Illmatic
 

Discussion thread for Nas - Illmatic album

A lot of you might know already that I'm a huge Nas fan. Call me a dick rider, fanboy, whatever, I don't care. I bring this thread to attention not just because it's my personal favorite, but because it's widely regarded as the best hip hop album ever. If nothing else, highly influential in hip hop. Of course many people disagree with that but I want to hear what you all think of it.

I'll start with my thoughts on the producers on this album, which is basically an all-time all-star lineup. The whole album is stacked with ridiculous beats. DJ Premier produced NY State of Mind, Represent, and Memory Lane. Pete Rock produced The World is Yours. Large Professor produced One Time 4 Your Mind, Halftime, and It Aint Hard to Tell. Q-Tip produced One Love.

I can't even pick a favorite song off this album. I'll listen to One Love and be like "Wow ok, that's definitely the best." But then I'll hear Halftime and change my mind. Then I'll listen to It Aint Hard to Tell and think the same thing. Unbelievably fluid and complex is how I'd describe Nas on this album, and in general as a rapper. There's a ton of street slang and Queensbridge references, but the rhyme schemes are so complex and smooth. He just keeps flowing, transitioning to another set of rhymes so easily using a ton of multi-syllable rhymes and internal rhyme patters. Early Nas is like the ultimate combo of street rap and intelligence. And he wrote and recorded it when he was 19-20 which is unreal. It's just one of those albums that is timeless to me and a true classic. Post favorite songs, verses, and lyrics if you want and just discuss your thoughts on Illmatic. I know some disagree, but it's one of those albums that can never be over rated in my opinion. Every single track is killer.


One Love is probably my favorite. Sick Q-Tip beat.

NY State Of Mind is an amazing song but I am a bit of a Gang Starr fanboy so maybe I am biased. This album is a little overrated and I think I actually prefer Distant Relatives which I will be hearing live next month.

Probably one of the best debut albums in the history of recorded music, all hyperbole aside. Honestly, the lyrical complexity and depth of metaphor Nas shows on his first showing is astonishing considering he was only 21 when Illmatic was released. Truly one of the best examples of the Golden Age of Hip Hop we have.

I've got class in 20 but I'll be back on the late to delve further into this thread, ya dig?

I agree with James about Illmatic being overrated. It's not a bad album but I do find myself hitting the skip button frequently while listening to it. The rapping is pretty good throughout but the songs themselves are kind of hit-or-miss for me.

Seems a little bit too late to be a Golden Age album to me. I've certainly never regarded it as part of that era.

This certainly doesn't end the conversation, but the album is mentioned on the Golden Age wiki entry:

Golden age hip hop - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's only mentioned in the part that talks about "a second golden age". :)

Because Wikipedia is the greatest source of reliable info.

That's what I get for skimming. :/

I'll get you someday!

Also, I own like ten hip-hop albums and this is easily one of my favorites, right there with A Tribe Called Quest and Eminem. I agree with Dirty that it is the perfect mix of "street" and "smart"...

I don't think Golden Age has like a definite set of years. Early to mid 90s was just awesome though.

Only songs I ever even consider skipping on Illmatic for a second are One Time 4 Your Mind and sometimes NY State Of Mind. I don't love that song like I love the others... Also, AZ was the only guy to feature on Illmatic and he straight murders his verse on Life a Bitch

I agree!

The great thing about Wikipedia, unlike a lot of sources online, is that it actually has clickable references that you can check out. So I would argue that, yes, it is a pretty good source of reliable info, especially for something like music which is often defined by consensus instead of hard data anyway.

It definetly started in 88. What a great year.

Yeah I use it quite a bit. I was just fooling around.

"Life's a Bitch" is one of the ones I skip. The rapping is good but everything else is so dull that it renders the whole track kind of lifeless for me.

I had my first kiss in 88. You're right, it was a good year!

Seriously though, I'd agree with 88 as a starting point for the golden age. I usually think of it being something like 88-92.

NY state of mind is one of the best rap songs ever, it seriously blew my mind first time i heard it (was also SUPER gone too though) but still.

Judging the entire album i'd say it's overrated, but it does have some timeless songs on it "lifes a bitch" etc

I'm always surprised AZ didn't get more attention, he matches Nas in terms of lyrics on every track he's featured on.

Yeah, I feel you on this. That and Halftime are the two tracks that I can't really get into and tend to skip a lot. Every other track on the album is amazing though, my favorites being "NY State of Mind", "One Time For Your Mind", "Represent" and "It Ain't Hard to Tell". I think it is overrated, but only very slightly. As far as the 90's go, this is just about the best combo of beats and rhyming that I've heard.

I consider the golden age of hip hop to run from at the earliest from 1989 to 1996. The rise of the Wu, ATCQ, Souls of Mischief, the Hiero crew, Big L, the Notorious B.I.G., and of course Nas during the early-to-mid 90's all represent a "golden age" to me, although I do believe the idea is a subjective one.

My understanding of the Golden Age of Hip Hop is that it is centered around the heavy sampling era.

Examples include Raising Hell, Licensed to Ill and Paul's Boutique, and Three Feet High and Rising　

Favourite rapper, favourite album hands down. My favourite beat on the album is It Aint Hard to Tell (brilliant use of sampling), favourite lyrics is Halftime, favourite overall song is Memory Lane or NY.

I always thought that the "Golden Age" referred to an early, now incredibly dated-sounding, almost disco inspired version of hip-hop that this album basically put an end to. I guess I don't know my hip-hop history.

When I think "golden age" I think late 80s/early 90s, jazz samples, socially conscious or lighthearted lyrics, high top fades, Native Tongues, etc.

There is no such thing as a Golden Age. That's an idea that only comes up after many years have passed from the 'age' itself, it always changes, and it's always subjective.

I agree with whoever thinks Illmatic is one of the best hip-hop albums ever.

This album is amazing. The beats are great but what gets me are the lyrics. Completely amazing. I'm a big folk fan, Dylan included, and I think this album ranks up there with Bringing It All Back Home and Blonde on Blonde, if not better. "One Love" is really poetry set to music. The last few lines of that song are so good, when Nas describes the cyclical nature of poverty in the black community and such. Completely amazing. It's a fucking social commentary, not just an album. This is more of a social commentary than anything Public Enemy did or Wu-Tang because it was so real. With Illmatic, Nas proves that he is one of the best story tellers rap, or even modern music, has seen.

Every song is amazing, except maybe "Life's a Bitch", good but I usually skip it for something better on the album. Other than that every song is a favorite in one way or another. "One Love" is probably my favorite of the favorites. Such a powerful song.

A video from way back in the day about Illmatic. Kinda cool to hear guys like Q Tip, Pete Rock, and Large Professor talking about it before it even came out.

Listening to it right now, it took me a few listens to sink in but now one of my favourite albums. The production is my favourite on any rap album I've listened to.

You're just now listening to Illmatic?

i'll probably get a good amount of flack for this, but i've listened to this album multiple times and i could never really get into it. maybe because i was never too big on 90s hip hop, but every time i listened to this album i just felt like i was meandering and nothing really grabbed me. i would agree that it's overrated.

really, in terms of describing urban inner city life, i think Cannibal Ox's The Cold Vein expressed it with much more of a visceral way that hits right where you feel. compared to that, Nas' way of descriptive rapping falls short.

even so, i do respect its influence and i can understand why people at the time and even now can see it as greatness. it's just that it didn't grab me, is all.

This is what musicbanter is all about! I would probably have never listened to Illmatic if it weren't for this site.

If you're just listening to Illmatic, then I've got a lot to teach you guys about hip-hop. Everyone who hasn't already listen to 'Distant Relatives' with Nas and Damian Marley, please give it a listen. I'd rank that album in the top 5 best albums of 2010.

I don't know how you can listen to Vast Aire and then criticize Nas for not providing good description.

Vast Aire has always been saved by really good production, but his rapping has been simple and dull.

haha I think the hip-hop heads on this forum probably have a lot to teach YOU. There's always classic albums out there that people haven't gotten around to listening to yet, Illmatic was one of those for this guy.

Trust me. I know my music

Favorite Freestyle Fellowship member? Do you like The Coup? Do you like J-Live?

Tell me your favorite rappers.

on the contrary, i think the raw bluntness in how he does his raps, on songs like Iron Galaxy and A B-Boy's Alpha, are great moments on the album. if anything i think that Vordul Mega is less interesting at times.

Vast's style is simple, yes, but it's how he works with it that makes it great. (aka-it's not what you have, it's how you use it)

Are you trying to prove some sort of point?

It's just that a lot of people join musicbanter thinking they know a lot about music when they don't really.

Good thing your able to see through people's avatars and get at the core

I know everything! Look at me!

Yeah, well I knew about everything before they were signed