''Illmatic'' is the debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

by American rapper

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ...

. It was released on April 19, 1994, by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...

. After signing with the label with the help of

MC Serch Michael Berrin (born May 6, 1967), best known by his stage name MC Serch, is an American rapper and music executive. He is a former member of 3rd Bass and Non Phixion. Early life and education Serch grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York ...

, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at

Chung King Studios Chung King Studios was a recording studio that operated in New York City under that name from 1986 to 2015. It was founded by producer John King and engineer Steve Ett with financial backing from the Etches brothers, occupying three different locat ...

, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. The album's production was handled by

DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He is considered one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time. He was half of the hip hop du ...

Large Professor William Paul Mitchell (born March 21, 1972), better known by the stage name of Large Professor (also Extra P. and Large Pro), is an American rapper and record producer. Based in New York City, he is known as a founding member of the underground ...

Pete Rock Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongside DJ ...

, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and Nas himself. Styled as a

hardcore hip hop Hardcore hip hop (also hardcore rap) is a genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is generally ch ...

album, ''Illmatic'' features multi-syllabic internal rhymes and inner-city narratives based on Nas' experiences growing up in the Queensbridge Houses in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

. The album debuted at number 12 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 63,000 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 Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

, and on December 11, 2001, it earned a platinum certification after shipping 1,000,000 copies in the United States. As of February 6, 2019, the album had sold 2 million 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 and most influential hip hop albums of all time, appearing on numerous best album lists by critics and publications. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' wrote in 2015 that "''Illmatic'' is widely seen as the best hip-hop album ever". In 2020, the album was ranked by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' at number 44 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and in 2021, it was selected by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

for preservation in the

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservat ...

for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Background

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. Nas initially went by the nickname "Kid Wave" before adopting the alias "Nasty Nas".Foster, S. (2004). "Bridging the Gap (Part 2)". ''Ave Magazine'', pp. 48–54. At the age of fifteen, he met producer

from

Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the i ...

, who introduced him to his group

Main Source Main Source was an East Coast hip hop group based in New York City/ Toronto, composed of Toronto-born DJs and producers, K-Cut and Sir Scratch, and Queens MC and producer Large Professor. Later, another Queens MC, Mikey D (Michael Deering), re ...

. Nas made his recorded debut with them on the opening verse on "Live at the Barbeque" from their 1991 album ''

Breaking Atoms ''Breaking Atoms'' is the debut album of American/Canadian hip hop group Main Source, released July 23, 1991, on Wild Pitch Records. Production was handled by the group, primarily by member Large Professor, and took place during 1989 to 1991 at ...

''.Huey, Steve. Review: ''Breaking Atoms'' Allmusic. Retrieved on January 20, 2009. Nas subsequently made his solo debut on his 1992 single " Halftime" for the soundtrack to the film ''

Zebrahead Zebrahead is an American rap-punk band from La Habra, California. Formed in 1996, the band has released thirteen studio albums to date. History 1996–2001: Formation and early years Zebrahead was formed in La Habra, California in summer ...

''. The single added to the buzz surrounding Nas, earning him comparisons to the highly influential

golden age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the G ...

rapper

Rakim William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim Allah or simply Rakim (), is an American rapper and record producer. One half of golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

. Despite his buzz in the underground scene, Nas did not receive an offer for a recording contract and was rejected by major rap labels such as Cold Chillin' and

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

. 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; Nas' brother was also shot that night, but survived. Nas has cited that moment as a "wake-up call" for him. In mid-1992,

, whose group

3rd Bass 3rd Bass was an American hip hop group that was active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Formed by MC Serch, Pete Nice, and DJ Richie Rich, the group was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip hop acts. Along with Beas ...

had dissolved, began working on a solo project and approached Nas. 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''.Wheeler, Austin.
T-Ray Interview
. ''Elemental'': 63. 2004. 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 Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...

.Wheeler, Austin.
T-Ray Interview
. ''Elemental'': 64. 2004. Archived fro
the original
on August 20, 2009. 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."Shecter, Jon.. ''The Source'': 45–46, 84. April 1994. Once MC Serch assumed the role of executive producer for Nas' debut project, he attempted to connect Nas with various producers. Numerous New York-based producers were eager to work with the up-and-coming rapper and went to Power House Studios with Nas. Among those producers was

, recognized at the time for his raw and aggressive jazz sample-based production and heavy scratching, and for his work with rapper

Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

as a part of hip hop duo

Gang Starr Gang Starr was an American hip hop duo, consisting of Texas record producer DJ Premier and Massachusetts rapper Guru. For the entirety of their association, they were based out of Brooklyn, New York. Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 2 ...

. After his production on

Lord Finesse Lord Finesse (born Robert Hall Jr., February 19, 1970) is an American rapper and hip-hop record producer from The Bronx, New York best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. crew. About.com ranked him number 29 on its list of the Top-50 Hip-Hop ...

& 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 D&D Studios was a recording studio located in New York City on the west side of 37th street. Artists that recorded there include Jay-Z, Foxy Brown, The Notorious B.I.G., Fat Joe, Nas, Gang Starr, Jeru the Damaja, Afu-Ra, KRS-One, Frankie Cutlass, ...

in New York City, before working with Nas on ''Illmatic''.Bush, John. DJ Premier: Biography Allmusic. Retrieved on February 22, 2009.Bush, John. The Sun Rises in the East: Overview Allmusic. Retrieved on February 22, 2009.

Recording

Prior to recording, DJ Premier listened to Nas' debut single, and later stated "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." 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." While Serch reached out to DJ Premier, Large Professor contacted

to collaborate with Nas on what became "The World Is Yours". Shortly afterwards, L.E.S. (a DJ in Nas's Queensbridge neighborhood) and

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

's Q-Tip and chose to work on the album. "Life's a Bitch" contains a cornet solo performed by Nas' father, Olu Dara. The song also features

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

-based rapper AZ. 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.Nas: The Genesis

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

. Retrieved on May 22, 2008. Nas later described the title name as "supreme ill. It's as ill as ill gets. That shit is a science of everything ill."Markman, Rob
The Genesis
. ''XXL''. Retrieved on March 15, 2009. At the time of its recording, expectations in the hip hop scene were high for ''Illmatic''. In a 1994 interview for ''

The Source ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...

'', which dubbed him "the second coming" (referring to Rakim), 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." 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." During the sessions, Nas composed the song "

Nas Is Like "Nas Is Like" is the first single from Nas' third album ''I Am… (Nas album), I Am...''. The song is the sixth collaboration between Nas and producer DJ Premier. It was well received by critics as it was a change from the more commercial and pop- ...

", which he later recorded as a single for his 1999 album '' I Am…''. Concerning the recording of the album's opening song " N.Y. State of Mind", producer DJ Premier later said "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 o begin his verse One, two, three. And then you can hear him go, 'Yo,' and then he goes right into it."NY State of mind-fiilistely ja samalla pettymys-olo topic
Basso Media. Retrieved on January 19, 2009.

Themes

''Illmatic'' contains highly discerning treatment of its subject matter: gang rivalries, desolation, and the ravages of urban

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse

. Nas, who was twenty years old when the album was released, focuses on depicting his own experiences, creating highly detailed

first-person narrative A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from their own point of view using the first person It may be narrated by a first-person protagonist (or other focal character), first-person re-telle ...

s that deconstruct the troubled life of an inner city teenager. Jeff Weiss of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' describes the theme of the album as a “ ory 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'' ...” The narratives featured in ''Illmatic'' originate from Nas' own experiences as an adolescent growing up in the Queensbridge

housing project Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, d ...

s located in the

Long Island City Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the ...

-section of

. 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.”Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. "Rebel In America" ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'' pp. 33–60 In a 2012 interview, he explained his inspiration for exploring this subject matter: Nas's depictions of project life alternate from moments of pain and pleasure to frustration and braggadocio. The columnist for OhWord.com wrote: " isnarrative voice swerves between personas that are cynical and optimistic, naïve and world-weary, enraged and serene, globally conscious and provincial".R.H.S
A Queens Lineage: Mobb Deep – The Infamous
. Oh Word. Retrieved on February 9, 2006. Jeff Weiss describes the "enduring image" often associated with Nas' narrated stream of consciousness: " baby-faced

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

monk in public housing, scribbling lotto dreams and

grim reaper Death is frequently imagined as a personified force. In some mythologies, a character known as the Grim Reaper (usually depicted as a berobed skeleton wielding a scythe) causes the victim's death by coming to collect that person's soul. Other b ...

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." Critic and blogger Kenny Waste comments on the significance of Queensbridge as a

setting Setting may refer to: * A location (geography) where something is set * Set construction in theatrical scenery * Setting (narrative), the place and time in a work of narrative, especially fiction * Setting up to fail a manipulative technique to e ...

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.”Waste, Kenn
"Niggaz Don't Listen": Communication in Nas's "The Genesis"
Accessed on April 12, 2013 Along with its narratives, ''Illmatic'' is also distinct for its many portrayals and descriptions of places, people, and interactions. 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 A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gr ...

indigenous to his hometown. 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.” Commenting on Nas' use of narrative, Sohail Daulatzai, Professor of Film and Media Studies at

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

, compares the album to cinema, citing its "detailed descriptions, dense reportage, and visually stunning rhymes..." In ''

Born to Use Mics ''Born to Use Mics: ReadinNas's' Illmatic, edited by Michael Eric Dyson anSohail Daulatzai is a collection of scholarly essays and historical documents presenting ''Illmatic'' from an academic perspective. The book features contributions from s ...

: 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 Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: * Classical Realism *Literary realism, a mov ...

and visceral eloquence for Nas' renegade first-person narratives and character-driven odes.”Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'' pp. 2–3

Drug violence

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 The crack epidemic was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the United States throughout the entirety of the 1980s and the early 1990s. This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in Amer ...

. ''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.Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. "Rebel to America:'N.Y. State of Mind' After the Towers Fells" ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'', pp. 2010. 117–28. 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…” Author Adam Mansbach interprets Nas' violent aesthetics as a

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wi ...

ic 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 Trope or tropes may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Trope (cinema), a cinematic convention for conveying a concept * Trope (literature), a figure of speech or common literary device * Trope (music), any of a variety of different things ...

of his poetic."Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. "All The Words Past The Margins: Adam Mansbach and Kevin Coval talk understandable smooth shit" ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'', pp. 2010. 245–54. 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

scene. He writes, “ me of the most memorably dark, depressive but flowing lyrics in hip hop history were written by Nas,

Biggie Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

, and members of the

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close aff ...

on the death knell of the crack trade."Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. "Elegy for Illmatic." ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'', pp. 2010. 237–40. 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.Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. "Memory Lane: On Jazz, Hip Hop, and Fathers." ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'', pp. 2010. 117–28. Sam Chennault wrote, "Nas captures post-crack N.Y.C. in all its ruinous glory ... alizing that drugs were both empowering and destructive, his lyrics alternately embrace and reject the idea of ghetto glamour". 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." Richard Harrington of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' described Nas'

coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can be ...

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.

Artistic credibility

The content of ''Illmatic'' is also informed by notions of artistic authenticity.Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. "This is Illmatic: A Song for My Father, A Letter to My Son" ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'', pp. 2010. 61–74. 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.” 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.

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

rapper

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...

describes in the

preface __NOTOC__ A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a '' foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface often close ...

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.”Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. "Preface" ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'' pp. ix – xi In the context of this debate, music writers have interpreted ''Illmatic'' as an admonishment for hip hop purists and practitioners.Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. "It Was Signified: 'The Genesis'" ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'' pp. 13–32 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." 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.". emplive.org. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. 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."

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 Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

, to fairly

avant-garde jazz Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz and experimental jazz) is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the early 1950s and developed through to the late 1960s. Ori ...

compositions,” writes music

blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in Reverse ...

ger Kenny Waste, “the sampling choices within ''Illmatic'' reflect an individual with not only a deep appreciation for but also a deep knowledge of music.”

Musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...

and

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

Guthrie Ramsay Jr. describes ''Illmatic'' as "an artistic

emblem An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often use ...

" 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." Kevin Coval considers the sampling of artists

Craig G Craig Curry (born March 24, 1973),Hess, Mickey (2009) ''Hip Hop in America: a Regional Guide: Volume 1 - East Coast and West Coast'', Greenwood Publishing Group, , p. 55Bry, David (2001) "Something in the Water", ''Vibe'', March 2001, p. 80 bette ...

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. These samples are intended to serve as tributes to “Nas' lyrical and around-the-way influences. He is repping his

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

's hip hop canon.” 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.” Music writers have also characterized the album's contents as a commentary on hip hop's evolution. As Princeton University professor

Imani Perry Imani Perry (born September 5, 1972) is an American interdisciplinary scholar of race, law, literature, and African-American culture. She is currently the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and a columnis ...

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

myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

ic ... The history of hip-hop up to 1994 is embodied in ''Illmatic.''”Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. "It Ain't Hard to Tell': A Story of Lyrical Transcendence." ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'', pp. 195–212. 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 Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

professor Eddie S. Glaude Jr. claims that this "situates Queensbridge and himself within the formative history of hip-hop culture." The opening

skit Skit may refer to: * * A short segment in a performance, such as: ** Sketch comedy ** Hip hop skit ** Puppet skit ** Promo (professional wrestling) Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. ...

, 'The Genesis,' also contains an audio sample of the 1983 film, ''

Wild Style ''Wild Style'' is a 1983 American hip hop film directed and produced by Charlie Ahearn. Regarded as the first hip hop motion picture, it includes appearances by seminal figures such as Fab Five Freddy, Lee Quiñones, Lady Pink, The Rock Ste ...

'', which showcased the work of early hip hop pioneers such as

Grandmaster Flash Joseph Saddler (born January 1, 1958), popularly known by his stage name Grandmaster Flash, is an American DJ and rapper. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Hip Hop DJing, cutting, scratching and mixing. Grandmaster Flash and the ...

, Fab Five Freddy, and the

Rock Steady Crew Rock Steady Crew is an American breaking and hip hop group which has become a franchise name for multiple groups in other locations. The group's 1983 international hit song " (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew" (from the group's first studio album ...

. 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 Exposition (also the French for exhibition) may refer to: *Universal exposition or World's Fair * Expository writing ** Exposition (narrative) * Exposition (music) *Trade fair A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade e ...

on the themes of ''Illmatic''.” Similarly, Professor Adilifu Nama of

California State University Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest u ...

writes, “' e 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 Assimilation may refer to: Culture * Cultural assimilation, the process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture and customs ** Language shift, also known as language assimilation, the prog ...

, the importance of history, and the passing of hip-hop's 'age of innocence'.”

Lyricism

''Illmatic'' has been noted by music writers for Nas' unique style of delivery and poetic substance. His lyrics contain layered

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...

multisyllabic rhymes In rapping and poetry, multisyllabic rhymes (also known as compoundEdwards, Paul, 2009, '' How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC'', Chicago Review Press, p. 87.Eminem, with Sacha Jenkins, 2008, ''The Way I Am'', Dutton Adult, p. 17.Emine ...

, internal half rhymes, assonance, and

enjambment In poetry, enjambment ( or ; from the French ''enjamber'') is incomplete syntax at the end of a line; the meaning 'runs over' or 'steps over' from one poetic line to the next, without punctuation. Lines without enjambment are end-stopped. The ori ...

. Music critic

Marc Lamont Hill Marc Lamont Hill (born December 17, 1978) is an American academic, author, activist, and television personality. He is a professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hill is the host of ''UpF ...

of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television ...

'' elaborates on Nas' lyricism and delivery throughout the album, stating "Nas' complex rhyme patterns, clever

wordplay Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phon ...

, and impressive vocab took the art f_rapping.html" ;"title="rapping.html" ;"title="f rapping">f rapping">rapping.html" ;"title="f rapping">f rappingto previously unprecedented heights. Building on the pioneering work of

Kool G Rap Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), is an American rapper from Queens, New York City. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as ...

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hi ...

, and

, tracks like 'Halftime' and the laid back 'One Time 4 Your Mind' demonstrated a ighlevel of technical precision and rhetorical dexterity." Hill cites "Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)" as "an exemplar of flawless lyricism", 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?": Focusing on poetic forms found in his lyrics,

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 Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American jazz poet, singer, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Ja ...

, The Last Poets, and

Nikki Giovanni Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Jr. (born June 7, 1943) is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the world's most well-known African-American poets,Jane M. Barstow, Yolanda Williams Page (eds)"Nikki Giovanni" ''E ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

-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." 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 A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...

are framed in Nas's tightly packed

stanza In poetry, a stanza (; from Italian ''stanza'' , "room") is a group of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line or indentation. Stanzas can have regular rhyme and metrical schemes, but they are not required to have ei ...

s. 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."

Production

''Illmatic'' also garnered praise for its production. According to critics, the album's five major producers (

, 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.' For instance, DJ Premier's production on the album is noted by critics for his minimalist style, which featured simple loops over heavy beats.iTunes Store: DJ Premier Productions
Apple Inc. Retrieved on February 19, 2009. Charles Aaron of ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...

'' 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". '' 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."Columnist. "Review: ''Illmatic''". '' Q'': 142. March 1997. One music critic wrote that "''Illmatic'' is laced with some of the finest beats this side of '' In Control Volume 1''". The majority of the album consists of vintage funk, soul, and jazz samples. Commenting on the album and its use of samples, ''

''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 Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop ...

, Joe Chambers,

Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones, July 2, 1930) is an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and educator. For six decades, he has been one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. Biography Early life Jamal was born Fr ...

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

. Nas invites his rolling stone father, Olu Dara to blow the

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

coda Coda or CODA may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * Movie coda, a post-credits scene * ''Coda'' (1987 film), an Australian horror film about a serial killer, made for television *''Coda'', a 2017 American experimental film from Na ...

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." Similarly, journalist Ben Yew comments on the album's nostalgic sounds, "The production, accentuated by infectious organ loop vocal sample and

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

-like pads in the background, places your mind in a cheerful, reminiscent, mood."Yew, Ben.. Proudflesh: A New Afrikan Journal of Culture, Politics & Consciousness. Retrieved on October 20, 2006.

Songs

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.''ego trip''. Hess (2007), pp. 345–346. It samples Grand Wizard Theodore's "Subway Theme" from the 1983 film ''

'', the first major hip hop

motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

.Love, Dan
Deconstructing Illmatic
. Oh Word. Retrieved on February 15, 2008. 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. His verse on "Live at the Barbeque" is played in the background of "The Genesis".RapReviews: Illmatic
RapReviews. Retrieved on February 11, 2009. 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." Setting the general grimy, yet melodic, tone of the album, " N.Y. State of Mind" features a dark, jazzy piano sample courtesy of

.MVRemix: Illmatic
MVRemix Media. Retrieved on February 14, 2009. It opens with high-pitched guitar notes looped from jazz and funk musician

's "Flight Time" (1972), while the prominent groove of piano notes was sampled from the Joe Chambers composition "Mind Rain" (1978). The lyrics of "N.Y. State of Mind" have Nas recounting his participation in gang violence and philosophizing that "Life is parallel to

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

, but I must maintain", while his rapping spans over forty bars.Nas: A look at a hip-hop masterpiece, ten years removed
. PrefixMag. Retrieved on February 12, 2009. "N.Y. State of Mind" focuses on a mindstate that a person obtains from living in Nas' impoverished environment. Critic Marc Hill of ''

'' wrote that the song "provides as clear a depiction of ghetto life as a Gordon Parks photograph or a

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, H ...

poem." 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. "Life's a Bitch" contains a sample of The Gap Band's hit " Yearning for Your Love" (1980), and has guest vocals from East New York-based rapper AZ. It also features Nas's father, Olu Dara, playing a trumpet solo as the music fades out. 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." " The World Is Yours" provides a more optimistic narrative from Nas' viewpoint, 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".D. Spence
Review: ''Illmatic'' (Anniversary Reissue)
. IGN. Retrieved on February 12, 2009. 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".Chennault, Sam
Reviews: Illmatic
Rhapsody. Retrieved on March 15, 2009. "The World Is Yours" was named the seventh greatest rap song by About.com. The nostalgic "Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)" contains a

Reuben Wilson Reuben Wilson (born April 9, 1935) is a jazz organist. He performs soul jazz and acid jazz, and is best known for his title track "Got to Get Your Own". He was born in Mounds, Oklahoma and his family moved to Pasadena when he was 5. He played in ...

sample, which comprises the sound of a

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated ...

, guitar, vocals and percussion, and adds to the track's ghostly harmonies.Ling, Tony
Treble: Illmatic
. Treble Media. Retrieved on February 22, 2009. Spence D. of IGN wrote that the lyrics evoke "the crossroads of old school hip hop and

new school The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...

." " One Love" is composed of a series of letters to

incarcerated A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correct ...

friends, recounting mutual acquaintances and events that have occurred since the receiver's imprisonment, and address unfaithful girlfriends, emotionally tortured mothers, and underdog loyalty. The phrase "one love" signifies street loyalty in the song. 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 an eye out for Jake, shorty-wop, one love". 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

's "Come In Out the Rain" (1970), complementing the track's mystical and hypnotic soundscape. " One Time 4 Your Mind" features battle rap

braggadocio Braggadocio may refer to: *Braggadocchio, a fictional character in the epic poem ''The Faerie Queene'' *A braggart or empty boasting *Braggadocio (rap), a type of rapping *Braggadocio (typeface) Braggadocio is a geometrically constructed sans-s ...

by Nas. 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". 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. Nas discusses his lifestyle in an environment where he "loves committin' sins" and "life ain't shit, but stress, fake niggas and crab stunts",Wang (2003), p. 120. while describing himself as "The brutalizer, crew de-sizer, accelerator/The type of nigga who be pissin' in your elevator". " It Ain't Hard to Tell" is a braggadocio rap: "Vocals'll squeeze

glock Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was ...

s, 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". It opens with guitars and synths of

's "

Human Nature Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...

" (1983); the song's vocals are sampled for the intro and chorus sections, creating a swirling mix of horns and tweaked-out voices.

looped in drum samples from

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jaz ...

's "Slow Dance" (1978) and saxophone from

Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang is an American R&B/soul/funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, with Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. T ...

's "N.T." (1971).

Artwork

On the

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...

and

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...

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 A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...

for Nas's ghetto

cartography Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...

, as he narrates his experiences and those who live in the Queensbridge” In a 2009 interview with '' XXL'' magazine, 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."

Album cover

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. The original cover was intended to have a picture of Nas holding

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

in a headlock, reflecting the religious imagery of Nas' rap on "Live at the Barbeque"; "When I was 12, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus". The accepted cover, designed by Aimee Macauley, features a photo of Nas as a child superimposed over a backdrop of a city block, taken by

Danny Clinch Danny Clinch (born 1964) is an American photographer and film director. Biography Born in Toms River, New Jersey, Clinch graduated from Toms River High School East in 1982. After attending Ocean County College, he attended the New England S ...

. 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 round 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." According to '' Ego Trip'', the cover of ''Illmatic'' is "reputedly" believed to have been inspired by a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

album, Howard Hanger Trio's ''A Child Is Born'' (1974) — whose cover also features a photograph of a child, superimposed on an urban landscape. Nas has revealed that the inspiration for the album cover was derived from

. “I’m a big Michael Jackson fan,” Nas has stated. “I’ll tell you something I never said. On my album cover, you see me with the afro, that was kind of inspired by Michael Jackson – the little kid picture.” Since its release, the cover art of ''Illmatic'' has also gained an iconic reputation — having been subject to numerous parodies and tributes.19 Tributes & Parodies of Nas' Illmatic Album Cover
Ego Trip. Retrieved on May 21, 2013. Music columnist Byron Crawford later called the cover for ''Illmatic'' "one of the dopest album covers ever in hip-hop." Commenting on the cover's artistic value, Rob Marriott of ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' 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." ''XXL'' 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."XXLmag.com – » The Carter III > Illmatic
. XXL. Retrieved on February 11, 2009. The ''XXL'' columnist also compared the cover to that of rapper

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

's sixth studio album ''

Tha Carter III ''Tha Carter III'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on June 10, 2008, by Cash Money, Universal Motown & Young Money Entertainment. It follows a long string of mixtape releases and guest appearances on other hip h ...

'' (2008), stating that it also "reflects the reality of disenfranchised youth today." On the song "Shark Niggas (Biters)" from his debut album '' Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...'' (1995), rapper

Raekwon Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon The Chef, or simply Raekwon (), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success ...

with

Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 C ...

criticized the cover of

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

's ''

Ready to Die ''Ready to Die'' is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album features productions by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chuc ...

'' (1994), which was released a few months after ''Illmatic'', for featuring a picture of a baby with an

afro The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" ''Ebony'', February 1973. ...

, implying that his cover had copied the idea from Nas. 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

''Illmatic'' was released on April 19, 1994, through

in the United States.Discogs.com – Nas – Illmatic
Discogs. Retrieved on August 10, 2008. The album also featured international distribution that same year in countries including France, the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom. In its first week of release, ''Illmatic'' made its debut on the ''Billboard'' 200 at number 12, selling 60,000 copies.Basham, David
Got Charts? Nas Lookin' To Grow Legs; Jay-Z Unplugs
MTV News. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. In spite of this, initial record sales fell below expectations.Cowie, Del
Nas: Battle Ready

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. The album's five radio singles failed to obtain considerable chart success. The lead single, "Halftime", only charted on the

Hot Rap Singles Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by '' Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stat ...

chart at number 8, while "Life's a Bitch" did not chart at all. allmusic ((( Illmatic > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles ))) All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. 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." While initial sales were low, the album was eventually certified

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

in sales by the

(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. 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. , the album sold 1,686,000 copies in the US. In April 2002, the album was also certified gold by the

Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It ...

for shipments in excess of 50,000 copies in Canada. The album has sold 2 million copies in the United States as of February 6, 2019.

Critical reception

''Illmatic'' was met with widespread acclaim from critics, many of whom hailed it as a masterpiece. ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' called its music "rhythmic perfection", and

Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...

of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' cited it as the best

album "out of the East Coast in years". Dimitri Ehrlich of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' 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."

Touré Touré is the French transcription of a West African surname (English transcriptions are '' Turay'' and '' Touray''). The name is probably derived from ''tùùré'', the word for 'elephant' in Soninké, the language of the Ghana Empire. The clan ...

, writing for ''

'', hailed Nas as an elite rapper because of his articulation, detailed lyrics, and

-like tone, all of which he said "pair 'Illmatic''severy beautiful moment with its harsh antithesis."

Christopher John Farley Christopher John Farley (born July 28, 1966) is a Jamaican-born American journalist, columnist, and author. Early life Farley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in New York. He is a graduate of Brockport High School and Harvard Unive ...

of ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' praised the album as a "wake-up call to as'listeners" and commended him for rendering rather than glorifying "the rough world he comes from". ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

''s James T. Jones IV cited his lyrics as "the most urgent poetry since

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

" and also commended Nas for honestly depicting dismal ghetto life without resorting to the

sensationalism In journalism and mass media, sensationalism is a type of editorial tactic. Events and topics in news stories are selected and worded to excite the greatest number of readers and viewers. This style of news reporting encourages biased or emotion ...

and

misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...

of contemporary

gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappe ...

pers. Richard Harrington of ''

'' 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". Some reviewers were less impressed. Heidi Siegmund of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' 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".

Charles Aaron Charles Aaron is an American music journalist and editor, formerly for '' Spin'' magazine, where he worked for 23 years. Personal Charles Aaron was born in Rockingham, North Carolina, and raised in Asheboro, North Carolina and Rome, Georgia. He ...

of ''

'' felt that the comparisons to Rakim "will be more deserved" if Nas can expand on his ruminative lyrics with "something more personally revealing". In his initial review for ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'',

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

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 Authenticity or authentic may refer to: * Authentication, the act of confirming the truth of an attribute Arts and entertainment * Authenticity in art, ways in which a work of art or an artistic performance may be considered authentic Music * A ...

without brutal posturing".

''The Source''

Upon its release, ''

'' gave ''Illmatic'' a five mic rating, their highest rating and a prestigious achievement at the time, given the magazine's influence in the hip hop community. 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. On his

Tumblr Tumblr (stylized as tumblr; pronounced "tumbler") is an American microblogging and social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and currently owned by Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content to a sho ...

blog, Schecter recounts hearing ''Illmatic'' in a meeting with editors on the staff: Eventually, the review for ''Illmatic'' was handled by the magazine's columnist

Miss Info Minya Oh, professionally known as Miss Info, is an American radio personality and journalist. Early life and education A native of the North Side of Chicago, Oh is the daughter of Korean immigrants. Oh graduated from Columbia University. Ca ...

(real name Minya Oh, then writing under the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

"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 cliche metaphors, no gimmicks. Never too abstract, never superficial." She also commented on the impact of Nas' "poetic realism" writing: “Nas' images remind me of the personal memories and people, both past and present... All this may sound like melodrama, but it's 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." 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. 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." 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''." 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!'. HipHopDX. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. The rating did not come without its share of controversy.Gasteier, Matthew ''Nas's Illmatic'' 2009 pp. 52–54. 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." Only two years prior,

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

's groundbreaking ''

The Chronic ''The Chronic'' is the debut studio album by the American hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records and distributed by Interscope Records. Recording sessions took place in ...

'' 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.Reginald C. Denni
Death Of a Dynasty
. HipHopdx.com 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. 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.”

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.Acclaimed Music – Illmatic
.

Acclaimed Music Acclaimed Music is a website created by Henrik Franzon, a statistician from Stockholm, Sweden in September 2001. Franzon has statistically aggregated hundreds of published lists that rank songs and albums into aggregated rankings by year, deca ...

. Retrieved on August 10, 2008.

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' cited ''Illmatic'' as a "milestone in trying to capture the 'street ghetto essence'". The album has been described by a number of writers and critics as "classic".Henderson (2002), p. 133.Sanneh, Kelefa
Nas Writes Hip-Hop's Obituary
''The New York Times''. Retrieved on March 20, 2009. Chris Ryan, writing in ''

The New Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

'' (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". In a retrospective review for ''

MSN Music ''MSN Music'' was a part of MSN's web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. The website also served as a digital music store from 2004 to 2008. History I ...

'', 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

's debut album ''

'' (1994). In 2002, ''Prefix Mag''s Matthew Gasteier re-examined ''Illmatic'' and its musical significance, stating: ''Illmatic'' has been included in numerous publications' "best album" lists in disparate genres. ''

'' 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." It was listed as one of 33 hip hop/ R&B albums in ''Rolling Stone''s "Essential Recordings of the 90s". It was ranked number five in "The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time" and number three in ''

Hip Hop Connection ''Hip Hop Connection'' (''HHC'') was the longest running monthly periodical devoted entirely to hip hop culture. It was described by rapper Chuck D as "the best magazine in the world". History Under the editorship of Chris Hunt, the magazine p ...

''s "Top 100 Readers Poll".The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time
. TrevorNelson.com. Retrieved on January 20, 2007.Vinyl.com: Illmatic
Vinyl. Retrieved on February 11, 2009. The album was also ranked number four in ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

''s list of the Top 10 Rap Albums and number two on

's list of The Greatest Hip Hop Albums of All Time.The Greatest Hip Hop Albums Of All Time

. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. In 1998, it was selected as one of ''The Source''s 100 Best Rap Albums.The Source: 100 Best Rap Albums
Rocklist. Retrieved on February 22, 2009. In 2020, ''

'' ranked the album number 44 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 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. Upon its 2004 re-release, Marc Hill of ''

'' 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." The album was also included in the book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...

''. A February 19, 2014 ''

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the creat ...

'' cover story ranked ''Illmatic'' as the Most New York City album ever.

Impact and legacy

East Coast hip hop

''Illmatic'' has been noted as one of the most influential hip hop albums of all time, with pundits describing it as an

archetypal The concept of an archetype (; ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main model that o ...

East Coast hip hop album. 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 Henny is a Scandinavian and Dutch male and female first name, nickname and surname. It may refer to: Female given name * Henny Backus (1911–2004), Broadway showgirl in the 1930s * Henny Lindorff Buckhøj (1902–1979), Danish film actress * He ...

, no chaser ideal of

boom bap Boom bap is a subgenre and music production style that was prominent in the East Coast during the golden age of hip hop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The term "boom bap" is an onomatopoeia that represents the sounds used for the b ...

."Illmatic Reissue Review
Retrieved on March 8, 2013 Citing ''Illmatic'' as part of a string of notable albums released in 1994, David Drake of ''

Stylus Magazine ''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog. Addi ...

'' 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". John Bush of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

compares ''Illmatic'' to another DJ Premier production, '' The Sun Rises in the East'' (1994), as "one of the quintessential East Coast records". Along with the critical acclaim of the

's debut album ''

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released on November 9, 1993, by Loud Records. Recording sessions took place during late 1992 to early 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York Ci ...

'' (1993) and the success of

's debut ''

'' (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 ''

'', "been so unanimous in praise of a rap record and the MC who made it."Marriott, Rob
10 Ways Nas' "Illmatic" Changed Hip-Hop
''

''. Retrieved on 2013-05-20. 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 West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast region of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the e ...

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".Nas & Rakim: Meeting of The Kings
MTV. Retrieved on January 20, 2007.

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

and

.Gloden, Gabe
I Love 1994
''

''. Retrieved on 2013-04-11. The album solidified the reputation of these producers, whose contributions to ''Illmatic'' became influential in shaping the soundscape of New York's regional scene. 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." 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. 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." This same

template Template may refer to: Tools * Die (manufacturing), used to cut or shape material * Mold, in a molding process * Stencil, a pattern or overlay used in graphic arts (drawing, painting, etc.) and sewing to replicate letters, shapes or designs ...

would also be used by other successful East Coast rappers. In an article on New York hip hop, Mosi Reeves of ''

Creative Loafing Creative Loafing is an Atlanta-based publisher of a monthly arts and culture newspaper/magazine. The company publishes a 60,000 circulation monthly publication which is distributed to in-town locations and neighborhoods on the first Thursday of ...

'' 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 The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...

''), 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."Reeves, Mosi
Is New York hip-hop dead?
Creative Loafing. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' writes that after ''Illmatics release, “ became commonplace for rappers to search around for different producers who could enhance their sound."Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. Nighttime is More Trife Than Ever ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'', pp. 2010. 255–60. 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."Ahmed, Insanu
How Nas' "Illmatic" Ruined Hip-Hop
''Complex''. Retrieved May 20, 2013.

Queensbridge

''Illmatic'' is also credited with reviving the Queensbridge rap scene. Once home to prestigious pioneers such as

Marley Marl Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge housing projects ...

MC Shan Shawn Moltke (born September 6, 1965) better known by his stage name MC Shan, is an American hip hop and R&B recording artist. He is best known for his song "The Bridge" produced by Marley Marl, and for collaborating with Snow on " Informe ...

Roxanne Shanté Lolita Shante Gooden (born March 8, 1970), better known by her stage name Roxanne Shante, is an American rapper. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects of Queens, New York City, Shante first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and w ...

, 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 Cory McKay (born December 3, 1970), better known by his stage name Cormega, is an American rapper who attained notice when he was shouted out by Nas on his song "One Love", from the critically acclaimed 1994 album ''Illmatic''. The album was re ...

and Capone, the Bridge has produced the highest per-capita talent of any 'hood." 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." Following ''Illmatics release, Queensbridge returned to prominence after years of obscurity, with the ascendancy of the influential

hardcore rap Hardcore hip hop (also hardcore rap) is a genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is generally char ...

group

Mobb Deep Mobb Deep was an American hip hop duo from New York City. The duo consisted of rappers Prodigy and Havoc. They are considered to be among the principal progenitors of hardcore East Coast hip hopEdwards, Paul, 2009, ''How to Rap: The Art & Scien ...

(whose affiliation with Nas garned them credibility) and later with the emergence of the trend-setting underground duo

Capone-n-Noreaga Capone-N-Noreaga (also known as C-N-N) are an American hip hop duo formed in 1995 from Queens, New York. The duo features East Coast rappers Capone and N.O.R.E. History In October 1995, Capone-N-Noreaga appeared in ''The Source'' magazine's ...

. Nas appeared on Mobb Deep's critically acclaimed studio album ''

The Infamous ''The Infamous'' (stylized as ''The Infamous...'') is the second studio album by the American hip hop duo Mobb Deep. It was released on April 25, 1995, by RCA Records and Loud Records. The album features guest appearances by Nas, Raekwon, Gho ...

'' (1995), in addition to their next two studio albums, Hell on Earth (1996) and

Murda Muzik ''Murda Muzik'' is the fourth studio album by Mobb Deep, which was released on August 17, 1999 through Columbia Records and Loud Records. It features one of the group's best-known tracks, "Quiet Storm." It is also the duo's most commercially succ ...

(1999). The album is alsocredited with launching the career of the East New York-based rapper AZ, who later joined Nas's rap group The Firm. 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 ''Doe or Die'' is the debut studio album by rapper AZ, released October 10, 1995 by EMI Records. The album features guest appearances by artists such as Nas and Miss Jones, and production from N.O. Joe, Pete Rock, L.E.S., and Buckwild, among o ...

'' (1995).

Decline of alternative hip hop

''Illmatic'' was one of the first major recordings to emerge from New York's burgeoning

scene, at a time when much of East Coast hip hop was still dominated by

alternative hip hop Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confor ...

acts such as

A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip

and

De La Soul De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative ...

(groups known for their

-inspired production, socially conscious lyrics, and playful sensibilities). Adam Heimlich of The ''

New York Press ''New York Press'' was a free alternative weekly in New York City, which was published from 1988 to 2011. The ''Press'' strove to create a rivalry with the ''Village Voice''. ''Press'' editors claimed to have tried to hire away writer Nat Hento ...

'' 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 The term "arrested development" has had multiple meanings for over 200 years. In the field of medicine, the term "arrested development" was first used, ''circa'' 1835–1836, to mean a stoppage of physical development; the term continues to be use ...

Digable Planets Digable Planets () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987. The trio is composed of rappers Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, Mariana "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira, and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving. The group is notable for their contributions to the subgenre ...

." Yet according to Heimlich, ''Illmatic'' provided an "explosive, explicit rejection of the

cultural assimilation Cultural assimilation is the process in which a minority group or culture comes to resemble a society's majority group or assume the values, behaviors, and beliefs of another group whether fully or partially. The different types of cultural assi ...

of most previous hip-hop," due to its rugged use of language and its uncompromising portrayal of crime.Heimlich, Adam
Hiphop's Year One: Nas, Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang Clan Face 9/11

: Volume 15, Issue 4. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. Professor Sohail Dalautzai of the

comments on ''Illmatic''s indebtedness to hardcore hip hop: “ cause in bridging the gap and embodying the street swagger of

, the metaphysics of

, and the revolutionary lumpen philosophies of

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

, Nas ... unified the disparate threads of

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

that were conflagrating from hip-hop's street corner

ciphers In cryptography, a cipher (or cypher) is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption—a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is ''encipherment''. To encipher or encode i ...

.” Heimlich cites Nas' role in the resurgent

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

movement, writing: " ascame on the scene as hardcore's golden child. Along with Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and

. . . all but invented 90s New York rap, back when the notion of an 'East Coast

gangsta Gangsta may refer to: Urban culture * Gangsta rap, a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths * Gangster, a member of a gang * Hip hop fashi ...

' still meant

Schoolly D Jesse Bonds Weaver Jr. (born June 22, 1962), better known by the stage name Schoolly D (sometimes spelled Schooly D), is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Career Schoolly D teamed up with DJ Code Money in the mid-1980s. His ...

or Kool G. Rap. Those three ... designed the manner and style in which New York artists would address what Snoop and

Dre DRE may refer to: * ''Dre'' (album), 2010 by American rapper Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, 2010 * Dre (name) **Dr. Dre, American rapper and producer * DRE voting machine * Digital rectal examination, in medicine * Director of religious education; for exam ...

had made rap's hottest topics: drugs and violence." Similarly,

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...

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

appeared," as heard in similarly styled recordings such as Wu-Tang Clan's “

C.R.E.A.M. "C.R.E.A.M." (an acronym of "Cash Rules Everything Around Me") is a song by the American hardcore hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released on January 31, 1994 by Loud Records, as the second single from their debut studio album ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 ...

” and Notorious B.I.G.'s "Everyday Struggle". Steve Huey of AllMusic concludes that while ''Illmatic'' contains strong elements of

jazz rap Jazz rap (or jazz hip hop) is a fusion of jazz and hip hop music, as well as an alternative hip hop subgenre, that developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. AllMusic writes that the genre "was an attempt to fuse African-American music of the ...

, it nonetheless signaled a major regional shift towards hardcore aesthetics, marking "the beginning of a shift away from

Native Tongues The Native Tongues were a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and jazz-influenced beats. Its principal me ...

-inspired alternative rap."

West Coast hip hop

The critical acclaim surrounding the album also helped to shift attention away from the melodious,

synth A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

-driven, and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

-induced

G-funk G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the late 1980s. The genre is heavily influenced by 1970s psychedelic funk (P-funk) sound of artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic. Characte ...

subgenre, which dominated the charts for some time after

's ''

'' (1992).Biography: Nas
Citing the example of

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

's wildly popular ''

Doggystyle ''Doggystyle'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg (then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg). It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row Records and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop's app ...

'' (released six months prior to Nas' debut) author Matthew Gasteier writes, "The first thing immediately noticeable about the ource magazinereview, 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." 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." 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."''Icons of Hip Hop''. Hess (2007), pp. 335–336. 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." Contrasting these aesthetics with the themes found in G-Funk, writer and filmmaker

Dream Hampton Dream Hampton (stylized as dream hampton) is an American filmmaker, producer, and writer. Her work includes the 2019 Lifetime documentary series '' Surviving R. Kelly'', which she executive produced, and the 2012 ''An Oversimplification of Her B ...

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 Ohio Players is an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire (Ohio Players song), Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of t ...

and

DJ Quik David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and producer, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, ...

were mashed up; this was a three-month bid on

Rikers Island Rikers Island is a island in the East River between Queens and the Bronx that contains New York City's main jail complex. Named after Abraham Rycken, who took possession of the island in 1664, the island was originally under in size, but has ...

, a dirty dice game, blunts of brown Brooklyn sparked in the park after dark."Dyson, Michael Eric., and Sohail Daulatzai. "Born Alone, Die Alone." ''Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic.'', pp. 2010. 241–43. Despite these regional differences, Hampton credits ''Illmatic'' with providing a long-term artistic common 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 Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the Li ...

. 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 A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their offi ...

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 ''Me Against the World'' is the third studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on March 14, 1995, by Interscope and Jive Records. 2Pac draws lyrical inspiration from his impending prison sentence, troubles with the police, and pove ...

'', which was recorded that same year. 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 Shoplifting is the theft of goods from an open retail establishment, typically by concealing a store item on one's person, in pockets, under clothes or in a bag, and leaving the store without paying. With clothing, shoplifters may put on items ...

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 Compton may refer to: Places Canada * Compton (electoral district), a former Quebec federal electoral district * Compton (provincial electoral district), a former Quebec provincial electoral district now part of Mégantic-Compton * Compton, Que ...

nigga with a

New York State of Mind "New York State of Mind" is a song written by Billy Joel that initially appeared on the album '' Turnstiles'' in 1976. Although it was never released as a single, it has become a fan favorite and a song that Joel plays regularly in concert. Joe ...

Lyricism

During the time of its release, ''Illmatic'' brought a renewed focus on lyricism to hip hop—hearkening back to the heyday of

, and

. Music journalist

Kelefa Sanneh Kelefa T. Sanneh (born 1976) is an American journalist and music critic. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for ''The New York Times'', covering the rock and roll, hip-hop, and pop music scenes. Since 2008 he has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorke ...

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." 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: 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. Before the album's release, hip-hop lyricism was mostly defined by two popular forms. One was characterized by a fast-paced

ragga Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music. The instrumentals primarily consist of electronic music. Similar to hip hop, sampling often serves a prominent role in raggamuffin music. Wayne Sm ...

-flow accompanied with a whimsical, often

nonsensical Nonsense is a communication, via speech, writing, or any other symbolic system, that lacks any coherent meaning. Sometimes in ordinary usage, nonsense is synonymous with absurdity or the ridiculous. Many poets, novelists and songwriters have ...

lyrical delivery, and had been popularized by the

-based groups

Das EFX Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Dray (also known as Krazy Drayz, born Andre Weston, September 9, 1970) and Skoob (also known as Books and Boogie Bang, born William "Willie" Hines, November 27, 1970). They named the ...

and The Fu-Schnickens. The other was characterized by a slurred "lazy drawl" that generally sacrificed lyrical complexity for clarity and

cadence In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin ''cadentia'', "a falling") is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (199 ...

, and was exemplified by West Coast hip hop emcees including

y Dogg and

Warren G Warren Griffin III (born November 10, 1970) is an American rapper and producer known for his role in West Coast rap's 1990s ascent.Steve Huey"Warren G: Biography" ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020. Along with Snoop Dogg and N ...

. However, Nas' content, verbal pace, and intricate internal rhyme

patterns A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated l ...

inspired several rappers to modify their lyrical abilities. Music critic Rob Marriott notes, " ppers like Mobb Deep,

Tragedy Khadafi Percy Lee Chapman (born August 13, 1971), known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi (formerly Intelligent Hoodlum), is an American rapper and record producer. Chapman hails from the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Queens, New York City,Brown, Mar ...

Nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

, Cormega, Noreaga, Capone, Raekwon, Ghostface, and even the Chicago, Windy City wordsmith Common seemed to find new inspiration in Nas' self awareness, internal rhyme schemes, and mastery of street detail." Marriott also describes the impact of ''Illmatics "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 (album), Reasonable Doubt'', an album marked by Nas-like introspection..." Many rappers have taken note of ''Illmatics 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." 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 wordplay, word play and his songs, it made me wanna create visual pictures as well." 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.”

Hip hop poetry

In addition to his rapping, Nas achieved significance for his poetry, poetic use of language. Professor Adilifu Nama of

writes, “With ''Illmatic'', hip-hop witnessed the birth of an urban griot telling hard-boiled tales of ghetto Social alienation, alienation and triumph like a spoken word, spoken-word of a Chester Himes novel". Author and music writer Todd Boyd wrote of Nas' urban

, 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

placed him at the top of the game in terms of overall skills as an MC and as a cultural commentator."Boyd (2004), p. 91. 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".

professor Imani Perry also describes ''Illmatic'' as ''ars poetica'', a definitive statement for the art of hip-hop poetry." 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. 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. “It is from this point on,” he writes, “that writing style, style, literary technique, technique and craft merge with collage/pastiche, braggadocio (rap), braggadocio, stark portrait-painting from the margins, frenetic, fun and funny

, and the rupture of linear storytelling schemes. These become trope (literature), tropes in a burgeoning school of American literature, American letters that's moving toward an aesthetics of hip-hop poetics." Many of the poetic tropes found in ''Illmatic'' have also become terms and phrases within hip-hop lexicon. "'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." 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 Scratching, scratched Hook (music), hooks have been executed to lines from ''Illmatic''."

Hip hop artists

Respected mainstream and underground rappers have acknowledged ''Illmatic''s influence. These wide range of artists include the battle rappers, SunN.Y.Fruchter, Alex
Soundslam Interviews
. Soundslam. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. and Reef The Lost Cauze,Lunny, Hugo
Reef The Lost Cauze
MVRemix. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. Conscious hip hop, conscious rappers Talib Kweli and Lupe Fiasco, the producers Just Blaze and 9th Wonder, as well as the platinum-selling artists Wiz Khalifa, Alicia Keys and The Game, who makes references to the album on his debut, ''The Documentary'' 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."Frederick, Brendan
Clipse The Untouchables
XXL (magazine), XXL magazine. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. 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." In 2006, Marc Mac of the electronic music duo 4hero, produced a cover version of "The World Is Yours" as part of his

and hip-hip fusion project, ''The Visioneers''. Lyrics from ''Illmatic'' have been Sampling (music), sampled by other rappers, notably Big L (rapper), Big L's "Ebonics" (which samples "It Ain't Hard to Tell"), Milkbone's "Keep It Real" ("Life's a Bitch"), Real Live's "Real Live Shit" ("It Ain't Hard to Tell"), Damu the Fudgemunk's "Prosper" ft. Panacea (group)#Raw Poetic, Raw Poetic ("N.Y. State of Mind"), Blu & Exile's "In Remembrance" ("The World Is Yours" and "One Love"), Mac Miller's "Nikes On My Feet" ("The World Is Yours") and Jay-Z's "In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, Rap Game/Crack Game" ("Represent") and "Dead Presidents (song), Dead Presidents II" ("The World Is Yours"). :

Legacy and tributes

''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''?'" In 2012, the release of Kendrick Lamar's album, ''Good Kid, M.A.A.D City'', drew comparisons to ''Illmatic'' from critics and journalists. In an interview with ''2 Dope Boyz'', Lamar commented on these comparisons, stating: ''Illmatic'' has also been cited as a musical

for other hip hop artists.

's critically acclaimed album ''Be (Common album), Be'' (2005) has been said to have been molded after ''Illmatic''.Reid, Shaheem
Mixtape Mondays: Chronicles of Junior Mafia
MTV. Retrieved on January 20, 2007.Diaz, Ruben
5 Minutes With Common
BallerStatus. Retrieved on January 20, 2007.UniversalUrban: Common
. umusic.ca. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. 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”.XXL staff
Ode To lllmatic Mixtape
. XXL (magazine), XXL magazine. Retrieved on 2010-06-11. Detroit rapper Elzhi released a remake of ''Illmatic'' titled ''Elmatic'' (2011). 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. "

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 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. H3 ILLMATIC: Hip-Hop Theater
Retrieved April 5, 2013 "[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' couplet, 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." ''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,

, 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.Porco, Alessandr
"Time is Illmatic": A Critical Retrospective on Nas's Groundbreaking Debut
SUNY Buffalo Retrieved April 12, 2013 In the introduction, Daulatzai explains the singular focus on ''Illmatic'', writing:

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, boom-bap Wiktionary:connoisseur, 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.” ''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 Wiktionary:blithe, blithe and concerned wings." 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." 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 Wiktionary:curio, curio, and the persistence of the idea that lyricism is the only standard great rap music should be held to." 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."'

Subsequent work by Nas

While its success helped Nas' career immeasurably, hip hop aficionados have cited the album as his inextricable "gift and curse". Due to its critical fame, Nas' subsequent studio albums have been sophomore slump, weighed against ''Illmatic'', despite all of them outselling his debut. Against this standard, they are often critically deemed as mediocre follow-ups. 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. It was criticized for its embrace of Gangsta rap, gangsta/mafioso themes and materialistic subject matter, but proved to be a commercial success, selling over three million copies. Critics gave it mixed reviews, and general consensus was that it failed to live up to the classic status of ''Illmatic''. 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). When he released his third and fourth studio albums, '' I Am…'' and ''Nastradamus'' (1999), which underwent editing due to bootlegging of the recording sessions, many fans and critics feared that his career was deteriorating, as both albums received further criticism for their commercially oriented sound. 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 (song), Takeover" (2001) for having a "one hot album [''Illmatic''] every ten year average". 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.''" 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 (Nas album), The Lost Tapes'' (2002), a compilation of previously unreleased tracks from the ''I Am…'' and ''Nastradamus'' sessions. Afterwards, his subsequent albums have all been well received by critics. Nevertheless, most fans have regarded ''Illmatic'' as his definitive album. In 2011, Nas performed the album in its entirety at Rock the Bells music festival. 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, and models of Queensbridge's housing project. In 2012, he also performed the album in its entirety at South by Southwest music festival, with the same personnel and stage design. ''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. 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.

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.

Track listing

Sample credits

The GenesisTheBreaks.com album samples
TheBreaks.com. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. *"Live at the Barbeque" by

*Dialogue from the 1983 film ''

'' N.Y. State of Mind *"Mind Rain" by Joe Chambers *"N.T." by

*"Flight Time" by

*"Mahogany" by Eric B. & Rakim *"Live at the Barbeque" by Main Source Life's a Bitch *" Yearning for Your Love" by The Gap Band The World Is Yours *"I Love Music" by

*"Dance Girl" by The Rimshots *"Walter L" by Jimmy Gordon & His Jazznpops Band *"It's Yours" by T La Rock Halftime *"Dead End" by Japanese Hair Cast *"School Boy Crush" by Average White Band *"Soul Travelin' Pt. 1" by Imhotep Gary Byrd, Gary Byrd Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park) *"We're in Love" by

*"Get Out of My Life, Woman" by Allen Touissant *"Pickin' Boogers" by Biz Markie *"Droppin' Science" by

and

One Love *"Smilin' Billy Suite, Pt. II" by Heath Brothers, The Heath Brothers *"Come in Out of the Rain" by

*"One Love" by Whodini One Time 4 Your Mind *"Walter L" by Jimmy Gordon & His Jazznpops Band Represent *"The Thief of Bagdad" by Lee Erwin *"I Didn't Come Rhythm" by George Clinton (funk musician), George Clinton It Ain't Hard to Tell *"

" by

*"Slow Dance" by

*"Long Red (Live)" by Mountain (band), Mountain *"N.T." by

Personnel

– Rapping, lead vocals, Record producer, co-producer * AZ – co-vocals (3) * Olu Dara –

* Q-Tip – vocals, producer *

– vocals, producer *

– producer * Diego Garrido – Audio engineer, engineer, Audio mixing (recorded music), mixing * Jack Hersca – assistant engineer *

– producer * Tim Latham, Tim "The Funky Red" Latham – engineer * L.E.S. – producer * Faith N. – executive producer, producer *

– executive producer * Anton "Sample This" Pushansky – engineer * Kevin Reynolds – engineer * Eddie Sancho – engineer * Jamey Staub – engineer * Louis Tineo – assistant engineer * Jason Vogel – engineer * Stan Wallace – engineer * Aimee Macauley – art director *

– photography * Tony Dawsey – mastering engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Accolades

The information regarding accolades attributed to ''Illmatic'' is adapted from

References

184. ^ “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020 Retrieved November 13, 2020

Bibliography

* * * * * William Jelani Cobb, Cobb, William Jelani (2006). ''To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic''. New York University Press. . * * * * * * *

External links

* * {{Authority control 1994 debut albums Nas albums Columbia Records albums Albums produced by DJ Premier Albums produced by Pete Rock Albums produced by L.E.S. (record producer) Albums produced by Large Professor Albums produced by Marley Marl Albums produced by Q-Tip (musician) Albums recorded at Chung King Studios United States National Recording Registry recordings United States National Recording Registry albums Albums recorded at WKCR-FM

Background

Recording

Themes

Drug violence

Artistic credibility

Musical endowment

Lyricism

Production

Songs

Artwork

Album cover

Commercial performance

Critical reception

''The Source''

Controversy

Retrospect

Impact and legacy

East Coast hip hop

Production

Queensbridge

Decline of alternative hip hop

West Coast hip hop

Lyricism

Hip hop poetry

Hip hop artists

Legacy and tributes

Intellectual response

Hip hop debates

Subsequent work by Nas

20th anniversary

Track listing

Sample credits

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Accolades

See also

References

Bibliography

External links