Illmatic
Illmatic
Illmatic
Illmatic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Illmatic
NasIllmatic.jpg
Studio album by Nas
Released April 19, 1994
Recorded 1992�93
Studio Battery Studios, Unique Studios, Chung King Studios and D&D Recording
in New York
Genre
East Coast hip hop hardcore hip hop
Length 39:51
Label Columbia
Producer
Faith N. (exec.) MC Serch (exec.) DJ Premier L.E.S. Pete Rock Large Professor Q-Tip
Nas chronology
Illmatic
(1994) It Was Written
(1996)
Singles from Illmatic
"Halftime"
Released: October 13, 1992
"It Ain't Hard to Tell"
Released: January 18, 1994
"Life's a Bitch"
Released: April 19, 1994
"The World Is Yours"
Released: May 31, 1994
"One Love"
Released: October 25, 1994
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's experiences in
Queensbridge, New York.
The album debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 60,000 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.
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 hip hop albums of all time, appearing on numerous best album lists by
critics and publications.[1][2]
Contents
1 Background
2 Recording
3 Themes
3.1 Drug violence
3.2 Artistic credibility
3.3 Musical endowment
4 Lyricism
5 Production
6 Content
6.1 Tracks 1�5
6.2 Tracks 6�10
7 Artwork
7.1 Album cover
8 Commercial performance
9 Critical reception
9.1 The Source
9.1.1 Controversy
9.2 Retrospect
10 Impact
10.1 East Coast Hip-Hop
10.1.1 Production
10.1.2 Queensbridge
10.1.3 Decline of Alternative Hip-Hop
10.1.4 West Coast Hip-Hop
10.2 Lyricism
10.2.1 Hip-Hop poetry
10.3 Hip-Hop artists
10.3.1 Legacy and tributes
10.4 Intellectual response
10.4.1 Hip-Hop debates
10.5 Subsequent work by Nas
10.6 20th Anniversary
11 Track listing
11.1 Sample credits
12 Personnel
13 Charts
14 Certifications
15 Accolades
16 See also
17 References
18 Bibliography
19 External links
Background
As a teenager, Nas wanted to pursue a career as a rapper and enlisted his best
friend and neighbor, Queensbridge, Queens-native Willy "Ill Will" Graham, as his
DJ.[3] He 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, 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, 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
Prior to recording, DJ Premier had listened to Nas's 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] Nas's
father, Olu Dara, also contributed with a cornet solo on "Life's a Bitch", which
features 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 Queensbridge
friend, Illmatic Ice.[14] Nas later described the title name as "supreme ill. It's
as ill as ill gets. That shit is a science of everything ill."[15] 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�.[16]
Concerning the recording of the album's opening song "N.Y. State of Mind", producer
DJ Premier later stated "Nas � he's one of our saviors now. 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."[17] DJ Premier later discussed the unexpectedness of Nas's delivery
during the recording, stating "He didn�t know how he was gonna come in, but he just
started going because we were recording. I�m actually yelling, �We�re recording!�
and banging on the [vocal booth] window. �Come on, get ready!� You hear him start
the shit: Rappers�. And then everyone in the studio was like, �Oh, my God�, �cause
it was so unexpected. He was not ready. So we used that first verse. And that was
when he was up and coming, his first album. So we was like, 'Yo, this guy is gonna
be big.'"[17]
Themes
Nas's life experiences in Queensbridge, New York served as the basis for Illmatic.
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. One writer 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's own experiences as an adolescent growing
up in Queensbridge, as the lyrics allude to the housing projects located in the
Long Island City-section of Queens, New York.[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,
na�ve and world-weary, enraged and serene, globally conscious and provincial".[21]
Music writer Jeff Weiss of Pitchfork describes the "enduring image" often
associated with Nas's narrated stream of consciousness: "[A] baby-faced Buddha monk
in public housing, scribbling lotto dreams and grim reaper nightmares 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 vernacular slang
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's 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's renegade first-person narratives and
character-driven odes.�[27]
Drug violence
Many of the themes found in Illmatic revolve around Nas�s 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's
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] Critic 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's 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
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�s
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] 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]
Musical endowment
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's 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�s 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 Grand Master 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
Illmatic has been noted by music writers for Nas's unique style of delivery and
lyrical & poetic substance.[24] His lyrics contain layered rhythms, multi-syllabic
compounded rhymes, internal half rhymes, assonance, and ear-bending enjambment.[26]
Music critic Marc Lamont Hill of PopMatters elaborates on Nas's lyricism and
delivery throughout the album, stating "Nas' complex rhyme patterns, clever word
play, 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 closer, "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]
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 trumpet coda 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]
Content
Tracks 1�5
"The Genesis"
MENU0:00
The intro is an aural montage depicting Nas's background and contains samples of
the 1982 film Wild Style and Main Source's 1991 song "Live at the Barbeque".
"N.Y. State of Mind"
MENU0:00
The album's opening song has a dark, jazzy sound and recounts Nas's participation
in gang violence and his philosophy on his dangerous environment and lifestyle.
Problems playing these files? See media help.
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, a snatch of dialogue, two men arguing.[24] It samples Grand 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 finale
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 by 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 mind state that a person obtains from living
in Nas's impoverished environment in New York City.[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]
Tracks 6�10
"One Love"
MENU0:00
The song was produced by rapper Q-Tip, who also provided backing vocals. It is
composed as a series of letters to Nas's jailed comrades detailing life events that
occurred after the receivers' imprisonment.
"It Ain't Hard to Tell"
MENU0:00
The track contains braggadocio rhymes by Nas and samples Michael Jackson's 1983
song "Human Nature", producing a mix of horns and tweaked-out voices.
Problems playing these files? See media help.
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 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 rhyme braggadocio 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",[16] 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
On the vinyl and cassette pressings of Illmatic, Nas replaces the traditional Side
A and Side B division 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."[15]
Album cover
The album cover of Illmatic features a picture of Nas as a child, which was taken
after his father, musician 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's rap on "Live at the
Barbeque"; "When I was 12, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus".[11]
The cover of the 1974 jazz album, A Child Is Born (seen left) has been cited as a
possible influence on Illmatic's artwork.
The accepted cover, designed by Aimee Macauley, features a photo of Nas as a child
superimposed over a backdrop of a New York 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."[14] As yet, Nas has not pointed to any outside influence for the
artwork of his album cover. Yet 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 longstanding controversy between the rappers,
resulting in an unpublicized feud which Nas later references in his 2002 album
God's Son, on the song "Last Real Nigga Alive."
Commercial performance
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
albums chart at number 12, while 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 Billboard success, as each single did not gain
significant charting on the Billboard Hot 100. 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), Illmatic XX sold 15,000 copies in
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]
Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 5/5 stars[71]
Chicago Tribune 3.5/4 stars[42]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music 4/5 stars[72]
Entertainment Weekly A-[73]
Mojo 5/5 stars[74]
MSN Music A-[75]
NME 9/10[76]
Pitchfork 10/10[77]
Rolling Stone 4/5 stars[78]
USA Today 3.5/4 stars[79]
Illmatic received universal acclaim from contemporary critics,[80] who hailed it as
a hip hop masterpiece.[81] NME called its music "rhythmic perfection",[76] 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."[73] Tour�, 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."[78]
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's" and also commended Nas for honestly depicting
dismal ghetto life without resorting to the sensationalism and misogyny of
contemporary gangsta rappers.[79] 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".[82]
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 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".[83]
The Source
Upon its release, The Source gave Illmatic a five mic rating,[84] their highest
rating and a prestigious achievement at the time,[85] 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, after which
he raved about it, and soon lobbied for it to receive a five mic rating.[86] In his
Twitter 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"[87]
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."[84] She also commented on the
impact of Nas's "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."[84] With the backing of Schecter
and the other editors on the staff, Minya awarded Illmatic with the magazine's
highest rating.
Controversy
At the time, it was unheard of for a debuting artist to receive the coveted rating.
[86] 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."[88] 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."[86] 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!'[86]
The rating did not come without its share of controversy.[88] 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."[86] 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.[89] 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][88] 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.�[86]
Retrospect
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.[90][91][92] Jon
Pareles of The New York Times cited Illmatic as a "milestone in trying to capture
the 'street ghetto essence'".[93] The album has been described by a number of
writers and critics as "classic".[71][94][95][96] 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".[97] Similar to
The Source's initial sentiment, XXL later gave the album a classic "XXL" rating in
a retrospective review.[98] 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).[75] 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]
Impact
East Coast Hip-Hop
Illmatic was critical in "restoring interest" in East Coast hip hop, particularly
New York's hip hop scene.
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][98] 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".[110] 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".[111]
Production
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.[110] 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."[112] 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."[113]
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."
[114]
Queensbridge
"We used to always hear it [Illmatic] chillin' with Nas [in Queensbridge]. What's
funny about it was he was humble with it. I would listen to it and the songs were
so ill, it made you wanna cry. He was just calm, like, 'How you like it?' We was
hearing it piece by piece, so when it came out, it wasn't surprising to hear
everybody's reaction. Everybody was going crazy. You could not walk through the
'hood without hearing Illmatic. It was on your brain.
��
� Hip hop artist and childhood friend, Havoc, reflecting on the local impact of
Illmatic in a 2004 interview[115]
Illmatic is also credited with reviving the Queensbridge rap scene.[5] Once home to
prestigious pioneers such as Marley Marl, MC Shan, Roxanne Shant�, 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."[116] 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."[111]
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."[119] 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."[71] 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."[120]
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
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][14]
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."[96] 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.[121]
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.[122] The other was characterized by a slurred "lazy drawl" that
sacrificed lyrical complexity for clarity and rhythmic cadence, and was exemplified
by West Coast hip hop emcees including Snoop Doggy Dogg and Warren G.[123] However,
Nas' content, verbal pace, and intricate internal rhyme patterns inspired several
rappers to modify their lyrical abilities.[5][14] 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." [124]
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."[125] 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.�[126]
Hip-Hop poetry
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"[113] 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."[113]
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
clich�. Over the last 19 years, a million secret handshakes and scratched hooks
have been executed to lines from Illmatic."[20]
Hip-Hop artists
Many respected mainstream and underground rappers have acknowledged Illmatic's
influence. These wide range of artists include the battle rappers, SunN.Y.[127] and
Reef The Lost Cauze,[128] conscious rappers Talib Kweli[129] and Lupe Fiasco,[130]
the producers Just Blaze[131] and 9th Wonder,[132] as well as the platinum-selling
artists Wiz Khalifa,[133] Alicia Keys[134] and The Game, who makes references to
the album on his debut, The Documentary[135] 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."[136] 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."[137]
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").
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.[142][143][144] 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�.[145] Detroit rapper Elzhi released a remake
of Illmatic titled Elmatic (2011).[146] 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. "[147]
Intellectual response
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 33? 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.[148] "[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."[148]
[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
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-bap connoisseurs
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."[113]
Nas at South by Southwest in 2012, where he performed the album in its entirety.
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 against Illmatic, 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.[150] 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".[151] 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."[152] 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.[153]
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.
[154] 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,[155] and models of Queensbridge's
housing project.[156] In 2012, he also performed the album in its entirety at South
by Southwest music festival, with the same personnel and stage design.[156]
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.[157]
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.[158][159]
20th Anniversary
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.[160]
Track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "The Genesis"
Nasir Jones Fred Brathwaite
Nas Faith N.
1:45
2. "N.Y. State of Mind"
Jones Christopher Martin
DJ Premier 4:53
3. "Life's a Bitch" (featuring AZ)
Jones Anthony Cruz Olu Dara Jones Robert Wilson Oliver Scott
L.E.S. Nas (co.)
3:30
4. "The World Is Yours"
Jones Peter Phillips
Pete Rock 4:50
5. "Halftime"
Jones William Paul Mitchell Gary Byrd
Large Professor 4:20
6. "Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)"
Jones Martin Reuben Wilson Peg Barsella
DJ Premier 4:08
7. "One Love"
Jones Jonathan Davis Jimmy Heath
Q-Tip 5:25
8. "One Time 4 Your Mind"
Jones Mitchell
Large Professor 3:18
9. "Represent"
Jones Martin
DJ Premier 4:12
10. "It Ain't Hard to Tell"
Jones Mitchell
Large Professor 3:22
Total length: 39:51
[show]2004 remaster edition bonus disc
[show]Illmatic XX
Sample credits
The Genesis[161]
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