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- The Genesis. “The Genesis” is the atmospheric introductory track on Nas’s seminal debut album and it effectively sets the tone for the entire project. The track features a sample from Grand Wizard Theodore‘s “Subway Theme” from the 1983 film Wild Style, the first major Hip Hop movie.
- NY State Of Mind. “New York State of Mind” is not only the opening song of Illmatic, but it is also widely considered one of the greatest Hip Hop songs of all time.
- Life's A Bitch. Let’s dive into “Life’s a Bitch,” one of the absolute standout tracks on this album. The song was produced by L.E.S. and features a guest verse from AZ.
- The World Is Yours. Produced by the legendary Pete Rock, “The World Is Yours” is built around a sample from Ahmad Jamal’s “I Love Music” (1970). The smooth jazz-infused beat serves as the perfect backdrop for Nas’ introspective lyrics, as he reflects on his upbringing and the struggles he faced growing up in Queensbridge.
Yet, despite the horrors and darkness it contains, the most important part of Illmatic is its soft underbelly: one of lament and reflection, memory and timelessness. The album is about crime, loss, and numbness – but it also looks forward to a possible future and to escaping the cycle.
In Illmatic’s opening week, it only sold 59,000 copies which is astonishing considering the hype in the leadup to the album and that it was also critically acclaimed, it was the first solo debut album to be awarded 5 mics by The Source.
To celebrate 30 years, we’ve gone back into the archives to unearth a decade old feature, never published online, that documents how ‘Illmatic’ was influencing seven rappers who were releasing their own new music around 2014’s ‘Illmatic XX’ re-release…
- Clashmusic
Apr 14, 2014 · There is, though, some interesting elision in the backstory. There’s a startling contrast between where Nas got to with the incredibly tight writing on Illmatic‘s nine full tracks – a bare 21 stanzas shared between them – and where he’d been on those early visits to the recording studio.
Illmatic is the debut studio album by the American rapper Nas. It was released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records . After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch , Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung King Studios , D&D Recording , Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City.
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May 14, 2024 · Nas’s debut album Illmatic is the king among kings of mid-’90s classic hip hop albums, and thirty years later, the music industry is finally recognizing what made Illmatic a game changer for the rap genre.
