Often cited as one of the best hip-hop albums of the '90s, Illmatic is the undisputed classic upon which Nas' reputation rests.
It helped spearhead the artistic renaissance of New York hip-hop in the post-Chronic era, leading a return to street aesthetics.
Yet even if Illmatic marks the beginning of a shift away from Native Tongues-inspired alternative rap, it's strongly rooted in that sensibility.
For one, Nas employs some of the most sophisticated jazz-rap producers around: Q-Tip, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, and Large Professor, who underpin their intricate loops with appropriately tough beats.
But more importantly, Nas takes his place as one of hip-hop's greatest street poets -- his rhymes are highly literate, his raps superbly fluid regardless of the size of his vocabulary.
He's able to evoke the bleak reality of ghetto life without losing hope or forgetting the good times, which become all the more precious when any day could be your last.
As a narrator, he doesn't get too caught up in the darker side of life -- he's simply describing what he sees in the world around him, and trying to live it up while he can.
He's thoughtful but ambitious, announcing on "N.Y.
State of Mind" that "I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death," and that he's "out for dead presidents to represent me" on "The World Is Yours." Elsewhere, he flexes his storytelling muscles on the classic cuts "Life's a Bitch" and "One Love," the latter a detailed report to a close friend in prison about how allegiances within their group have shifted.
Hip-hop fans accustomed to 73-minute opuses sometimes complain about Illmatic's brevity, but even if it leaves you wanting more, it's also one of the few '90s rap albums with absolutely no wasted space.
Illmatic reveals a great lyricist in top form meeting great production, and it remains a perennial favorite among serious hip-hop fans.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The GenesisFred Brathwaite, Nasir Jones | Nas | Play | 01:45 | 4 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | N.Y. State of MindNasir Jones, Chris Martin | Nas | Play | 04:54 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | Life's a BitchAnthony Cruz, Olu Dara, Nasir Jones, Oliver Scott, Robert Wilson | Nas | Play | 03:30 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | The World Is YoursNasir Jones, Peter Phillips, Pete Rock | Nas | Play | 04:50 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | HalftimeGary Byrd, Nasir Jones, William Paul Mitchell | Nas | Play | 04:20 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)Peg Barsella, Nasir Jones, Chris Martin, Reuben Wilson | Nas | Play | 04:08 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | One LoveJonathan Davis, Jimmy Heath, Nasir Jones | Nas | Play | 05:25 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | One Time 4 Your MindNasir Jones, William Paul Mitchell | Nas | Play | 03:18 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | RepresentNasir Jones, Chris Martin | Nas | Play | 04:12 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | It Ain't Hard to TellNasir Jones, William Paul Mitchell | Nas | Play | 03:22 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 39 mins | 91 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AZ | Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 2 | Peg Barsella | Composer |
| 3 | Fred Brathwaite | Composer |
| 4 | Gary Byrd | Composer |
| 5 | Danny Clinch | Photography |
| 6 | Anthony Cruz | Composer |
| 7 | Olu Dara | Composer, Guest Artist, Trumpet |
| 8 | Jonathan Davis | Composer |
| 9 | Jo Di Donato | Art Direction |
| 10 | DJ Premier | Producer |
| 11 | Diego Garrido | Engineer, Mixing |
| 12 | Jimmy Heath | Composer |
| 13 | Jack Hersca | Assistant Engineer |
| 14 | Nasir Jones | Composer |
| 15 | L.E.S. | Producer |
| 16 | Large Professor | Producer |
| 17 | Tim "The Funky Red" Lathem | Engineer |
| 18 | Aimee MacAuley | Design |
| 19 | Chris Martin | Composer |
| 20 | MC Serch | Executive Producer |
| 21 | William Paul Mitchell | Composer |
| 22 | Nas | Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals |
| 23 | Peter Phillips | Composer |
| 24 | Anton "Sample This" Pushansky | Engineer |
| 25 | Q-Tip | Producer |
| 26 | Kevin Reynolds | Engineer |
| 27 | Pete Rock | Composer, Producer |
| 28 | Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth | Producer |
| 29 | Eddie Sancho | Engineer |
| 30 | Oliver Scott | Composer |
| 31 | Jamey Staub | Engineer |
| 32 | Louis Tineo | Assistant Engineer |
| 33 | Jason Vogel | Engineer |
| 34 | Stan Wallace | Engineer |
| 35 | Reuben Wilson | Composer |
| 36 | Robert Wilson | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |