The 1990's began with the West Coast dominating the hip-hop scene. NWA set the tone which lead to the breakout of Ice Cube and Eazy-E, and most importantly Dr. Dre. 1992's "The Chronic" and 1993's "Doggystyle" from Snoop Doggy Dogg were the soundtracks of every hip-hop head from coast to coast. Someone, anyone, from the streets of New York had to rise up and bring back to crown to birthplace of hip-hop. The Wu-Tang Clan began to make noise in '93 as well, but even their impressive debut would be overshadowed. Word spread of a young lyrical prodigy, who in 1991 destroyed Main Source's "Live at the BBQ" with this opening salvo:
I shoot slugs from my brain just like a rifle
Stampede the stage, I leave the microphone split
Play Mr. Tuffy while I'm on some Pretty Tone shit
Verbal assassin, my architect pleases
When I was twelve, I went to hell for snuffin Jesus
Nasty Nas is a rebel to America
Police murderer, I'm causin hysteria......."
His rep continued to grow and he bubbled on the underground radar until final, in April of 1994, Nas emerged and claimed his spot as the elite rapper in the game. "Illmatic" is the hip-hop equivalent of the Mona Lisa or Sistine Chapel: absolutely perfect in every sense imaginable. At ten tracks and only 40 minutes of running time, it's straight up, no chaser, New York hip-hop. When it comes to capturing that vibe of New York City, shooting dice, playing basketball in the park, seeing people hustle on the corner, the aura of it all, no other album compares to "Illmatic". You feel like you are smack dab in the middle of Queensbridge Housing Project, sitting next to Nas on a park bench as he describes the scene. It is a perfect marriage of beats and rhymes that combines for an amazing aural experience.
The album opens with "The Genesis", an intro of sorts that sets the stage. According to egotrip, I learned something I never quite noticed: the track features Nas' debut verse in the background; a clip from the movie "Wild Style", which is considered the birth of hip-hop; and the sound of a subway train, which symbolizes New York, the birthplace of Nas as a person. Hence, all three formed Nas, all three represent the Genesis. When put into that perspective, the creativity is taken to another level.
Another milestone: there was only one feature on this album, AZ on the smooth-as-hell "Life's a Bitch". One of the greatest rap songs EVER recorded, AZ stepped up to the plate and built a successful career off of ONE VERSE. Here, listen for yourself:
My favorite track on the album is one of Nas' lyrical best, the reflective "Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)". The vibe you get from this track, it's just impossible to describe. Makes you feel like you are hanging out at a cookout, the afternoon fades to night, kicking it with your friends, having fun, thinking of the good old day. It's rare an emcee can stir those kind of emotions in a listener, that you visualize things like that. Here, for your listening pleasure:
The beats were provided by the best of the best in NY hip-hop at the time: DJ Premier, LES, Pete Rock and Large Professor. In 1994, rapper's would kill for that line-up. But Nas had the skill and rep to have these guys clamoring to work with him, and he more than rose to the occasion. There are so many quotable lyrics on this album it's not even funny. Nas brought back that slick flow popularized by Rakim and Kool G Rap and raised the bar for NY hip-hop. Before he bumrushed the scene, most rappers were content emulating Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. Nas brought that rugged edge back to the forefront. Here's another example, "One Love":
This album also sparked controversy by Raekwon and Ghostface famously accusing Biggie of biting Nas' style. Take example the cover of "Ready to Die" featuring a picture of an infant, released just months after Nas' iconic "Illmatic" album cover featuring him as a child superimposed over the NY streets. People also said BIG emulated Nas lyrical content and style of production, but, to me, that's ridiculous. Both were legends in their own right and should be heralded as such.
Nas has had one of the most inconsistent careers in hip-hop. He followed "Illmatic" with the stellar "It Was Written" but then fell off for awhile before rebounding with "STILLmatic" in 2001. His track record has been superb since, but he has failed to match the intellect, knowledge, wit and intensity of his debut. "Illmatic" will forever be hailed as a masterpiece and belongs in any hip-hop head's album collection.
ACCOLADES: Certified platinum; 5 Mics in The Source; #400 on Rolling Stone Greatest Albums of All-Time; #1 Hip-Hop Album of All-Time by about.com and egotrip; #2 Hip-Hop Album of All-Time by MTV; XXL rating from XXL Magazine; 5 Stars from Rolling Stone
KEY TRACKS: all
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