There are few artists in hip-hop who have ever truly matched their hype. Twenty years ago today, on April 19, 1994, Nasir 'Nas' Jones became one of them. On that day he released his highly-anticipated debut album, 'Illmatic.' And while the project didn't initially sell well, the 20-year-old Queensbridge native's music made an impact with the right crowd; namely, die-hard rap fans, industry insiders and most importantly, his peers. It was difficult to listen to the album for the first time and not be blown away. Escobar season was about to begin.
Nas' story actually begins a few years prior, in 1991, when he appeared on Main Source's 'Live at the Barbeque,' a posse cut that saw him catch people by surprise with shock-inducing lines like, 'When I was twelve, I went to hell for snuffin' Jesus.' In its wake, 3rd Bass member MC Serch signed Nas— who originally dubbed himself Nasty Nas— to a publishing deal and went to work on trying to land him a record contract. He brought him to Def Jam, but Russell Simmons thought Nas sounded too much like Kool G Rap, and passed on signing him. The next stop was Columbia Records (at the time CBS), where A&R Faith Newman-Orbach leapt at the opportunity to bring him on board.
In 1992, work began on what would become Nas' debut. The first song released was 'Halftime,' which appeared on the soundtrack to the movie 'Zebrahead.' Though it wasn't a huge hit, along with a guest verse on Serch's 'Back to the Grill Again,' Nas' buzz grew bigger. Another two years was spent in the studio with some of the biggest producers in hip-hop at the time— Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Large Professor and Q-Tip— looking to capture a sound that spoke to the sensibilities of the average New York kid, staring out his housing project window. After a bootleg version made its way onto the street, Columbia rushed to package the album and put it out; That wound up being the project's saving grace. Capped at ten songs, each track is perfect in its own unique way, and no two sound alike. Without even knowing it, Nas made the greatest rap album of all time.
'The Genesis'
An album's introduction, if executed properly, should set the tone for what listeners are about to hear. Few artists pull this off. On 'The Genesis,' Nas cleverly pulls dialogue pulled from Charlie Ahearn's 1983 classic 'Wildstyle.' In the movie, 'Zoro,' the main character, returns home and finds his brother disapproving of him doing graffiti. 'Stop fucking around and be a man,' he tells him. 'There ain't nothing out here for you.' 'Oh yes, there is,' Zoro shoots back. 'This.' And with that, a lo-fi cut of the 'Subway Theme' from 'Wildstyle' kicks in, and we're off. 'When it's real, you're doing this even without a record contract,' Nas tells A.Z. Guns are waved. Hennessy gets passed around. Dreams are spoken of. 'Illmatic' begins.
'N.Y. State of Mind'
'Straight out the fuckin' dungeons of rap/ Where fake ni--as don't make it back.' There are few opening salvos in rap history that are more iconic than that. Then, over a haunting piano chop of DJ Joe Chambers 'Mind Rain,' courtesy of DJ Premier, Nas waxes poetic for nearly five minutes. On verse one he's a street soldier, selling drugs to make ends meet, but has to deal with the dangers that come along with that lifestyle. On verse two, he expands on that narrative, and imagines himself moving past the street life. Now he's Don Corleone of sorts, a kingpin watching over his dynasty. He quickly snaps out of it, though, acknowledging: 'But just a ni--a, walking with his finger on the trigger/ Make enough figures, until my pockets get bigger.' This was Nas, summarizing the mentality of a kid forced to hustle, with dreams of doing bigger things. And yet no matter, he's still stuck there on the block.
'Life's A Bitch'
Producer L.E.S. loops up a portion of The Gap Band's 'Yearning For Your Love,' and gives Nas and A.Z. a somber backdrop for rapping about their hopes and dreams. 'I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it,' A.Z. spits in the opening verse. The refrain is even more prescient— 'Life's a bitch and then you die/ That's why we get high/ ‘Cause you never know when you're gonna go' — saying here are two guys living in some terrible circumstances, but still trying to make sure they enjoy themselves while they're alive. Nas is a mere 20-years-old, but is already showing that he's ready to grow up. 'I switched my motto, instead of saying fuck tomorrow/ That buck that bought a bottle, could have struck the lotto,' he rhymes.
'The World Is Yours'
Is there a more important song in the history of hip-hop than 'The World Is Yours?' That's debatable. The song and video pays homage to Scarface— way before it became trendy— and finds Nas pushing hip-hop's political agenda completely to the side. The era of rap republicans begins here. 'I'm out for dead presidents to represent me,' Nas quips, over Peter Rock's jazzy backdrop, imploring an entire generation to go out and get theirs.
'Halftime'
The important thing to note about 'Halftime' is that it's reportedly the song that got Nas his deal at Columbia, by being included on the 'Zebrahead' soundtrack. So without it, there is no 'Illmatic.' Perhaps the only bad thing about the song is that by the time the album dropped, its sound— the bassline, courtesy of the AKAI S950's iconic resonant filter (which defined an entire era in rap production)— was somewhat dated. That didn't take much away, though. Nas still spits his aggressive battle rhymes over Large Professor's classic horn-heavy production.
'Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park')
Songs that reminisced about the good ol' days were slowly becoming a standard in rap in the early 90s, but few artists were able to pull it off as well as Nas did here. Hearing Nas spit ('It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines/ The hype pipes, murderous night times and knife fights invite crimes') you almost felt like you were sitting there with him on the park bench. He was an old soul, telling you stories about how things used to be. Diptrace free.
'One Love'
On a letter to Nas' friends who are incarcerated, he informs them of what's going on ('But yo, guess who got shot in the dome-piece?/ Jerome's niece, on her way home from Jones Beach') and gives them encouragement ('Dear Born, you'll be out soon, stay strong'). Elsewhere, Q-Tip, who produced the cut, recites the words 'One love,' a loop from the The Heath Brothers' 'Smilin' Billy Suite Pt. II' repeats.
'One Time 4 Your Mind'
Things slow down exponentially on 'One Time 4 Your Mind,' which was presumably a cut aimed at garnering some attention on the West Coast and in the Southeast part of the United States. It's bottom-heavy bass and straightforward percussive elements are better suited for cars than Walkman's, and it breaks up the LP's flow a bit. Many people think this is the one song that could have been left on the cutting room floor. That's a never-ending debate.
'Represent'
Nas has a way of starting songs. Peep him here: 'Straight up shit is real and any day could be your last in the jungle/ Get murdered on a humble, guns'll blast, ni--as tumble.' This was the Nasty side of him coming out, a much more aggressive rapper than he'd shown previously on the album; And, rightfully so. 'Represent' is the song where he's staking his claim, letting listeners know that he's from Queensbridge and he's not to be fucked with. When it comes to hip-hop, you can't keep it any realer than that.
'It Ain't Hard To Tell'
An original version of 'It Ain't Hard To Tell' was featured on Nas' 1991 demo tape as 'Nas Will Prevail,' which helped earn him his deal at Columbia. The album version wound up being what the public perceived to be Nas' first single— remember, 'Halftime' was released two years prior— and the song's smooth Michael Jackson sample proved enough for Nas to pen three remarkable verses that would cement him in listener's minds for years to come. 'Hit the Earth like a comet, invasion/ Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, half-man, half-amazing,' he spit. Indeed. These type of lyrics— the vocabulary, the flow, the rhythm— Nas delivered them like a poet. And that's what he was. As 'Illmatic' drew to close, it was hard to deny what you'd just heard: A powerful new voice, with the best work he'd ever deliver.
Welcome Back
I know that this is long overdue. However, I made some promises in the past and I intend to keep them, so I would like to welcome everybody back to the second installment of my expansive review series 'I Should Have Listened'. The album on my plate today is Nas's first and arguably best project, and a seminal piece of Hip-Hop history Illmatic. So how does the self proclaimed King of New York's most well know musical effort stack up 24 years later? Let's find out.
Album Cover
As I said in my review of Lupe's Fiasco integral piece of Hip-Hop history Food and Liquor, an album cover can hold just as much of a narrative then the actual album does. The album cover may look simplistic on the surface, but the way the picture of Nas as a child is slowly faded into the landscape of New York tells a story that is very appropriate for the concept. The picture is faded to illustrate the importance New York had/has on the life of Nas. The streets and Nas are one in the same, and as Nas grows up so do the streets. However, the concept is not all sunshine and rainbows as the gritty colour sceme and Nas's clear displeased expression may shed some light on his true feelings towards the city he's grown up in. The use of a Child photo of Nas is also a point I think I worth bringing up as the main characteristic we associate with children is innocence and with the subject matter being largely about the street life and Nas's come up on this album could illustrate that Nas's childhood image is used purely for a juxtaposition to the content. However, if we do want to take it even a step further we could look at the album in a way that many have not discussed. We could look at it as a demonstration on how a child loses that afromentioned innocence through many traumatic experiences they've been through or theough the demands of a society that makes kids grow up too early.
Review:
The Genesis
We start off the album (like Food & Liquor) with an intro. The intro starts off with a line from the film Wild Style which was one of the earliest depictions of the Hip-Hop lifestyle in the movie industry. Hector says, 'You're sitting at home doing this shit?' This line obviously shows that Hector is doubting the ability of I assume the main character of the film. However, the line brings on new context once it is applied to this album as it acts as a representation of all the people that told Nas that he couldn't be anything in the rap industry a statement that he would soon prove wrong in the subsequent years of his life. The intro then goes into a sort of Introduction to Nas and the mission he has bestowed upon himself during the production of this album. He wanted to 'change things' and bring a true street edge to the rap game that many artists would try to imitate down the line. There is also a beat in the background of the discussion between Nas and his friends that I found ok. But overall I think that it is a decent way to start the album off.
Beat: 5/10
Rating: Intro/10
New York State Of Mind.
On the surface 'New York State Of Mind' is Nas explaining to the listener about the living condition he and many of his companions are living in. However, the way Nas does that is in my opinion the albums strongest aspects is Nas use several slick metaphors to explain situations that by 2018 standards are a staple of rap music. An example of this is when Nas says, 'Now bullet holes left in peepholes' this statement is not only a slick way of explaining the large amount of violence in the city of New York, but also illustrates perfectly that nobody (including Nas himself) is safe on the streets of New York. Nas alludes to the selling of drugs with a reference to Scarface which may seem like a played out comparison by today's standards, but must have been seen as a new thing back when Illmatic was released. Nas also touches on the paranoia that comes with being in the street as in his own words he , 'Can't sleep because sleep is the cousin of death' which is again an allusion to him always having to keep one eye open and his ear to the street. However, as much as I love Nas's lyrics on this song I can't get over the beat that in my opinion sounds boring and dated. Now I tried my best to deal with thos throughout the entire album, but in hindsight the production on this thing is really lackluster to me. But then again I think that this track is a good starting off point, it's just not my favorite on the project.
Beat 6.5/10
Lyrics: 8.5/10
Rating: 7/10
Life's a Bitch (feat. AZ, and Olue Dara)
Life's a Bitch is a track that I think does a lot good. AZ's verse is in my opinion far superior to Nas's. The reason I say this is because AZ touches on a multitude of subjects that I think could have been really interesting if they were tackled by Nas himself. A perfect example of this is how AZ touches on the way we as humans don't care if you are 'the baddest' because a man's economic status defines him more then anything else. He also touches on the obligation that he feels that he has as he was, 'destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it' . The verse also touches on the want to brake the mold and tradition of men in Nas and AZ's neighborhoods ending up dead or in jail. Now if we take Nas's verse sure it is laced with cool wordplay and some big words, but the actual content of the verse is the regular old brag rap shit mixed in with the 'thug image' that Nas tries to portray throughout this album. The hook on this track is also incredibly forgettable to me. The beat was nice, but ultimately it didn't blow me away when I first heard it.
Beat: 6.5/10
Lyrics: 8/10
Rating: 7/10
The World Is Yours
Judging from the title of the song 'The World Is Yours' should be a song detailing the world we live in. However, the first verse on this thing is the same brag rap shit that Nas has been doing for the last 3 tracks now, and when he finally did touch on the violence that is going on in his neighborhood it made me feel like the first verse was just completely useless. Again the lyrics are great don't get me wrong Nas can spit, but man does he waste so much time just repeating the same concepts over and over and over again. The beat is ok, and I think at this point I realized that this project really does suffer form the lack of a good hook up to this point. I mean I fell like the track is just above average.
Beat: 5.5/10
Lyrics: 8/10
Rating: 6.5/10
Halftime
Finally we get a song that addresses other issues besides him being a super thug and the overwhelming violence he sees everyday. Nas touches on drug use in his community and urges people that if you do decide to experiment with drugs you should know your limits and pace yourself. We also see a small glimpse of humbleness form Nas as he touches on his come up, from the days of him being MC Sparkin' to the current day. Nas uses this to showcase to the listener that he worked really hard to get to where he is today. He also touches on the death or Jose 'Kiko' Garcia that was shot dead by cops during a 1992 riot, Nas calls for the man that killed the youngin to go to Hell because the criminal justice system clearly failed the community causing Nas to look to God for vengeance to befall upon the man. I think the beat on this track is miles ahead of the last one. And the hook is atleast a little bit memorable to me.
Beat: 7.5/10
Lyrics: 8.5/10
Rating: 7.5/10
Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)
Memory Lane is my favorite track on the album. This is for many reasons from Nas's amazing flow, to the beat that captivated me the first time I heard it, to even the hook that I would say is the best one of the entry of the project. However, I think the reason why I like this track so much is becaus of how personal Nas got on it. In my opinion the project suffered a lot form the stigma of being a 'gangster rap record' rather then a record that was made to tell the story of where he grew up. But, with that being said this song is great deviation from the gangster narrative Nas was trying to portray. Nas touches on a multitude of subjects that he didn't before this track that I find really interesting. One of these aspects is Nas's opinions and portrayal of the justice system as Nas compares the hanging of black men to the crucifixion of Jesus as Nas sees both of those incidents as a attack against God. We also get an insight into Nas's creative process as when he has writers block Nas is forced to think back to all the struggles he faced during his childhood while growing up in New York. This track is probably my favorite on the entire product.
Beat: 8/10
Lyrics: 9/10
Rating: 8.5/10
One Love (feat.Q-Tip)
One Love (again based on the name) may seem like it should be about well romantic love. However, Nas uses this song as an opportunity to spill his emotions out once more as he speaks about trying to keep his friends (that have been incarcerated) up to date in the lives of their friends, family, and the streets. The first verse is written about an undisclosed person as Nas details that his girlfriend started to cheat on the man with the gang that in Nas's own words 'hate him'. He then turns his attention to another subject as Nas not only explains that Jerome's niece was killed via a shot to the head. But, Nas really doesn't spend much time describing that situation either as he quickly explains that 'little Rob' which I assume is either the inmates or someone else's kid is on the streets with gangsters who show off their guns and glorify the 'thug lifestyle'. The scattered lyrics and quick changes in the conversation could either mean that the visiting hours at this prison/penitentiary are quickly diminishing so Nas has to explain himself quickly. Or it could be a commentary on how life sometimes moves so fast that if you are stuck in a situation in which you are trapped you miss important things (the good and the bad). The second verse continues with the concept of a visit at a prison, but this time it is at a maximum security prison. Nas once again details aspects of the man's life that he's missed since being locked up. However, the song details a different kind of betrayal as it turns out 'Born's' friend has started to hang around with someone that he had shot before forgetting Born in the process. But like the previous verse Nas doesn't have time to dwell on that fact as he makes it his business to tell the man that he's been takin care of his mother while he's been away from the home, and touches on the fact that like his own mother he would kill someone if they made Born's mother cry. The third verse then details the struggle of reconnecting with society after you do get out of prison as Nas's friend Shotty Wop has come back to see that the streets have changed dramatically since he last walked on the roads of New York. However, Shotty is forced to develop into the gangster lifestyle and soon gets involved in drug dealing, gang violence, and the paranoia that comes with that. It gets to the point where Nas says enough is enough and finally cuts his friend off but not before telling him that he loves him and that he needs to look out for 'Jake' or the police. Now I thought the concept of this track is really well done as Nas's storytelling abilities have always been top notch. But, I did think that the beat was a little dull, and the repetitio on the hook kind of got boring after a while. However, the song is still my second favorite on the project and made me finally realize why people love this thing so much.
Beat: 6/10
Lyrics' 8/10
Rating: 7.8/10
One Time 4 Your Mind
Now this track is completely find. However, man do I find this shit boring. The reason I say this is because Nas's slow and rabid delivery mixed with the most forgettable beat i think I've ever heard took me out of the experience from the jump, but then I realized that Nas's wordplay and lyrics weren't even that good. The concept of chilling while the real world is seemingly falling apart around them is a concept that has been done to death by superior lyricists, but was done better by Nas himself on this album previously. The chorus is so uninteresting and felt like it went on for way too long. It's just mediocre to me in every sense of the word.
Beat: 5/10
Lyrics: 6.5/10
Rating: 6/10
Represent
Represent is thankfully a way more memory track than the previous. The hook on this thing is simplistic, but it's a good one. The concept is again about the street life however, the way Nas uses his lyrics to paint the gritty reality that he's currently living I think is dope. Notable lines included in this song are Nas touching on his relationship with God as he says that he will never chase a diety as he does not belive in any thing other then the grime reality he is currently living. Nas also alludes to the fact that that the rap game somehow reminds him of the crack game with fans obviously being considered fiends as they tirously for an artist to release a new project that they can gorge themselves on. However, after that the lyrics aren't really that impressive as Nas neglects to give a third verse in favor of a outro shouting out people that he felt needed one. Overall I thought that the song was enjoyable, but could have been better if a third verse was included.
Beat: 7/10
Lyrics: 7/10
Rating: 7/10
It Ain't Heard to Tell
This song is really fuckinf good. The beat is the best on the entire project. Nas's flow is vicious, and the lyrically it is a contender for the best verse on the project. The way Nas breaks down how he is living is a throwback to concepts that we previously seen, but at the same time adds something new to the dish as he includes several metaphors and allusions to the likes of Greek mythology (through his line talking about medusa), the fables of Aesop, and the Five Percent ideology that belive that the first man on this planet was in fact a black man. Nas also adds in a lot of slick wordplay to fully illustrate the way he's stepping into the rap game comparing himself to a commit hitting the Earth. Nas even says that after this album they should lock him up for the rhymes he just spit as they were too much for the current landscape of rap to handle. It's a great lyrical display and a really good ending off point for the album in my own opinion.
Beat: 8/10
Lyrics: 9/10
Rating: 8.5/10
Overall Rating: 7/10
Final Thoughts
Nas's Illmatic is a staple of Hip-Hop history. The significance and influence this albums had is undeniable. However, to say that this is my favorite Hip-Hop album of all time or even to rate it a 10 is a huge stretch. Don't get me wrong Nas's lyricism is amazing on this project. But, the repetitionof concepts (that really should have only been on one song) along with the weak production that in my opinion sounds dated beyond belief makes this project a hassle to listen to. The hooks are also a point of contention for me as they are laughable forgettable at times and man could this album have benefited from a female feature just to break up the monotony. Listen lyrics aren't everything to me. If your album sounds like it was recorded in a warehouse I'm going to call it trash (not saying the album does sound like) that, but the same logic applies). I just think that this project has a lot of good qualities, but major does it have just the same amount of problems that make this project a little disappointing.
Thanks For Reading
I hope that this review was worth the wait. I hope that everybody can see my line of reasoning for my rating. What did you think of the project? I hope everybody can be positve and remember a Winner Is You.