Let's talk about Illmatic (Nas)

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I switched my motto -- instead of sayin fuck tomorrow
That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto

AZ's verse is better though. But both are absolutely amazing.

Easily one of my favorite songs ever. Get's a play from me weekly, fantastic production as well.
 
Lyrically this album is pure poetry; Intricate, eloquent, articulate, with depth to match. His lyrics are laced with multiple meanings, and his delivery has never been sharper either, with a flow that matches the elegance of his lyrics. Most of all, the album just provides such an amazing look into Nas and what makes him who he is, his environment, his thoughts, and ideologies. At times, Nas really opens up, putting his faults and vulnerabilities on display too, but because his lyrics are so powerful and eloquent, Nas usually takes up only a few of bars to make a powerful commentary on something:

"I reminisce on park jams, my man was shot for his sheep coat/Chocolate blunts make me see him drop in my weed smoke/It's real/ grew up in trife life/ did times or white lines/The hype vice/ murderous night times/ and knife fights invite crimes"

Illmatic really is one of the few albums that seems to reward you for actively listening to the lyrics while having incredible production to match it. Classic album that only gets better with age.
 
Favourite hip-hop album, in my top five albums of all time. Big gateway album into hip-hop for me also. I adore it.
 
Best Hip-hop album of all time, and in my top 5 albums regardless of genre. It is extremely special to me. I heard it when it came out, but I was way too young to appreciate it. Now I even own it on vinyl thanks to a Gaf Secret Santa.
 
One of the best albums of all time, regardless of genre imo. I also love AZ. Him and Nas are amazing together. They have such good chemistry, it's ridiculous.
 
one love's last verse

Shorty's laugh was cold blooded as he spoke so foul
Only twelve trying to tell me that he liked my style
Then I rose, wiping the blunts ash from my clothes
Then froze only to blow the herb smoke through my nose
And told my little man that I'm a go cyprose
There's some jewels in the skull that he can sell if he chose
Words of wisdom from Nas try to rise up above
Keep an eye out for Jake shorty wop
One love

i dunno what the cyprose means but goddam i love the song, especially the ending

oh yeah and the start of the second verse of represent

Yo, they call me Nas, I'm not your legal type of fella
Moet drinkin, marijuana smokin street dweller

love that shit
 
My favorite hip hop album of all time.

Just insane, every track.

"Stop fuckin around and be a man. There ain't nothin out here for you."

"Oh yes there is....this"
 
It's probably my #1 album of all time.

I ain't the type of brother made for you to start testin'
Give me a Smith and Wesson, I have n*ggas undressin'
 
It's been years since I've been listening to hip-hop (my musical tastes changed quite a bit when I got older)

But illmatic is probably the best hip hop album ever. I still vividly remember being high as a kite and blown away by this song where he was rapping the story of a gun from a first person perspective. I don't remember the name but it ended with the gun jamming on its owner and getting picked up off the street by someone else.
 
LowEndTorque said:
It's been years since I've been listening to hip-hop (my musical tastes changed quite a bit when I got older)

But illmatic is probably the best hip hop album ever. I still vividly remember being high as a kite and blown away by this song where he was rapping the story of a gun from a first person perspective. I don't remember the name but it ended with the gun jamming on its owner and getting picked up off the street by someone else.
Click to expand...

THATS NOT ILLMATIC!
 
Easily my #1 fav album... have bumped it an innumerable number of times and it's still just flawless. So glad I was able to watch Nas (along with AZ/Preem/Pete Rock) perform the entire thing here in Toronto back in September.

Halftime all day.
 
This album is bittersweet. It was so amazing that subsequent efforts from Nas never quite lived up to the standard set in his debut. It's like MJ winning a title his first year and never winning the title ever again over the course of his career.

"Life's a bitch and then you die, that's why you get high cause you never knoooow when you gonna goo." illest hook ever.
 
I actually Just put this on my iPod to listen to it all the way threw for the 1st time. My older cousin's are blasting this in there rooms telling me how its one of the dopest albums ever. Ill def give it a listen from start to finish.
 
I was cleaning out my closet the other day and I found this CD in a shoebox, still looking brand new. I should rip this to my computer and relive those times I listened to it on the subway while wearing the baggiest of clothes.

90's as fuck
 
Thank you, I shall queue this up on my playlist. Perfect song to link in the OP. i got into this one in senior year of highschool, so it had been out for around 10 years. Super classic.

Nas' later albums seriously lacked in the production department. One of the reasons I always preferred Jigga's albums in general.
 
ZeroRay said:
This album >>>>>> Jay Z's entire discography
Click to expand...

Quality over Quantity for sure. But one album can only hold so much sentimental value IMO. Jay-Z's catalog spans over multiple eras.. so its tough to agree with you there. But 1 on 1, Illmatic beats most albums.

didnt mean to derail this further, this thread is about the greatness of Nas' Illmatic.
thats a one hot album every 10 years average
 
This was the first CD I ever bought which was around 97. I still had the disc and booklet, the case I replaced a bunch of times. Only 2 parts of Represent skipped on the disc but I threw away all my CDs when I moved in November. :/
 
lol yeah right. It may be his best album but its not his only amazing one. It was written and Stillmatic also kick the shit out of all Jay Z albums and are arguably on par or better than Reasonable Doubt.

Nas>Jay Z
 
Don't forget Lost Tapes! Agree, so many forget about Nas' other top albums because of this masterpiece.
 
lush said:
I switched my motto -- instead of sayin fuck tomorrow
That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto

AZ's verse is better though. But both are absolutely amazing.

Easily one of my favorite songs ever. Get's a play from me weekly, fantastic production as well.
Click to expand...
Damn lush, I came into this thread to quote that line. I agree, az's verse is better tho.
The whole album is just perfect. Start to finish, it ain't hard to tell that you're listening to the GOAT.
 
InertiaXr said:
Just finished listening to it for today about 30 minutes ago, simply tremendous. Blows my mind he wrote most of it as a 15-16-17 year old kid, then release as guy above said, like 21? Still think it's his best album.
Click to expand...

Got any sources for this? Even at 21 its still fucking amazin,g but hearing that he wrote this in his teens will seriously blow my mind. One hell of a talented cat.
 
Just some more lyric quotes:

Judges hanging niggas, uncorrect bails, for direct sales
My intellect prevails from a hangin cross with nails
I reinforce the frail, with lyrics that's real
Word to Christ, a disciple of streets, trifle on beats
I decipher prophecies through a mic and say peace.
 
OG Kush said:
Just some more lyric quotes:

Judges hanging niggas, uncorrect bails, for direct sales
My intellect prevails from a hangin cross with nails
I reinforce the frail, with lyrics that's real
Word to Christ, a disciple of streets, trifle on beats
I decipher prophecies through a mic and say peace.
Click to expand...

just...so...UGGHHHH!!!

so ill
 
As someone who only listened to this album in his early twenties, it really changed my perception of hip hop quite a bit.

My favorite is NY State of Mind. Sometimes that beat is playing in my head all day, unstoppable.
 
Illmatic is a masterpiece. Nas was only 19-20 years old when he wrote and recorded those tracks. His verses are much more like those of an old sage, and the flow and energy is just like a champion boxer in his prime.

I enjoy clever rhymes, but most rappers usually wrap them around exaggerated styles - they are either clowning or being very favorable in presenting themselves. Nas just hits that perfect balance of real with a poetic presentation.

Nas doesn't live in the hood and smokes weed, he:

Live amongst no roses, only the drama, for real
A nickel-plate is my fate, my medicine is the ganja
 
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