Nas - Illmatic // Album Review

An album which never grows old. A truly iconic and defining album of hip hop.

On April 19, 1994 a 19 year old teenager had created and released the most influential art of the whole year. The art and the teenager are of course Nas and his album Illmatic. 

Nas was born in the Queensbridge Housing Projects, the largest project in all of America. Crime, especially the drug trade ripped through the projects in the 70s and 80s, which sat up the inclosed world that created Nas. In Queensbridge many young guys had a tendency to drop out of school early. Soon kids realized they had a third option except the street and school, becoming a rapper. 

In the 80s Nas realized that he wanted to be a rapper. He wrote his only lyrics and was already from the beginning a good lyricist, but he was to shy to get on the mic. Nas said the following in an interview:

"There was a small group of guys, who knew I rapped. I wasn't really the outgoing guy"

In 1992 Nas released "Halftime". Already there Nas had a special way of conveying words, using a ton of inventive quotes on the track. He wasn't even 20 yet, and already people started drawing lines between him and the rap god Rakim. This was his first single and the hype for Illmatic had already bursted the roof. 

Hot 97 Radio Host Peter Rosenberg said this about the release of Illmatic:

"The lead to Illmatic was big. It was - Illmatic didn't creep up and surprise people. People were waiting for  Illmatic, because all of his appearances had been great leading up to that. And "Halftime" came out on the Zebrahead soundtrack, and everyone loved "Halftime". It was like this awesome, just, mix show record that everybody loved. And then "It Ain't Hard to Tell" came out considerably far before the album as well. So the time the album came out it self people was waiting and well aware of what it was meant to be"

For the album met with producers DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Q-Tip through his usual producer Large Professor. They all began creating Nas' debut album. 

When Illmatic dropped I think it was impossible to listen to the album and not be blown away. Illmatic made the right crowd landing mostly with the die-hard rap fans. Nas has a talent for creating his own canvas and painting pictures with his words, his talent is well displayed throughout the album. From letters to a friend in jail on "One Love" to detailed descriptions of young kids breaking into a house on "Represent", Nas doesnt fail to showoff his talent in the best manor. 

Nas don't tell his stories just for the entertainment, he's always trying to come through with a point through his music. The album is only 39 minutes long, but you feel like you know what the streets of Queensbridge was really like. 

Many rappers have named Nas as being their source of inspiration, and Illmatic is without a doubt one of the most influential hip hop albums of all time. 

Rating:

Vibe - 8/10. Towards the end of the album Nas switches the vibe up a bit, but in the end the album goes hard as a rock, brining the thug life of New York to display.

Lyrics - 10/10. Brining multiple bars in every song, Nas accomplishes to create painting from his music, and he creates clear images of what he's trying to tell. Nas is a truly gifted lyricist, who just knows how to express himself.

Flow - 9/10. The notorious Nas flow he uses on almost all of his tracks doesn't fail. He raps raw and tells the truth.

Music - 10/10. A lot of great samples craft the album we all know and love. With producing from some of the biggest producers of the era including Pete Rock the album is guaranteed to go hard with the beats, and it does.

Overall - 10/10. The first 10 out of 10 ranking I have ever given to an album, and it's well deserved. Illmatic isn't just a music album, it's art. It displays Queensbridge and the gangsta life through the eyes of a poet. It's still to this day one of the best hip hop albums ever created. 

Tracklist:

Many consider Wild Style as the first hip hop movie ever made

The Genesis: 7/10

The Genesis is the beginning of Nas' bible "Illmatic". In the beginning of the track there is a scene from Wild Style (one of the earliest hip hop movies from 1983). Nas spoke on why he chose to implement that scene:

"When you look back in the days when n*ggas was rhyming, what made them grab the mic and start talking ill shit? Check Wild Style the movie - that's the Bible. They just expressing themselves. Young Africans and Latinos trapped in a cell of hell, screaming, telling somebody, 'We still surviving out here and I'm doing my thing and nobody's stopping me, but I'm gonna tell you what's in my way"

The Genesis fulfills it purpose of serving as an intro for the rest of the album. This kinda scratchy beat with almost a conversation happening instead of regular rapping. It makes you wanna hear more and dive down in the whole album.

N.Y. State of Mind: 10/10

Nas displays why should be on the throne of NYC. A truly defining track for hip hop in generally. The chorus samples a Rakim line from his track "Mahogany", which is at it's rightful place since Nas was being portrayed as the second coming from the god of MC'ing Rakim. Speaking about this song, Nas said the following:

"The music just spoke to the people that needed to know what was in my head and what it was like in the minds of everybody in New York at that time - that's what I thought. I thought the sound sounded like what was in everyone's head at some point, or that sound represents a certain section of your mind. There was a lot going on in New York, especially in the 90's same as today. That song - I think it's timeless in a lot of ways"

N.Y. State of Mind was taken in one take according to DJ Premier, who said Nas would sit and mumble the verses before hand, but it was taken in only one take. 

The title is in multiple ways self explanatory. The song takes us to a journey in the crime rich city of New York, and the life of a young hustler who never sleeps, cause sleep is the cousin of death. A great beat, great lyrics and great meaning. This song has all the elements needed to make the perfect rap song. A 10/10 without a doubt. 

The first time AZ goes on record and he delivers a sublime verse

Life's a Bitch: 8/10

Life's a bitch and then you die. It can't be said simpler than that. Nas and AZ reflects on their lives, and the way they live them. The main point of the track is, you never know when you're gonna go, so it's better to live your live to the fullest. 

Originally Nas wanted to sample Mtume's "Juicy Fruit", but the producer L.E.S. brought "Yearning For Your Love" instead. Nas remember not thinking twice about it. Looking back it's very fortunate since Biggie's "Juicy" came out the same year. "Life's a Bitch" is a fantastic track, but it would still be non comparable to the most popular song of Biggie. 

AZ debuted on this track, having never priorly rapped on record. To this day it's still debated whether or not he delivered a better verse than Nas. In my opinion Nas delivered a stylish and clean verse as well as AZ, but AZ delivered it better. The producer L.E.S. has spoken on how the making of the song played out saying:

"AZ was there. Nas was like, 'A, you got something for this?' A just went in the booth and spit it, and Nas came right behind him. AZ had a chorus. They vibed, and before I even blinked, I left the studio, went back to the project, and n*ggas was like, 'We love that Nas joint'. I was like, 'Damn. Word? How they get that?'"

AZ added:

"After the hook was there, they was like, 'Damn, you gotta spit, dawg'. I was like, 'Aight, fuck it. If you like it, you like it. You don't, you don't. I did it, and everybody liked it. That was it. It was history made"

The raw gangsta life displayed on this song makes it what it is. The truth is told as raw as it comes and even tho from the outside the life might look luxurious it has the huge downsides with it. AZ delivers a clean verse with great thinking behind it. 

A pioneer of the industry, Pete Rock, crafted the track we all know and love

The World Is Yours: 10/10

This is another true hip hop track. No cliches, no bullshit, just pure rapping from the heart. Speaking of what the track meant to him Nas said:

"The track speaks to me because it has a life of itself without even one word on it. When I heard it, it had a life to itself. It was like, I needed music that really was alive. That beat - it was a piece of art to me, so it was perfect for ideas I was having"

The song features a piano sample from Ahmad Jamal's "I Love Music" mixed with a vocal sample from T La Rock's "It's Yours" along with a jazzy beat from Pete Rock. Pete Rock was and is still a huge name in the hip hop industry. Being able to make music with Pete, Nas said the following:

"At the time, getting a beat from Pete Rock was like getting a beat from Kanye West or Timbaland or fuckin' Dr. Dre. I fought to get that T La Rock sample on there. Pete had a way of doing his beats & he was Pete Rock, so I didn't wanna interfere that much. But I had "It's Yours" in my head & I thought it would sound ill. At the last minute, he fit it in there, I think at the mix. I didn't know how he was gonna fit it in there, but it was perfect how he did it"

I totally agree with Nas. It's a miracle that T La Rock's sample came to life on this track. It helps uplift the words Nas speaks. The mix on this track is absolutely phenomenal along with flawless rapping skills from Nas. Another 10/10. 

Originally the beat for "Halftime" was intended for Busta Rhymes. 

Halftime: 7,5/10

This track produced by Large Professor was released two years prior to the release of Illmatic. 

The soundtrack was originally intended for Busta Rhymes to rap over. Large Professor even offered it to him at first, but he didn't know what to do with it. Busta spoke on it in an interview with XXL:

"I went over to Large Professor's house, & he made the "Halftime" beat in front of me, & he was gonna give it to the at that time. I didn't know what to do with it. I didn't know why I didn't know what to do with it, because I loved the shit out the beat. Then I heard it on "Halftime", & I was like, Goddamn, I was a stupid ass for not touching this beat. I just took it in stride. I was feeling good that n*ggas was feelin' that way about me. I just appreciated Jungle when he told me that"

I would say it's fortunate that Busta didn't take the beat, because I definitely think Nas got more potential out of the beat, than Busta could have. The classic Nas with a funky beat. A solid track without a doubt. 

Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park): 8/10

On this track the jazz turns to soul creating a soulful beat with samples from Reuben Wilson's "We're in love". DJ Premier talks about the creation of the track and sample:

"Nas wanted to help me pick a sample for that, and he heard the Reuben Wilson sample, and he was like, 'That's it'. I wasn't really into that one. But he was like, 'Yo that's it, Preem. Cook that up'. So I just hooked it up, because he asked me to. I was in competition with the other producers on the album, so I wanted to be funkier than what they had.

He wrote it right on the spot. Once we cut the vocals, I heard what he was saying. I wasn't mad at it. I wasn't against it, I just thought I could have done better"

Nas reminisces on his past and teenage years throughout the song. He lived a fast live and it made him feel like a grown man, when he was just a teenager. Speaking about the song Nas said:

"I just felt like all the shit I saw in Queensbridge, it meant something. For some reason, I knew this ain't the average shit a kid my age is supposed to be seeing. I knew it was something special about what I was seeing, and it wasn't all good. This was real life. It's situations - whether it's welfare, or my friends havin' dope-fiend parents, or teenagers being chased by cops"

When rappers sit and reminisce about the live they life, great songs are made. This is the case right here as well. I love seeing more vulnerability in songs instead of it being all gangsta. 

The third verse is acted out in the movie "Belly"

One Love: 9/10

An absolutely astounding track. The track really displays Nas' ability to switch up his verses and tell a story. The switch of perspective the third verse brings is one of Nas' iconic rapping techniques he uses. Adam Bradley said the following about Nas' skill to convey a story:

"Nas is perhaps contemporary rap's greatest innovator in storytelling. His catalog includes songs narrated before birth (Fetus) and after death (Amongst Kings), biographies (UBR), and autobiographies (Doo Rags), allegorical tales (Money Is My Bitch), and epistolary ones (One Love), he's rapped in the voice of a woman (Sekou Story) and even of a gun (I Gave You Power)"

Nas is an amazing lyricist and rapper, and it comes to show on this track. Bringing another perspective in on the same song is not easy, but Nas handles it with greatness.

One Time 4 Your Mind: 7/10

"What up n*ggas, how y'all? It's Nasty, the villain. I'm still writtin' rhymes, but besides that, I'm chillin'"

The first bars of the second verse sums up the whole song. This song wasn't intended to be deeper than a chill track, and chill tracks are appreciated and needed for albums. Speaking about the song Nas said:

"Honestly, that song was just like, 'Hey, we chilling'. That song, I didn't give a fuck - it was just, go in there & have fun. I wanted Wiz's voice on that. Out of everybody around, I thought that he had a voice that can be on a record & come off. I always wanted him to rhyme & shit, & that was my way of pushing him into that shit"

Represent: 8/10

After chilling and slowing thing down on "One Time 4 Your Mind" Nas hypes it up with his crew from Queensbridge backing him up in the studio. Nas said the following speaking about the track:

"Raw, men in the studio, a bunch of my boys, and having a good time. Hennessy flowing - that's what it was. It was fun for all of us. I think we had a good time doing Represent"

Nas' brother Jungle also recalled what happened that day. He said:

"That was one of the days Nas let everybody get in the mic booth and talk and shit. I don't know why he used to do that shit, 'cause none of us - we only had one or two rappers in the crew. Like, everybody who was in the studio was in the booth, but none of them would even wanna be a rapper. They just wanna roll with the rapper. The whole project was happy to just be out the projects and shit. Everybody was packed up in D&D Studio"

After being serious with the beginning tracks and then chill, It's great to have a track with just Nas and his crew hyping each other up. A perfect addition to the album.

SWV and Nas used the same sample from Michael Jackson's "Human Nature"

It Ain't Hard to Tell: 8,5/10

Following the release of "Halftime" this track was released as the lead single for Illmatic. The track uses a sample from Michael Jackson's "Human Nature". Nas had the following to say about the track:

"We did the original version in Large Professor's apartment. And once there was a deal in place, we were able to use a real mic & a real studio. After me, SWV did "Right Here" with the same sample. I felt like I was responsible for that record, but the reality is that "Human Nature" was such a beautiful-ass song that people wanted to replay that. When the SWV record came out, I was pissed, because if I was to have a record for the radio, that was the perfect one. And when SWV took the shine, it was like, "Oh no!" Of course, it was my 1st album. I was like, Wait, how am I gonna get Michael Jackson to clear this? And then I realized, Oh shit, we're label mates! So we made it happen.

We had an in-store. And I'd never been to one. I expected to sign maybe 40 autographs at most. Before we left, my record company kept telling me what a scene it was down there. I had no idea what they were talking about. It was me & the crew. We were excited, happy, celebrating. And we went to the in-store, and when I saw the crowd, it really let me know that this is gonna be something. This is not a tape that comes out & they just play it for a little while. When we left, it was kids screaming, crying & chasing the car. It was like N' Sync. And this is my first album. It was a mob scene. That's when I knew. I was like, Yo, this I gonna be all right. I looked around, & I was like, this is gonna be all right"

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