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It's been 10 years ever since Nasir Jones dropped his classic debut Illmatic (In fact, Columbia Records released a 10th anniversary edition of this CD, it was that good!) With his introspective lyricism plus his innate ability to create beautiful street narratives, along with the superb production of such luminaries as DJ Premier and Large Professor, not to mention other greats, this CD is considered to be one of, if not, the best hip-hop/rap CD to ever be conceived. Nevertheless, there are many other reasons why this CD is one of the greatest in hip-hop history.

Number one, this CD has NO guest appearances other than Nas's protégé Az on one track which helped him land a record deal. Nowadays, almost every rap CD is filled to the brim with guest appearances and co-features. Number two, on this CD, Nas mixes introspective lyricism, profound street narratives, creative braggadocio into one little, short package which can not and probably will not be emulated by any current rapper (Not even he himself could make another classic like this). One last reason (among other unnamed reasons) why this CD has endured through time is that due to its shortness (it is barely 40 minutes long), this CD has no noticeable filler and every song on here is on for a reason.

Well, I don't know if this review can give this CD justice, but like I inferred earlier, this CD will never seem generic and old even with numerous listens. But, enough with the introduction, let's take a journey back to the mid-1990's and regale in the lyrical expressions of one of New York's greatest street-poets.....It's Illmatic

Track List

1) The Genesis
2) NY State of Mind
3) Life's A B*tch f/Az
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


This Intro serves a great purpose to the CD. It starts with the sound of the subway, which could be from the Queensbridge projects, which could be a way to have the listener enter his neighbourhood aurally. When Az and Nas debate about the lack of realness in hip-hop, it's ironic that that problem still resonates today with the generic gangsterism that reigns in current commercial hip-hop. When Nas speaks the words "It's Illmatic", we know that Nas plans to bring the realness and nothing else when he starts rapping.

On the following track, NY State of Mind, this also serves its job well as introducing everyone to his community. Over a intriguing and powerful Primo beat which accents his lyrics nicely, Nas talks about how it is in New York with gifted well-written lyrics and multi-syllabic flow. This track can actually serve as two introductions: one, as I mentioned earlier, to get the listener more acquainted to what Nas is going to talk about; two, he is introducing his lyrical talents to us. I almost forgot to mention that he samples Rakim on the chorus, which suits fittingly, because I remember that Nas was called the new Rakim for a while.


The track Life's A B*tch does have its greatness with the soulful jazzy production full of handclaps, bass, and trumpets (Nas's father Olu Dara plays at the end of the song). Not to mention the amazing complex lyricism that Nas and Az exhibit when they're obviously going at their best. However, this track is mostly remembered, nowadays, as the song that got Az a record contract with just one verse. The only bad part about this track is the not-so-great chorus, which kind of advises people to smoke when life's goes bad. As we already know, Nas is excellent on this song, but of course, AZ flourishes with his brilliance and intelligence as well.

"Visualizing the realism of life and actuality, F*ck who's the baddest a person's status depends on salary, And my mentality is, money orientated, I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it, cause yeah, we were beginners in the hood as five percenters, But something must of got in us cause all of us turned to sinners, Now some, resting in peace and some are sitting in San Quentin, Others such as myself are trying to carry on tradition, Keeping the schwepervesence street ghetto essence inside us, Cause it provides us with the proper insight to guide us".


The following track The World Is Yours is one of my favourite rap tracks for many reasons. Pete Rock laces this track with a memorable beat consisting of a piano loop, drums, and other sounds. Nas's prophetic views on his life show well throughout this track. He talks about different things that have happened in his life and how he is kind of cautious as it goes on. The image that came to mind when listening to this track (and possibly one of Nas's inspirations) were the scenes in the movie Scarface when Tony Montana saw the name of this track on a blimp and when at the end, those same words were on a globe in his house. I believe that Nas could have emoted an image in this song of never giving up and staying watchful, just like Tony Montana tried unsuccessfully to do.

"I sip the Dom P, watchin’ Gandhi till I'm charged, Then writing in my book of rhymes, all the words pass the margin, To hold the mic I'm throbbing, mechanical movement, Understandable smooth sh*t that murderers move wit, The thief's theme, play me at night, they won't act right, The fiend of hip-hop has got me stuck like a crack pipe, The mind activation, react like I'm facing time like, 'Pappy' Mason with pens I'm embracing, Wipe the sweat off my dome, spit the phlegm on the streets, Suede Timb's on my feets, makes my cypher, complete, Whether crusin in a Sikh's cab, or Montero Jeep, I can't call it, the beats make me fallin asleep, I keep fallin, but never fallin six feet deep, I'm out for presidents to represent me (Say what?), I'm out for presidents to represent me (Say what?), I'm out for dead presidents to represent me".

I'll admit that the old-school beat of Halftime did not appeal to the young blood that I am, but as I listened more and more, the brass instruments, pounding bass, and Christmas chimes in the background started to appeal to me. But, more of Nas's greatness showed on this track as he shows that he knows how to make a CLASSIC braggadocio track, filled with memorable punch lines, amazing lyricism and wordplay. This track also serves as a change-of-pace setter because after this track, the songs tend to be less energized in a way.

"Before a blunt, I take out my fronts, Then I start to front, matter of fact, I be on a manhunt. You couldn't catch me in the streets without a ton of reefer, That's like Malcolm X, catching the Jungle Fever, King poetic, too much flavour, I'm major, Atlanta ain't Brave-r, I'll pull a number like a pager, Cause I'm an ace when I face the bass, 40-side is the place that is giving me grace, Now wait, another dose and you might be dead, And I'm a Nike head, I wear chains that excite the feds, And ain't a damn thing gonna change, I’m a performer strange, so the mic warmer was born to gain, Nas, why did you do it?, You know you got the mad fat fluid when you rhyme, it's halftime"


The track Memory Lane (Sittin' At Da Park) evokes a beautiful feeling of being back in the day and sitting on the porch, conversing with your people and watching life pass you by. The production that Primo gives Nas offers him a lush, soothing soundscape to rap over. Nas's vibrant lyricism, brilliant word-use, and remarkable factors make you feel what he feels and see what he sees as he raps. This track is one of the many classics that can be found on this CD.

"One for the money... Two for p*ssy and foreign cars, Three for Alize n*ggaz deceased or behind bars, I rap divine Gods check the prognosis, is it real or showbiz?, My window faces shootouts, drug overdoses, Live amongst no roses, only the drama, for real, A nickel-plate is my fate, my medicine is the ganja, Here's my basis, my razor embraces, many faces, Your telephone blowin, black stitches or fat shoelaces, Peoples are petrol, dramatic automatic fo'-fo' I let blow and back down po-po when I'm vexed so, my pen taps the paper then my brain's blank, I see dark streets, hustling brothers who keep the same rank"


One Love may not appeal to all due to its seemingly eclectic Jamaican sound. But, the concept that Nas envisions on this track of lyrically composing a letter to an incarcerated friend is genius, and if I‘m correct he‘s the first rapper to do so. It’s also true that Eminem deviated Stan from this track. Through Nas's inventive and gifted (there's that word again) lyricism, we feel all that he feels when he's explaining to his friend what's been going on physically in his hood and mentally within himself and also how he misses his friend. The next track One Time 4 Your Mind just seems to me like a continuation of previous tracks on here in which he talks about his hood and what goes on it. The chorus on here doesn't appeal to me either. I think the reason I gave it such a high rating was that it was the inverse of being guilty by association. If another artist had made this track, it would be considered a near classic, but since we all know Nas's potential, it seems almost menial coming from him.

The last track on here It Ain't Hard to Tell makes the listener want to stay in the days of golden hip-hop when notoriety wasn't considered with negativity and when you could just have a friendly conversation with someone else's girl without worrying that her guy was going to get jealous. The listener is just in a daze when this part of the CD comes on, but within 5 minutes, it's all over and the listener returns to his time, but has he been touched by what he has heard? This last song is basically a jaw dropping freestyle, where Nas kicks the crap out of any emcee to uphold him, the track begins with Nas spitting this verse..

"It ain't hard to tell, I excel, then prevail, the mic is contacted, I attract clientele. My mic check is life or death, breathing a sniper's breath, I exhale the yellow smoke of Buddha through righteous steps".

And ends with…

"This rhythmatic explosion, is what your frame of mind has chosen. I'll leave your brain stimulated, niggaz is frozen. Speak with criminal slang, begin like a violin, end like Leviathan, it's deep well let me try again. Wisdom be leaking out my grapefruit troop
I dominate break loops, giving mics men-astral cycles. Street's disciple, I rock beats that's mega trifle and groovy but smoother than moves by Villanova. You're still a soldier, I'm like Sly Stallone in Cobra. Packing like a Rasta in the weed spot, Vocals'll squeeze glocks, MC's eavesdrop though they need not to sneak, my poetry's deep, I never fail Nas's raps should be locked in a cell. It ain't hard to tell".

Final Thoughts

On this LP, Nas offers everything that a rap fan can love: amazing lyricism, innovative storytelling, nice production, etc. He set a landmark that he could not ever touch again. (And, if he did release another Illmatic which is impossible, people this day and age wouldn't buy it and I don't believe that some record companies would push out a product that doesn't offer them the bottom line.) Anyway, Nas set a pinnacle that no rap CD can ever hope to achieve currently. This CD has been out 11 years, but the messages and stories within it can last a lifetime. Sadly, as a final note, not many realize how great a CD this is or that hip-hop has even reached such a peak, due to the current degrading stage of rap. (Yeah, I had to throw in my customary state of hip-hop message)

MY RATING - 5/5

This entry was posted on Friday, July 22, 2005 at 2:35 pm. You can skip to the end and leave a response.