Illmatic As A Whole

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.

Also, since it’s the 20^th anyversary of this album I want to leave you guys off with this video I found.

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

Looking at an Album as a Whole: Nas' Illmatic

Considered by many as the greatest rap album of all time, Illmatic, Nas' critically acclaimed debut album released in 1994, is seen as the game changer of hip-hop. With the 20th anniversary of its release approaching, it is time to look back and appreciate what this album has done for hip-hop. The nine track record takes the listener through drug violence filled life of Queens, NY without sugarcoating a single detail. Nas was able to mix street life with deep lyricism in a way that had listeners mesmerized and influenced rappers (most likely your favorite rapper) to this day.

Nas’ album was groundbreaking in that it started the movement of using multiple producers on a single record. Before Nas, albums with multiple producers on it were unheard of as most rappers used a single producer, or a small team that all worked together, instead on them working separately. Illmatic had a total of five different producers involved in its production, including, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Large Professor, and LES. Not only were there many producers involved in the project, but they popularized the sound of “organic blues rap for the modern era”. Both of these innovations, the multiple producers and blues sound have been used by rap artists ever since, including Kendrick Lamar and Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City.

Nas was also one of the first to drop real world criminals into his rap lyrics. With songs like “Memory Lane” and “The World Is Yours”, Nas brought references of those such as Alpo and Pappy Mason into his songs as punchlines. This began to be a movement throughout the hip-hop industry after Illmatic’s release. This is one of the most seen influences in today’s music. Rick Ross has made a career off of this Nas influence, as his stage name is named after drug kingpin "Freeway" Ricky Ross. In one of Ross' biggest singles, “B.M.F. (Blowing Money Fast)”, a tribute to the Black Mafia Family. In the song, he makes references to notorious criminals throughout the song.

Not only did Nas influence some of today’s hottest rappers, but also legend Jay-Z. If you’ve followed Jay’s career since the very beginning, then you know Nas’ Illmatic had a huge impact on his rapping style and career. Before the release of Nas’ album, Jay-Z’s flow is something that is completely opposite to that we are used to. His rapping flow and pace noticably faster in his features and freestyle before Illmatic, when after, it is slower and smoother, which is heard throughout his career; a tone similar to Nas. Jay-z also used DJ Premier's producing skills on his debut album Reasonable Doubt that was released two years after Illmatic.

Here is an example of Jay-Z flow before Illmatic in 1990. His verse starts at about 1:30

At age 20, Nas changed the rap game forever and solidified his position among hip-hop's all time elite with this album. In many's opinion, including mine, he is the GOAT.

Here's Illmatic's full album. Take a listen.

1. The Genesis 

2. N.Y. State Of Mind

3. Life's A Bitch 

4. The World Is Yours 

5. Halftime 

6. Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park) 

7. One Love 

8. One Time 4 Your Mind

9. Represent 

10 It Ain't Hard To Tell 

Sources:

http://www.complex.com/music/2013/04/10-ways-nas-illmatic-changed-hip-hop/

http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/10/name-a-rapper-nas-aint-influenced/