Illmatic XX

        On April 19, 1994, one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time was released. This album, and more or less the artist behind it, would go on to be an influence for today’s generation of hip-hop artists such as J. Cole, Drake, ScHoolboy Q, and many others. The influence of this album and the artist behind it goes beyond just music. Artists such as Nas and his 1994 debut album Illmatic defined the whole East Coast hip-hop movement and hip-hop as whole.

For those who do not know who Nas is, let me tell you about one of the greatest rappers of all time. Nasir Jones hails from Queensbridge, Queens, New York and has taken his place on top of hip-hop’s Mount Rushmore with artists such as 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, or any hip-hop artist one may feel deserves to be in that discussion. Nas has released 11 solo studio albums and two joint albums (one with The Firm and another with Damian Marley). Needless to say, Nas has proven he is one of the greatest MC’s of all time through his music. Although Nas may not have any Grammys to show like his former enemy Jay-Z, but he does have an establishment at Harvard dedicated to him called the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship, which funds “scholars that build on the rich and complex hip-hop tradition.”

Nas’ Illmatic has been considered as “hip-hop’s holy grail.” At age 21, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones released what would become one of hip-hop’s greatest masterpieces and now that masterpiece has reached a 20-year milestone. To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of its release, Nas decided to re-release Illmatic as a two disc album called Illmatic XX, which includes the original 10 tracks plus 10 more songs that include remixes, freestyles, and other unreleased material.

         On top of re-releasing Illmatic, a documentary called Time Is Illimatic debuted at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. The documentary explores the legacy and influence that Illmatic has had on hip-hop as a whole. The film was made for more than just hip-hop. The movie recognizes how the greatness of an album that transcended boundaries, genres, and race. “We’re not commercializing Nas’ world; we’re bringing you in – into a world that was overlooked. Nas became a voice for its voiceless people,” said One9, the director of Time Is Illmatic documentary.

         Illmatic was not the album full of commercial singles like a Jay-Z or Eminem album. Nas’ Illmatic was seen as really raw and underground compared to other hip-hop albums at the time. One9 said in an interview, “Illmatic was meant for the people inside Nas’ neighborhood and outside his window.” It really resonated with a hip-hop generation sonically and lyrically with what the music was. 

Twitter: @OddKingz