illmatic XX

[stype_ones]

I understand that this is a played out topic in general, and specifically now as this Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the original release, (and today saw the release of Ilmatic XX) however we would all be a bit remiss to not touch on the topic. Many have a issue with (or perhaps a hatred for) Nas on one level or another, but there is absolutely no denying that this is a top 3-5 Hip Hop album of all time. Many will argue it is THE best album of the genre. I am one of those people.

Now it is 2014. Twenty years later. I look back on the last 20 years of my life and I find it astonishing how far I have come, yet I find it equally as remarkable that I am still the same person. I guess we never change from who we were in High School- we just figure it out along the way and adapt to life. I could go on and on about how this album changed me, and changed my outlook on life. I can say the same for so many of the people who grew up and came of age in NYC in the late 80's and early 90's. We were all there and can understand exactly what Nas was speaking on in his lyrics. Not every lyric spoke to everyone but the overall vibe was in line with everyone.

If you wish to talk about the album I encourage you to do so, but I am interested in knowing about people's first experiences with the album. From hearing the singles on to the release.

Not to get too much into it, but I will tell my story. I first heard Nas (like many of us) on Live At The BBQ. I bought the Main Source tape because of Lookin At The Front Door, but soon realized that the album had much more to offer. Hearing Nas for the first time changed the way I looked at Rap. Not ironically, I had felt the same the first time I heard Redman on EPMD's album. There was just something about them that made me feel a certain unexplainable way. Back then I was hanging with this kid down my block a lot after school and I realized that my friend's Father worked at Sony. I used to go to his house to play Genesis and he would hit me off with all kinds of music-whatever was on the label at the time. He knew I was into Hip Hop and one day he gave me the maxi single tape for Halftime from the Zebrahead soundtrack. There was a hole punch in the cover, which was a mark to show it was a promo and not for sale. I can still see it now. Man, I listened to that tape over and over. It had the Butcher remix which is now available on the illmatic XX release. A few weeks later I heard Back To The Grill on Kid Capri's radio show and I was in full blown Nas mode.

I am not going to lie, other than Halftime, I did not hear another Illmatic song other than Life's a Bitch until the day the album dropped. I was waiting and waiting for the album. I used to go to Numbers records in Jackson Heights every week and ask about the release date. This was obviously way before the internet, so we had to get our information in ancient ways. Finally I was taping Stretch and Bob one night, and I heard Life's a Bitch come on. Bobbito said the first kid on this song is AZ, the other is... and that was that. I knew who it was and left it at that. A month later I bought The Source issue with Gangstarr and a week or two later, on April 19th, the album dropped.

The day the album dropped, I will never forget me and my boys Adrian and Kokai ran to Numbers the second school let out and copped the tape. I walked back to school with the tape in my walkman in a straight trance listening to The Genesis and NYSOM. It was a sunny day, but kind of chilly and I remember this kid Kwane who I never got a long with and was older than me on the basketball court sideline listening to his boy Kokai's tape and just talking loud (as people listening to headphones around those who are not always do) saying "oh shit" "yoo, he came off!" etc. He and I actually spoke for one of the only times that day and discussed how ill the album was. The album literally brought two enemies together.

I rode the E train and the bus home that night and wrote the entire lyrics to NYSOM in my notebook. I could go on and on. No album has ever made me feel the same since. That whole week into the weekend was just crazy Nas shit. It was the whole city., I remember talking to mu cousin in BK and he was just as open. It was a special time. Everything stopped.

[Blockhead]

My boy in high school gave me an advanced copy of it on cassette like 4 months before it dropped (he had connects at Columbia records). i wore that shit out but was warned to not play it for anyone. That was a serious challenge to my self control.

[Req]

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

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

at different points in time every song on the album has been my favourite. nas fulfilled KRS's vision of hip hop becoming the most important poetry coming out.

[Req]

at different points in time every song on the album has been my favourite.

1 Time For Ya Mind is the weak point
replace with Deja Vu
Profit $$$

[Spartan]

Absolute classic album.

Why re-release it with that horrible cover art, though? It reminds me of those Microsoft Paint versions.

[BadLT]

Good album.

Best rap album of all time? Hahaha it's not even the best album of 1994. It's in the top ten though.

[Philaflava]

at different points in time every song on the album has been my favourite.

1 Time For Ya Mind is the weak point
replace with Deja Vu
Profit $$$

I think this is everyone's call for the "weak" point but in comparison to most, it's still decent.

[Escobar305]

Nas stunting with diddy and jay at coachella

[Kid That's Lifeless]

Good album.

Best rap album of all time? Hahaha it's not even the best album of 1994. It's in the top ten though.

You are cool!

[Blockhead]

Honestly, "Life's a bitch" was/is my least favorite song on the album. That beat fucking sucks. I can still listen to it though.

Also, I'm going to some tribeca films premier of the documentary about Illmatic tonight that includes a performance of the whole album afterwards. I'll report back on that all.

[Career Over Like Mike(NJJ)]

Honestly, "Life's a bitch" was/is my least favorite song on the album. That beat fucking sucks. I can still listen to it though.

might be the only board on the internet where the general public can witness former Def Jux 3rd-stringers talking shit about classic rap records made by people who were infinitely more talented than them.

That beat and the Gap Band song it comes from obliterate your whole career/life.

[step one]

Amazed that in 2014 such an obvious thread can throw up such terrible opinions

[Blockhead]

Honestly, "Life's a bitch" was/is my least favorite song on the album. That beat fucking sucks. I can still listen to it though.

might be the only board on the internet where the general public can witness former Def Jux 3rd-stringers talking shit about classic rap records made by people who were infinitely more talented than them.

That beat and the Gap Band song it comes from obliterate your whole career/life.

So I guess I can't have thoughts? It's a classic album. one of the best ever. Someone mentioned "one time for your mind" being their least favorite song. I gave my opinion. That cool with you and your endless talent?

[Career Over Like Mike(NJJ)]

Not trying to be a dick here either, but a guy who used to make beats for Aesop Rock and now makes instrumental trip-hop records for Ninja Tune or whatever is NOT allowed to turn his nose up at the Life's A Bitch beat or Yearning For Your Love.

[Rob Sonic]

3rd favorite rap album of all time behind Run DMC and Criminal Minded

[Blockhead]

Not trying to be a dick here either, but a guy who used to make beats for Aesop Rock and now makes instrumental trip-hop records for Ninja Tune or whatever is NOT allowed to turn his nose up at the Life's A Bitch beat or Yearning For Your Love.

Why not? It's a loop I don't like. It's an opinion I have had since the album came out, before I ever made a beat for anyone. and like i said, even though I don't like that beat, it's still a very listenable song I know every word to.

But , really, you are without question "being a dick" in this instance. It's kinda what you do around here. I get that. When it's not aimed at me, I enjoy it. But don't try and play me out like I'm some new jack who doesn't know what I'm talking about cause you have issues with Def Jux and Ninja tune. The two things are completely separate. You should know that, Tommy.

[Larry2times]

Lemme play devils advocate here and say J-Zone pioneered this "turn of the century undie producer unpopular 90s NY canon opinionz4u" shit. he also has reliably good taste, is 150,000% correct about a heap of shit and created a few thousand Tim Dog fans though.

idk maybe Im not playing devils advocate lolol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[GUCCI CONDOMS]

Not trying to be a dick here either, but a guy who used to make beats for Aesop Rock and now makes instrumental trip-hop records for Ninja Tune or whatever is NOT allowed to turn his nose up at the Life's A Bitch beat or Yearning For Your Love.

Why not? It's a loop I don't like. It's an opinion I have had since the album came out, before I ever made a beat for anyone. and like i said, even though I don't like that beat, it's still a very listenable song I know every word to.

But , really, you are without question "being a dick" in this instance. It's kinda what you do around here. I get that. When it's not aimed at me, I enjoy it. But don't try and play me out like I'm some new jack who doesn't know what I'm talking about cause you have issues with Def Jux and Ninja tune. The two things are completely separate. You should know that, Tommy.

being 40 and not being able to afford sample clearance of a commonly known loop gives a wigga the chills

[Career Over Like Mike(NJJ)]

Swear down, I'm not just being a dick for the sake of it. The one thing that truly makes my blood boil on here is when Def Jux cast-offs and amateur hacks/bitter failures talk shit about rappers and producers who are more talented than them.

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to stab Mindbender in his googly eyes for having the nerve to look down his nose at Boosie or the times I've wanted to smack ALASKA in his shrinking fucking face for daring to call AZ and Intelligent Hoodlum/Tragedy "boring".

[stype_ones]

Full unedited interview from Rhyme and Reason. Golden footage here.

[Neuro]

this remix is really fresh

its not on this new release though


https://soundcloud.com/hypetrak-1/nas-the-world-is-yours-urban

[Req]

Best rap album of all time? Hahaha it's not even the best album of 1994.

see if this motherfucker says some shit like Stress or 6 Feet Deep...

[aeokq]

Great album. It gets overrated though because it is mentioned as the holy grail of hip hop albums when in fact there are many albums that are on par with it, if not better.

[Blockhead]

Swear down, I'm not just being a dick for the sake of it. The one thing that truly makes my blood boil on here is when Def Jux cast-offs and amateur hacks/bitter failures talk shit about rappers and producers who are more talented than them.

.

I see that but you're acting as if I can't have a valid opinion on things cause you, personally, were never a fan of my work. See how that's kinda dickish? What makes your opinion more valid than mine? Cause your a writer? Despite what you think, I'm not a hack (I'm still a working musician who supports himself entirely by that music) nor bitter (why would I ever be bitter about "Illmatic"?).

I don't know for sure but I think we're both around the same age and from the same area. We grew up listening to the same shit around the same time and all that. Perhaps you can separate the fact that I made rap music with white people in the early 2000's (how dare I!) and maybe accept that , on a nerdy hip hop guy level, I actually do know what I'm talking about. Whether you agree with my opinions or not.

And comparing me to bender...
That's a low blow, bro.

[step one]

Great album. It gets overrated though because it is mentioned as the holy grail of hip hop albums when in fact there are many albums that are on par with it, if not better.

There's a few. There's not many. It captures a 2-3 year era of Rap music almost perfectly over a pretty short space of time.
As much as I could be doing without all these 20th anniversary articles I dont think you can really call Illmatic 'overrated' .

[sleazy_j]

i seriously doubt nas gives a shit if anyone in this thread hates his entire first album or defends his entire first album.
nobody here is getting any props for what they say on this thread. this won't end up in any history book.

i started buying rap tapes in 1986 but ventured out into other shit like grunge in the 90s. i never heard of Nas until MTV played "if i ruled the world" heavily
and never heard a full biggie album until "life after death". i lived down south, too.
it also seemed that most blacks in my area were more interested in Ice Cube, Geto Boys and 2Pac back then, also.

i tried listening to illmatic back in 2001 or so and felt it was okay, but didn't stand the test of time that well.
i know people that hadn't heard illmatic even in 2001 but now consider it GOAT. that's on them, though.

[Career Over Like Mike(NJJ)]

Yeah, comparing you to Mindbender was definitely uncalled for on my part. I was referring to Mindbender with the amateur hack/bitter failure comment.

I guess I just can't understand how any rap producer could think the Life's A Bitch beat + the Gap Band sample are anything other than the most celestial shit ever.

[Blockhead]

Yeah, comparing you to Mindbender was definitely uncalled for on my part. I was referring to Mindbender with the amateur hack/bitter failure comment.

I guess I just can't understand how any rap producer could think the Life's A Bitch beat + the Gap Band sample are anything other than the most celestial shit ever.

Honestly, I just didn't like the 80's sound to it (I realize the sample is from the 70's but I'm speaking of the sound of the beat). Especially back then when it dropped. I always grouped that and Kool G rap's "Fast life" beats together. Just not my thing sonically. I didn't like "Juicy" that much either for the same reasons. Nowadays, i can appreciate those songs differently but that 17 year old me still has a voice in there somewhere.

[Career Over Like Mike(NJJ)]

What does Blockhead think about Street Dreams?