in Hip Hop Connection's 'Top 100 Readers Poll'.^[103][104] The album was also ranked number four in Vibe's list of the Top 10 Rap Albums and number two on MTV's list of The Greatest Hip Hop Albums of All Time.^[105] In 1998, it was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.^[106] In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked the album number 400 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time;^[107] it was ranked number 314 in a revised list in 2012.^[108] On March 30, 2004, Illmatic was remastered and re-released with a bonus disc of remixes and new material produced by Marley Marl and Large Professor, in commemoration of its tenth anniversary.^[109] Upon its 2004 re-release, Marc Hill of PopMatters dubbed it 'the greatest album of all time' and stated, 'Ten years after its release, Illmatic stands not only as the best hip-hop album ever made, but also one of the greatest artistic productions of the twentieth century.'^[41] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[110] A February 19, 2014 Village Voice cover story ranked Illmatic as the Most New York City album ever.^[111]

Impact[edit]

East Coast hip hop[edit]

Illmatic has been noted as one of the most influential hip hop albums of all time, with pundits describing it as an archetypal East Coast hip hop album.^[3][93] Jeff Weiss of Pitchfork writes: 'No album better reflected the sound and style of New York, 94. The alembic of soul jazz samples, SP-1200s, broken nose breaks, and raw rap distilled the Henny, no chaser ideal of boom bap.'^[20] Citing Illmatic as part of a string of notable albums released in 1994, David Drake of Stylus Magazine writes 'This was the critical point for the East Coast, a time when rappers from the New York area were releasing bucketloads of thrilling work'.^[112] John Bush of Allmusic compares Illmatic to another DJ Premier production, The Sun Rises in the East (1994), as 'one of the quintessential East Coast records'.^[13] Along with the critical acclaim of the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993) and the success of The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut Ready to Die (1994), Illmatic was also instrumental in restoring interest in the East Coast hip hop scene. 'Rarely has the birthplace of hip-hop,' wrote Rob Marriott of Complex, 'been so unanimous in praise of a rap record and the MC who made it.'^[60] As Nas later recounted: 'It felt amazing to be accepted by New York City in that way..at the time a lot of West Coast hip-hop was selling; East Coast wasn't selling as much, especially for a new artist. So back then you couldn't tell in the sales, but you could tell in the streets'.^[113]

Production[edit]

Illmatic has been noted as a creative high point for East Coast hip hop, since it featured production from renowned New York-based producers Large Professor, Pete Rock and DJ Premier.^[112] The album solidified the reputation of these producers, whose contributions to Illmatic became influential in shaping the soundscape of New York's regional scene.^[60] According to music writer Rob Marriott, Illmatic helped to establish DJ Premier as 'the go-to producer for the jazz-and-blues-inflected knock that became so central to East Coast sound.'^[60]

Following the album's release, hip hop artists increasingly began to draw upon a broad stable of producers for their projects. At the time, the assembly of big-name producers was unprecedented, since most hip hop albums had primarily been the work of one dedicated producer and sometimes an embedded production team.^[5] Yet author Adam Mansbach reflects on the impact of Illmatic's noteworthy producers, writing: 'The psychological impact on the listener of having all these elite producers – some of whom, like Q-Tip, really weren't known yet for doing outside production work at all – coming together to lace the debut of this kid from Queensbridge was tremendous.'^[36] This same template would also be used by other successful East Coast rappers. In an article on New York hip hop, Mosi Reeves of Creative Loafing wrote that 'Nas' Illmatic . . . is the first to draw together top hip hop producers in the recording industry. That formula, most successfully mined by the late Notorious B.I.G. (1997's Life After Death), Puff Daddy (1997's No Way Out) and Jay-Z (1998's Vol. 2.. Hard Knock Life), is what most N.Y. prospects still use today.'^[114] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times writes that after Illmatic's release, “[I]t became commonplace for rappers to search around for different producers who could enhance their sound.'^[115]

Yet while hip-hop artists continue to draw upon this template for album production, the practice has earned some criticism. In an article titled, 'How Nas' 'Illmatic' Ruined Hip-Hop,' Insanul Ahmed of Complex argues that one 'unintended consequence' of Illmatic was the overall decline in the cohesion and quality of rap albums: 'Next thing you knew, rap albums started having a different producer for every song. And like a film that has a different director for every scene, albums became unfocused affairs. This also meant that producers weren't tied to artists anymore.' ^[116]

Queensbridge[edit]

— Hip hop artist and childhood friend, Havoc, reflecting on the local impact of Illmatic in a 2004 interview^[117]

Illmatic is also credited with reviving the Queensbridge rap scene.^[5] Once home to prestigious pioneers such as Marley Marl, MC Shan, Roxanne Shanté, Queensbridge had been one of the most productive hip hop scenes in the country during the 1980s. In an April 2006 article, an XXL columnist wrote of the history and impact of the Queensbridge hip hop scene, stating 'Since the 1980s, New York City's Queensbridge Housing Projects has been documented perhaps better than any other geographic location. Starting with super producer Marley Marl's dominant Juice Crew in the '80s all the way through '90s mainstays like Nas, Cormega and Capone, the Bridge has produced the highest per-capita talent of any 'hood.'^[118] Yet during the early 1990s, the Queensbridge rap scene was otherwise stagnant . According to Nas: 'I was coming from the legacy of Marley Marl, MC Shan, Juice Crew kind of vibe. Knowing these guys out in the neighborhood. At that time, the Queensbridge scene was dead. Dropping that album right there said a lot for me to carry on the legacy of the Queensbridge pioneers.'^[113]

Following Illmatic's release, Queensbridge returned to prominence after years of obscurity, with the ascendancy of the influential hardcore rap group, Mobb Deep (who gained credibility due to their affiliation with Nas) and later with the emergence of the trend-setting duo, Capone-n-Noreaga.^[5] Nas appeared on Mobb Deep's critically acclaimed studio album The Infamous (1995).^[5] Furthermore, the album is credited with launching the career of the East New York-based rapper, AZ. AZ, who gained instant exposure and underground credibility due to his appearance on 'Life's a Bitch', became a frequent collaborator of Nas, who appeared on his debut album Doe or Die (1995).

Decline of alternative hip hop[edit]

Illmatic was one of the first major recordings to emerge from New York's burgeoning hardcore hip hop scene, at a time when much of East Coast hip hop was still dominated by alternative hip hop acts such as A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul (groups often known for their jazz-inspired production and playful sensibilities). Adam Heimlich of The New York Press comments on the appeal of alternative hip-hop in New York City's music scene, and points out that, 'In 1994, there appeared likely to be more money (and definitely more cultural rewards) in working with Arrested Development or Digable Planets.'^[119] Yet according to Heimlich, Illmatic provided an 'explosive, explicit rejection of the cultural assimilation of most previous hip-hop,' due to its rugged use of language and its uncompromising portrayal of crime.^[119] Professor Sohail Dalautzai of the University of Southern California comments on Illmatic's indebtedness to hardcore hip hop: “[B]ecause in bridging the gap and embodying the street swagger of Kool G Rap, the metaphysics of Rakim, and the revolutionary lumpen philosophies of Ice Cube, Nas .. unified the disparate threads of urbanrebellion that were conflagrating from hip-hop's street corner ciphers.”^[115]

Heimlich cites Nas' role in the resurgent hardcore movement, writing: '[Nas] came on the scene as hardcore's golden child. Along with Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and Mobb Deep. . . all but invented 90s New York rap, back when the notion of an 'East Coast gangsta' still meant Schoolly D or Kool G. Rap. Those three .. designed the manner and style in which New York artists would address what Snoop and Dre had made rap's hottest topics: drugs and violence.'^[119] Similarly, Duke University Professor, Mark Anthony Neal, writes, 'Nas was at the forefront of a renaissance of East Coast hip hop' in which '.. a distinct East Coast style of so-called gangsta rap appeared,' as heard in similarly styled recordings such as Wu-Tang Clan's “C.R.E.A.M.” and Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Everyday Struggle'.^[36] Steve Huey of Allmusic concludes that while Illmatic contains strong elements of jazz rap, it nonetheless signaled a major regional shift towards hardcore aesthetics, marking 'the beginning of a shift away from Native Tongues-inspired alternative rap.'^[87]

West Coast hip hop[edit]

The critical acclaim surrounding the album also helped to shift attention away from the melodious, synth-driven, and funk-induced G-funk subgenre, which dominated the charts for some time after Dr. Dre's The Chronic (1992).^[120] Citing the example of Snoop Dogg's wildly popular Doggystyle (released six months prior to Nas' debut) author Matthew Gasteier writes, 'The first thing immediately noticeable about the [Source magazine] review, is that, like essentially every other review about Illmatic in publications like Vibe, Spin, Rolling Stones, and The New York Times, it mentions Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle in the first paragraph.'^[85] That nearly every reviewer felt the need to contextualize their response to Illmatic within the frame of West Coast G-Funk 'is a reminder of just how pervasive the style was within the hip hop world and the music community as a whole.'^[85]

Yet according to writer Mickey Hess, Illmatic was among those East Coast records that helped 'create sparse, rough and rugged soundscapes that clearly differed from Dre's multi-layered melodies.'^[121] As Allmusic's Steve Huey writes, 'It helped spearhead the artistic renaissance of New York hip hop in the post-Chronic era, leading a return to street aesthetics.'^[87] Contrasting these aesthetics with the themes found in G-Funk, writer and filmmaker Dream Hampton writes, 'Illmatic was a dirty bomb thrown at the orchestral sonic soundtrack that was The Chronic.. This wasn't a backyard bikini barbeque where the Ohio Players and DJ Quik were mashed up; this was a three-month bid on Rikers Island, a dirty dice game, blunts of brown Brooklyn sparked in the park after dark.'^[122]

Despite these regional differences, Hampton credits Illmatic with providing a common artistic ground for rappers on the West Coast and East Coast rap scenes. In the 2009 essay 'Born Alone, Die Alone,' she recounts the album's impact on West Coast artist, Tupac Shakur.^[122] While working as a journalist for The Source in 1994, Hampton covered three court cases involving Tupac. Around this time, she received an advance-copy of Illmatic and immediately dubbed a cassette version for Tupac, who became 'an instant convert' of the album. The next day, she writes, Tupac 'arrived in his assigned courtroom blasting Illmatic so loudly that the bailiff yelled at him to turn it off before the judge took his seat on the bench.' In her essay, Hampton implies that Nas' lyricism might have influenced Tupac's acclaimed album, Me Against the World, which was recorded that same year.^[122]

West Coast artist The Game also recounts the impact of Illmatic for fans like himself outside of New York. In his collaboration with Nas on 'Hustlers' (2006), he retells an episode taking place during his youth, where he decided to shoplift both Illmatic and The Chronic: '1995, eleven years from the day/I'm in the record shop with choices to make Illmatic on the top shelf, The Chronic on the left, homie/Wanna cop both but only got a twenty on me/So fuck it, I stole both, spent the twenty on a dub-sack/Ripped the package of Illmatic and bumped that/For my niggas it was too complex when Nas rhymed/I was the only Compton nigga with a New York State of Mind'

Lyricism[edit]

During the time of its release, Illmatic brought a renewed focus on lyricism to hip hop—hearkening back to the heyday of Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, and Rakim.^[5][15] Music journalist Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times wrote of Illmatic, stating that Nas 'perfected a dense, rat-a-tat rhyme style that built upon the legacy of 1980s pioneers like Rakim and Big Daddy Kane.'^[100] In his book To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic, William Jelani Cobb writes of Nas' impact on lyricism and the comparisons to eminent rapper Rakim at the time:

Nas, the poetic sage of the Queensbridge projects, was hailed as the second coming of Rakim—as if the first had reached his expiration date. [..] Nas never became 'the next Rakim,' nor did he really have to. Illmatic stood on its own terms. The sublime lyricism of the CD, combined with the fact that it was delivered into the crucible of the boiling East-West conflict, quickly solidified [his] reputation as the premier writer of his time.^[123]

Despite its initial low sales, the album had a profound impact on the hip hop underground circuit, and marked a major stylistic change in hip hop music by introducing a new standard of lyricism.^[47] Before the album's release, hip-hop lyricism was mostly defined by two popular forms. One was characterized by a fast-paced ragga-flow accompanied with a whimsical, often nonsensical lyrical delivery, and had been popularized by the Brooklyn-based groups Das EFX and The Fu-Schnickens.^[124] The other was characterized by a slurred 'lazy drawl' that sacrificed lyrical complexity for clarity and rhythmiccadence, and was exemplified by West Coast hip hop emcees including Snoop Doggy Dogg and Warren G.^[125] However, Nas' content, verbal pace, and intricate internal rhymepatterns inspired several rappers to modify their lyrical abilities.^[5][15] Music critic Rob Marriott notes, '[R]appers like Mobb Deep, Tragedy Khadafi, Nature, Cormega, Noreaga, Capone, Raekwon, Ghostface, and even the Windy City wordsmith Common seemed to find new inspiration in Nas' self awareness, internal rhyme schemes, and mastery of street detail.'^[60] Marriott also describes the impact of Illmatic's 'poetic approach' on Jay-Z, writing: 'The Brooklyn MC switched his style up from his fast-talking Jaz-O days enough to produce Reasonable Doubt, an album marked by Nas-like introspection..'^[60]

Many rappers have taken note of Illmatic's influence on their lyricism. Ghostface Killah recounted, “When I used to listen to Nas back in the days, it was like, 'Oh shit! He murdered that.' That forced me to get my pen game up .. The whole Illmatic album forced you to go ahead and do shit .. It was inspiration.' ^[126] Detroit rapper Elzhi states, '[A]round the time Nas did Illmatic, it made me wanna step my game up .. He's one of the reasons I did go off into storytelling because his pictures were so vivid. When he displayed his rhyme schemes and his word play and his songs, it made me wanna create visual pictures as well.'^[127]Casey Veggies also recounts the impact Nas' lyricism had on his own work as an underground rapper in the 2000s: “I [got into] Illmatic when I was 14, 15. I didn't get onto to it till late, but when I did, that's probably the only thing I listened to for six months to a year .. After I got heavy on Illmatic, I put out Sleeping In Class (2010). That's when I really tried to sharpen my skills and get better.”^[128]

Hip hop poetry[edit]

In addition to his rapping, Nas achieved significance for his poetic use of language. Professor Adilifu Nama of California State University Northridge writes, “With Illmatic, hip-hop witnessed the birth of an urban griot telling hard-boiled tales of ghetto alienation and triumph like a spoken-word of a Chester Himes novel'^[115] Author and music writer Todd Boyd wrote of Nas' urban realism, stating that his 'poetic lyrics are some of the most poignant words ever to describe the postindustrial urban experience. His spoken-word like delivery and his vivid use of metaphor placed him at the top of the game in terms of overall skills as an MC and as a cultural commentator.'^[18] An OhWord.com columnist similarly described Nas as a 'genius introvert who rose out of the rubble of Reaganomics to bless the mic with a forward brand of introspective, redemptive street poetry'.^[21]Princeton University professor Imani Perry also describes Illmatic as 'ars poetica, a definitive statement for the art of hip-hop poetry.'^[115]

According to author and poet Kevin Coval, Nas “raise[d] the bar for MCs” by advancing his lyricism “from punch lines and hot lines to whole thought pictures manifest in rhyme form.” Together with Paul Beatty's seminal collection of poems, Joker Joker Deuce (1994) Coval cites the release of Illmatic as a 'generational moment' that marked the development of hip hop poetry.^[26] Just as hip-hop poetics were being written and published for the first time on paper, Nas provided a sonic production that definitively captured 'the poetic response' to hip hop music.^[26] “It is from this point on,” he writes, “that style, technique and craft merge with collage/pastiche, braggadocio, stark portrait-painting from the margins, frenetic, fun and funny wordplay, and the rupture of linear storytelling schemes. These become tropes in a burgeoning school of American letters that's moving toward an aesthetics of hip-hop poetics.'^[26]

Many of the poetic tropes found in Illmatic have also become terms and phrases within hip-hop lexicon.^[60] 'The World Is Yours,' Nas' reference to the blimp in Scarface,' writes Rob Marriott, 'has remained a trope hip-hop has taken to heart .. Even the word 'Illmatic' itself [..] became synonymous with anything surprisingly excellent, street-born and/or out of left field.'^[60] In 2013, music writer Jeff Weiss commented on the extensive vernacular usage of Illmatic, writing: 'The phrases and images are so deeply rooted in rap consciousness to have become cliché. Over the last 19 years, a million secret handshakes and scratchedhooks have been executed to lines from Illmatic.'^[20]

Hip hop artists[edit]

Many respected mainstream and underground rappers have acknowledged Illmatic's influence. These wide range of artists include the battle rappers, SunN.Y.^[129] and Reef The Lost Cauze,^[130]conscious rappersTalib Kweli^[131] and Lupe Fiasco,^[132] the producers Just Blaze^[133] and 9th Wonder,^[134] as well as the platinum-selling artists Wiz Khalifa,^[135]Alicia Keys^[136] and The Game, who makes references to the album on his debut, The Documentary^[137] In 2006, Illmatic was featured in a list of acclaimed hip hop albums, compiled by Clipse. Malice, a member of the hip hop duo, claimed: 'Illmatic captured the whole New York state of mind for me. It embraced everything I knew New York to be. The album had 10 songs, all of them flawless. Me and my homies got great memories of rolling around listening to that, huslin', smokin', chillin'. That embodied everything that was right with hip-hop. That CD never came out my deck.'^[138] Speaking in 2012, British producer, DJ Semtex described Illmatic as 'an exemplary album of perfection that forced the evolution of lyricism and production values within hip hop. Eighteen years later it remains omnipotent.'^[139]

In 2006, Marc Mac of the electronic music duo 4hero, produced a cover version of 'The World Is Yours' as part of his jazz and hip-hip fusion project, The Visioneers. Lyrics from Illmatic have also been sampled by other rappers, most notably Big L's 'Ebonics' (which samples 'It Ain't Hard to Tell'), Milkbone's 'Keep It Real' (which samples 'Life's a Bitch'), Real Live's 'Real Live Shit' (which samples 'It Ain't Hard to Tell'), Damu the Fudgemunk's 'Prosper' ft. Raw Poetic (which samples 'N.Y. State of Mind'), Blu & Exile's 'In Remembrance' (which samples 'The World Is Yours' and 'One Love'), Mac Miller's 'Nikes On My Feet' (which samples 'The World Is Yours') and Jay-Z's 'Rap Game/Crack Game' (which samples 'Represent') and 'Dead Presidents II' (which samples 'The World Is Yours').

Legacy and tributes[edit]

Since its release, Illmatic has become a benchmark for upcoming rappers whose albums are widely anticipated by critics. Hip hop pundits have viewed debut albums as crucial in generating publicity and shaping the legacy of an artist's career. Given the historic anticipation and acclaim surrounding Nas' debut, Illmatic has become a byword for this sort of phenomenon. As one columnist for the Complex Magazine writes, 'Think about the question that pops into your head whenever a new rapper drops his first album: 'Is it the next Illmatic?'^[140] In 2012, the release of Kendrick Lamar's album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, drew comparisons to Illmatic from critics and journalists.^[141][142] In an interview with 2 Dope Boyz, Lamar commented on these comparisons, stating:

“Illmatic? For people to even put my album in the light of that, is an accomplishment. It's crazy to even be mentioned with it but it's scary at the same time .. That era – I wanna say the age range now would be 30, 30 to 40 – they can recognize this was the album. Illmatic's the album for the '90s era when I was growing up .. it's just a weird feeling to be in that same type of light, 'cus it takes a whole lot of responsibility to keep that up in the long run and longevity, and that's something I don't have yet…so Illmatic will always be #1.”^[143]

Illmatic has also been cited as a musical template for other hip hop artists. Common's critically acclaimed album Be (2005) has been said to have been molded after Illmatic.^{[144][145][146]} In 2010, underground hip hop artist Fashawn released the mixtape Ode to Illmatic to 'pay homage, 'cause Illmatic was one of them kinda albums that really impacted my life”.^[147]Detroit rapper Elzhi released a remake of Illmatic titled Elmatic (2011).^[148] Taking note of a trend of tributes to Illmatic in 2011, Richard Watson of The Guardian wrote, 'To quote Nasir Jones himself..'It Ain't Hard To Tell' why today's rappers are paying tribute to his debut album. Illmatic has become a totem, a work that both looked back into hip-hop history and pointed towards its future. '^[149]

Intellectual response[edit]

Illmatic has also received notable attention from scholars and authors outside the music industry. Since its release, the album has become the subject of scholarship within academic and literary circles. In 2009, as part of the 33⅓ book series, author Matthew Gasteier published a deconstruction of Illmatic, that focuses on the dualities that inform its narratives. In 2012, playwright Shaun Neblett created a tribute play titled Homage 3: Illmatic, which tells the story of an aspiring artist and explores the themes found in Nas' debut.^[150] '[A]s its title suggests,' writes one reviewer, '..the play is completely based on and acts as a tribute to Nas' Illmatic album. The rappers' bars come alive on stage through Homage 3, which deliberately shows how intellectually well-versed Nas truly is, and much bigger than that, how much Hip-Hop has to offer, culturally, outside of the radio, clubs and the street.'^[150]

Illmatic is also the focus of a significant work of hip-hop scholarship, Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic (2009), edited by Michael Eric Dyson and Sohail Daulatzai. With contributions from figures such as Greg Tate, Adam Mansbach, Eddie Glaude, Dream Hampton, Marc Lamont Hill, and Suheir Hammad, Born to Use Mics.. is the first academic project to assemble a group of scholars, poets, filmmakers, journalists, novelists, and musicians to reflect on a specific hip hop album.^[151] In the introduction, Daulatzai explains the singular focus on Illmatic, writing:

[S]ome might ask, why Illmatic? Why not Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded, Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation to Hold Us Back, or Ice Cube's AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted? No doubt these were great albums, coming at a moment when hip hop was cutting its teeth on social commentary and refining its ear on dusty breaks, hard snares, and sonic mayhem. But there is something about Illmatic that transcends the categories that have ever existed about hip-hop. Something complex about its simplicity, something elusive that we felt we wanted to explore. Straight up though, Illmatic is just a dope album, embodying everything that is hip-hop while mastering what matters most: beats and rhymes.^[36]

Hip hop debates[edit]

Illmatic has also helped to shape the attitudes and perceptions of hip hop fans, who cherish it as a music template that defines the genre's conventions. As music critic Jeff Weiss writes, “Illmatic is the gold standard that boom-bapconnoisseurs refer to in the same way that Baby Boomers talk about Highway 61 Revisited. The evidence they point to when they want to say: this is how good it can be.”^[20]New York Times columnist Jon Caramanica also credits the album with inadvertently spawning hip hop's counterculture. 'Illmatic' he writes, 'mobilized a national network of dissidents craving something true to the streets but eager to distance themselves from what was beginning to be perceived as a scourge – gangster rap.' According to Caramanica, Nas' debut was received by these fans as a 'rebuke' towards trends that were beginning to shape mainstream rap: 'the pop crossover, the exuberant production values, [and] the splintering of rap into blithe and concerned wings.'^[115]

For this reason, Caramanica considers Illmatic to be 'unusually significant to the intellectual development of the [hip-hop] genre' yet he also remains critical of the divisiveness spawned by its 'zealots.'^[115] In his essay, 'Night Time is More Trife Than Ever': The Many Misuses of Nas,' he writes: 'Illmatic is responsible for countless pointless 'rap versus hip-hop debates,' a shocking amount of hip-hop self-righteousness, the emergence of the backpack movement as something more than a regional curio, and the persistence of the idea that lyricism is the only standard great rap music should be held to.'^[115] Commenting on these polarized debates, Jeff Weiss suggests that Illmatic is 'best heard by ignoring the dogma, culture wars, Nas clones, and would-be saviors that have accreted since April of 1994. Who cares whether it's the greatest rap album of all-time or not? It's an example of how great rap can be, but not necessarily the way it should be.'^[20]'

Subsequent work by Nas[edit]

While its success helped Nas' career immeasurably, hip hop aficionados have cited the album as his inextricable 'gift and curse'.^[24][41] Due to its critical fame, Nas' subsequent studio albums have been weighed againstIllmatic, despite all of them outselling his debut.^[24] Against this standard, they are often critically deemed as mediocre follow-ups.^[41] After manager Steve Stoute convinced Nas to aim his efforts in a more commercial direction for his follow-up album It Was Written (1996), he enlisted the production team Trackmasters, who were known for their mainstream work at the time.^[5] It was criticized for its embrace of gangsta/mafioso themes and materialistic subject matter, but proved to be a commercial success, selling over three million copies.^[5] Critics gave it mixed reviews, and general consensus was that it failed to live up to the classic status of Illmatic.^[152] Many fans of Illmatic labeled his subsequent efforts as 'selling out', due to his crossover sensibilities (e.g. his participation with the hip hop group The Firm) and radio-friendly hits aimed at the pop charts, such as 'If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)' (1996) and 'Hate Me Now' (1999).^[5]

When he released his third and fourth studio albums, I Am… and Nastradamus (1999), which underwent editing due to bootlegging of the recording sessions,^[5] many fans and critics feared that his career was deteriorating, as both albums received further criticism for their commercially oriented sound.^[5] Reflecting this widespread perception in the hip hop community and adding to his ongoing feud with Nas at the time, Jay-Z mocked him in the song 'Takeover' (2001) for having a 'one hot album [Illmatic] every ten year average'.^[153] A journalist writing for The Source commented on the demanding legacy of Nas' debut: 'Blame excellence, blame perfection and aggression. Blame one of hip-hop's most beautiful moments for the prison that traps Nasir Jones today – blame Illmatic.'^[154] Nas, however, made something of a comeback with his fifth album Stillmatic (2001) and the acclaimed follow-up God's Son (2002), as well as The Lost Tapes (2002), a compilation of previously unreleased tracks from the I Am… and Nastradamus sessions.^[5] Afterwards, his subsequent albums have all been well received by critics.^[155] Nevertheless, most fans have regarded Illmatic as his definitive album.^[41]

In 2011, Nas performed the album in its entirety at Rock the Bells music festival.^[156] The show featured the album's personnel, including Pete Rock, DJ Premier, and AZ, and a stage design depicting the urban landscape of Queensbridge, with graffiti-lined streets, a subway entrance,^[157] and models of Queensbridge's housing project.^[158] In 2012, he also performed the album in its entirety at South by Southwest music festival, with the same personnel and stage design.^[158]Illmatic will be reissued as a deluxe CD bundled with a 48-page hardcover book featuring photos, reproduced artwork, lyrics, and liner notes courtesy of The Source founder Jon Schecter.^[159]

In 2014, Nas announced Illmatic XX, the 20th Anniversary Edition of the original album Illmatic, released April 15, 4 days prior to the 20th Anniversary of the original's release date (April 19). Illmatic XX includes a remastered version of Illmatic, an extra disc of demos, remixes, and unreleased records from that era of Nas' career. He also announced his plans for a tour where he will perform the whole album front to back on each stop.^[160][161]

20th anniversary[edit]

In 2014, Illmatic turned 20. Myspace commissioned authors and musicians alike to create 10 fictional short stories inspired by the album. Musician Mack Wilds is the first perspective by creating his take on 'The Genesis'.

Then writers like Shea Serrano, Rob Marriot, Justin Charity and others finished the table of contents. The book opens hailing Illmatic for its contributions in the hip-Hop genre and having the staying power to last twenty years. Illmatic is known as one of the most refined rap albums, these stories just add to the narrative.^[162]

Track listing[edit]

Sample credits[edit]

The Genesis^[163]

• 'Live at the Barbeque' by Main Source
• 'Introduction' from Wild Style

N.Y. State of Mind^[163]

• 'N.T.' by Kool & the Gang
• 'Flight Time' by Donald Byrd
• 'Mind Rain' by Joe Chambers
• 'Mahogany' by Eric B. & Rakim

Life's a Bitch^[163]

• 'Yearning for Your Love' by The Gap Band

The World Is Yours^[163]

• 'I Love Music' by Ahmad Jamal
• 'It's Yours' by T La Rock

Halftime^[163]

• 'Dead End' by Japanese Hair Cast
• 'School Boy Crush' by Average White Band
• 'Soul Travelin' Pt. 1' by Gary Byrd

Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)^[163]

• 'We're in Love' by Reuben Wilson
• 'Get Out of My Life, Woman' by Allen Toussaint
• 'Pickin' Boogers' by Biz Markie
• 'Droppin' Science' by Marley Marl and Craig G

One Love'^[163]

• 'Come in Out of the Rain' by Parliament
• 'Smilin' Billy Suite Pt. II' by Heath Brothers

One Time 4 Your Mind^[163]

• 'Walter L' by Jimmy Gordon & His Jazznpops Band

Represent^[163]

• 'The Thief of Bagdad' by Lee Erwin
• 'I Didn't Come Rhythm' by George Clinton

It Ain't Hard to Tell^[163]

• 'Human Nature' by Michael Jackson
• 'Slow Dance' by Stanley Clarke
• 'Long Red' by Mountain
• 'N.T.' by Kool & the Gang

Personnel[edit]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Accolades[edit]

The information regarding accolades attributed to Illmatic is adapted from Acclaimed Music.^[96]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

• Illmatic at Discogs (list of releases)
• Illmatic at MusicBrainz (list of releases)