Mostly everyone who listens to hip-hop knows who Nas is but
not everyone understands why Nas is such a big figure in hip-hop. To fully
understand this, one has to look at his first album Illmatic. At 19
years old Nas dropped this bomb, which took the hip-hop world by storm. There
are many reasons why this album was and still is considered one of he best
albums of all time. Perhaps one of the most important reasons for this is the
lyrical content of the album. From the beginning of the album Nas takes his
listeners on a trip trough Queens and he explains not only what he sees but
also what goes trough his mind. One of the tracks where this is the most clear
is “N.Y. State Of Mind” where Nas tells his listeners about the drugs and
violence that hunt his community and what anyone living where he lives has to
do survive.
As I looked at this album another thing that drew my
attention was the arrangement of the tracks. The album Illmatic kicks of with
the introduction track “Genesis” where Nas makes it clear to his listeners that
hip-hop is about being real rather than about making money and that this album
is a reflection of just that. In the next three tracks of this album Nas does
just what he says he is going to do and he tells his listeners exactly what is
happening in his neighborhood and how he feels about it. The fifth track of
this ten-track album is cleverly named “Halftime”. In this track Nas does
exactly what is done at halftime. He takes a break from the topics that are
being previously discussed in order to remind his listeners how great of a
rapper he is. The next four tracks with the exception of “One Time 4 Your Mind” are somewhat similar
to the first half of the album. In these tracks Nas talks about his experiences
like he does in the first half of the album but he does it in a more nostalgic
manner. Finally the album brilliantly ends with “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” where
Nas basically tells the listeners why he is so good. In my opinion this is the
best ending to a hip-hop album because it shows how secure Nas was about what
he was saying in the album and how he knew that what he put out in the album
was better than anything else out there.
Finally another aspect of the album that caught my attention
was the cover, which shows a picture of Nas as a child with the streets of
Queens in the background. Having a baby picture as a hip-hop album cover is
something that is very common now. Two great examples are Lil Wayne’s Tha
Carter III and more recently Kendrick‘s Good Kid, M.A.A.d. City. Some
might attribute this to Biggie and his album Redy To Die but Biggies
album was released a few months after Illmatic. The fascinating thing about
this cover is that it complements the album as a whole. The cover like every
other aspect of this album has a meaning and this is what makes this album so
great. When I look at this album I think about books that are considered
classics because like many classical novels this album includes a timeless
theme that is present in every aspect of the album.
http://www.complex.com/music/2013/04/10-ways-nas-illmatic-changed-hip-hop/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X1gHlCKnQ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKjj4hk0pV4
The youtube video was a good find, it really shows how influential the album was. Rappers that are famous today (whether their lyricism is comparable in skill or not) think highly of Nas because of what he did and the age he did it at. Most rappers today also talk about how they are the best, but they can be heard giving a lot of praise and homage to illmatic.
ReplyDeleteI would like the mention the use of the baby pictures used for album covers. Using a baby picture as an album cover in hip-hop signify the album as one of the best albums of that era. With your examples such as Biggie, Nas, Lil Wayne, and Kendrick Lamar, those were the most recognizable albums of all time physically and lyrically.
ReplyDeleteRappers now still do credit Nas as a big influence into their music. As well, he is still a common household name unlike many other rapper from years ago or even rappers today. With that said, it shows the influence this album had in order to make it relevant today as well as back when it was first released.
ReplyDelete"When it's real, you do it even without a recording contract" Nas responds to his brother on the track "Genius" featured on the album . I think this quote itself explains Nas album overrall. It's real, it's natural without force. The album was influential as Nas told tales of his life and the things that were happening around him in his neighborhood , in a sense raising awareness. It also was influential as it passed along ideas to other artists such as trhe art cover of Biggie's album mentioned above. I'm not a huge fan of Nas but I am a fan of authenticy in rap, I can't believe you if you haven't been there and Nas delivers the truth throughout the whole album.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the order in which the songs are put attributes to the greatness of the album. The intro "Genesis" sets the tone for the album with the subway sounds and conversation with his brother. I like that you added "NY State of Mind" as it is one of my favorite songs on the album because it embodies what Nas was saying the whole album in one song, in my opinion. Throughout the album he takes the album through a day in the life of a Queens native with each song, starting with this one.
ReplyDeleteThe aspect that caught my eye about Nas' s album was that it had an element of story telling and was not really worried about firing into mainstream boundaries but instead hopes to captivate is listeners by keeping it real. Although I don't agree that this album is the best of all time and can stand the test of time it's a great example of what a love for hip hop and rap looks like. Nas is one of the few rappers I can honestly say who didn't focus on the beat to sell his songs but the meat"lyrics".
ReplyDeleteThe first time I listened to this album was for this class and it opened my eyes to the talents of Nas. Usually music grows on me, but with album I liked every song right as I was hearing it. Mad is a ridiculous lyricist and has a real smooth flow over his mellow beats. Illmatic made me like Nas more than I already did to begin with, and I feel like it will always be considered as one of the greatest hip hop albums ever.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea why Nas was such a prominent figure in hip-hop until I listened to this album. I thought you did a great job in illustrating its influence not only on other artists but the entire industry. I liked how you incorporated the art on the album cover and how artists such as Biggie and Lil'Wayne have incorporated Nas's style into their own work. I believe the child photo on the cover of an album shows the innocence they once had, but the world they grew up in forced them to grow up fast. This only strengthens the argument on how influential Nas was on the music industry, and how 20 years after this album dropped it still touches the lives of music listeners.
ReplyDeleteVery good post. I like how you pointed out other artists to convey the idea you were trying to get across. I agree with one of the previous commentators that those with babies as album covers happen to result in "albums of the year." I also personal;ly have liked such albums so I agree.
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