I woke up early on my born day, I’m 20, it’s a blessing.
It’s been 20 years since Nasty Nas dropped his debut “Illmatic”, and to celebrate, we’re looking back at the Hip-Hop classic that changed the game. No matter the coast, or what part of the globe, if you’re a hip-hop/rap fan then you should already know.
The album dropped April 19th in ’94 and took the streets and the game by storm. Nas’ thug poet story telling style was too wild to ignore. His rhymes were super sharp and his flow was nothing short of amazing. Shedding light on his days coming up in Queens, Nas’ Illmatic has great intros and adlibs that make you feel you’re right there with him in Queensbridge. The production on Illmatic also deserves major praise. Mainly handled by Large Professor, DJ Premier, Q-Tip and Pete Rock, Illmatic bangs. The beats were ahead of their time for 1994 and even today are recognized as some of the best among the Hip-Hop classics.
From front to back, start to finish; the bars are dope, the flow is unreal, the approach to the subject matter is phenomenal and the production is amazing. Below we’ve highlighted some of the tracks from Illmatic, but let it be known, with only 10 tracks on this classic, you should give it a listen (if you haven’t given it 200 already) in its entirety. This album has gone on to influence and inspire some of the legends and illest artists out (see: Jay Z – Dead Presidents and J.Cole – Let Nas Down).
LISTEN: N.Y. State of Mind
“I got so many rhymes, I don’t think I’m too sane/ Life is parallel to hell but I must maintain”
LISTEN: Halftime
“King Poetic, too much flavour, I’m major”
LISTEN: Represent
“They call me Nas, I’m not your legal type of fella/ Moet drinkin’ marijuana smokin’ street dweller”
Earlier this week, Nas released Illmatic XX, the 20th Anniversary Re-Issue. It includes remastered tracks from the original, as well as the unreleased tracks from 92-93 and new remixes. Nas is a living legend and it’s amazing to look back at his work and see how its impacted the game. Illmatic launched him into the rap game, but his consistency has kept him here. Time is Illmatic.
