Reviews (page 3 of 13)
One of the best rap albums ever, crazy that he was only 20 when he dropped this.
CLASSIC
Fantastic, loved it. Hadn't listened to it before but absolutely loved it.
One of my favorite albums of all time.
Has a very neat flow going on, although i typically don't listen to rap that often I find it very interesting musically. Very neat. Getting flashbacks to playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 and Sonic Adventure 2, specifically the knuckles stages. Always kind've enjoyed the vibes of both games. It's a pleasant nostalgic feeling here, really nice. The above statement coming as I listen to Life's A Bitch is kinda hilarious, to be honest. The World Is Yours & It Ain't Hard To Tell are my favorites from this.
Absolute rap classic. Great ear for production and incredibly lyrical ability for his age and the time. There are not many better rap albums out there. Saw some reviews mention how the album is too violent for them, which is bizarre to me as there's relatively little violence in here. The lyrics portray an image of a gritty and dark New York, and doesn't glorify it in any way. It feels closer to either a description of the world around him, as a cautionary tale, or as a political album, inspired by Malcolm x and MLK. This album is not more violent than any political punk or metal album. (Which the same reviewers often rate highly)
Well that's funny...I listened to this album in full yesterday. I should mention, I own multiple copies of this album on CD and on vinyl, and even have a very rare box set. This is one of the best hip-hop albums of all time by one of the best lyricists. It's absolutely incredible to think this work of art came from the mind of a 19 year old. Every line paints a vivid picture which a tv/movie medium would need to take 20 seconds to paint. You listen to this album and you get a complete sense of where Nas grew up, the people he was around daily, and his ambitions in life. It definitely deserves to be on this list of albums you have to listen to.
Genius
9/10 Favorites: NY State of Mind, and Represent
One of the best Hip Hop albums of all time, period. I won’t deny that I’m biased since I’ve always been a massive East Coast rap fan. However, this album has truly been pivotal in the history of hip hop, and ushered New York rap music into its golden age. Distancing himself from West Coast gangsta rap and from the very political (but often musically simplistic) conscious hip hop of the 80s, he proves that one can indeed talk about thug life while still being a gentleman about it. Nas displays a smooth, impeccable flow from start to finish. It may sometimes seem lackluster (it doesn’t have the raw insanity of an ODB or the heavy hammering of a Biggie), but it’s just technically perfect, never missing a beat. But as good as he is, Nas is not the main reason this album is so great. Most of all, the production is absolutely stellar, with so many big names of the NY hip hop scene involved that it feels like a best-of album : DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor... As usual in rap music, the rapper gets all the credit - and it’s a shame, because Illmatic is a perfect example of why production makes at the very least half the quality. Soul and jazz samples blend perfectly, and helped shape the thoughtful, melancholic vibe that defines a big part of NY hip hop. The beats and samples from « NY State of Mind » haven’t aged a day. « Memory Lane » has always been a personnal favorite of mine, and « Represent » could be the official anthem of NY rap in the 90s. A true classic !
I’ve listened to this album before and it’s a banger.
Wow what a banner week!
An absolute banger from front to back. Life's a Bitch is one of the most quotable songs of all time. 5/5
My favorite of all time. The word play, the beats, the flow. Gold standard.
All timer. Incisive writing, impeccable flow. The production is a bit murky, but it also just feels one with the time and place. The atmosphere and vibe of this record are second to none. It's one of those classic debuts that the artist spends their entire career chasing, and never quite catch. Which, considering the success and accolades Nas has achieved over the years is saying something. Even with my distinct West Coast bias, this is still a great album.
It's Illmatic, my friend. Some of the finest producers of the day. Nas. Saw the 30th anniversary tour in Paris and although the DJ was not great, Nas' performance only reaffirmed my love for the album. Memory Lane and Life's a Bitch as my absolute favourites, but the whole thing is just brilliant. NEW YORK!!!
Strong contender for the best hip hop album of all time. Compared to other hip hop artists at that time, this album doesn’t rely on any thrills or backing samples just dark, gritty lyrics that you stop and listen to.
Really great 90s rap not ruined by excessive skits or a gigantic runtime. 4.5/5.0: Excellent
great beats, great rapping, great lyrics. relatively short compared to other albums from this time period. 5 if only for ny state of mind
I think this is a perfect album. Every track seems purposeful, with strong perspective to tell the artist's story. Almost if not every track is memorable, catchy, and enjoyable to listen to. It leaves you wanting more and making you think.
Great. Can see whhy so well regarded
classic
One of the most classic Hip Hop albums of all time
This is such a savage follow-up to 50 Cent, because here's a rapper from the same city who has perfect delivery, flow, charisma, and production - 3 of which were missing from 50's album imo. 30 years later, Illmatic is still consistently recognized as one of the best rap album of all time. Rappers are still saying their new albums will be the "illest", like shouting "Kobe" knowing you'll never compare but recognize that he's the standard. It's not even worth calling out the flows that blow my mind from this album because I wouldn't even make it past NY State of Mind. One of my favorite parts of this album is that it is not normative or prescriptive; it's descriptive, viscerally describing Nas's experience without glorifying what Nas and his disciples will ultimately critique and unpack in later works labeled as "conscious rap". One bone to pick - anyone who says that Nikki's verse on Monster is the best rap feature of all time is completely misguided. AZ's first verse on Life's a Bitch is just about flawless, coming in on the hard boom-bap with "visualizin the realism of life in actuality" is so hard that it's still frequently sampled in songs today. Maybe one more bone to pick - Listen to some of the top rappers that the 2020s has decided to embrace - Future, Drake, 21 Savage, Travis Scott, even Kendrick's last album - and compare the language they use to the language Nas is using. These artists are using the same language in every song, we've come to expect the same limited vocabulary to describe the celebrated lives of a rich rapper. Here's Nas with 30 years of less rap material to draw from using the most unique flows, drawing from his own life, experience, and vocabulary on his FIRST ALBUM. Why has the rap fanbase decided that they deserve less? OK, I'll quote one verse that's the best and simplest of the album - "Life's a bitch and then you die, that's why we get high cause you never know when you're gonna go" 5/5
Amazing album
Skjønner hvorfor denne stadig dukker opp
10/10
really liked that album
5 Mic jamz.
durísimo, banger tras banger
This is a straight five star classic. I love this album, but I have to admit it got somewhat lost in the shuffle of the incredible albums that dropped in 1994. That includes some iconic albums from Soundgarden, Portishead, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Jeff Buckley, Weezer, Green Day, Pearl jam, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Blur, Beck, REM, Johnny Cash, the list goes on and on ...
Easiest 5 stars of this project
It doesn't get much better than this for classic east coast rap.
They don't make them like this anymore
Already a top album of mine. 5/5 no notes. Just a great listen from top to bottom and so much music history that comes with it. It’s got lyrical depth but also such an easy listen.
Masterpiece! Favourite track is NY Stare of Mind 5/5
Really good holy moly
Perfect length for an album. No notes.
“I sip the dom P watching Gandhi till I’m charged, writin in my book of rhymes all the words past the margin” 88/100 Favorite: It Ain’t Hard to Tell
the world is yours is such a banger good album all around
20 years old Nasir Jones came out and made one of the absolute pillars of hip-hop. He’s hungry, he’s wild, he’s sharp. every single bar feels like it’s coming from someone who knows he’s destined to be legendary. The production across the album It’s literally the definition of hip-hop. Dusty, gritty, soulful, hard-hitting, it’s the sound that shaped the entire genre. The rapping is on another level. Nas flows like he’s been doing this for decades, painting pictures of Queensbridge perfectly. It’s Illmatic... you already know. This isn’t just an album, it’s the hip-hop album. It’s anthemic, it’s wild, it’s gangster, it’s everything. From start to finish, it’s pure raw greatness, the kind of record that set the standard forever.
I used to watch CHIPS now I load Glock clips. That bar alone is enough to give this record 5*
One of the best albums ever, all classics
It's been a while since I last listened to this album. Nas's flow and storytelling is basically unmatched and the feel of album really captures his feelings and where he grew up in NYC. This has to be one of the best hip hop albums of all time.
one of the BEST BOOM-BAP ALBUMS, soooo good
A spectacular collage
Illmatic is a undeniable classic with records like "The World Is Yours" or "NY State Of Mind" this project shaped the trajectory hip-hop was headed and is and will forever be one of the most influencal hip-hop albums of all time. The lyricsm is outstanding, one of the best out of 80's gangsta rap absolutely unbelivable Nas wrote it when he was just 19.
I finally saw the light🙏🏿
When I was getting into music, the popular wisdom was that this was *the* all-time best hip hop album. It's really hard to argue with that! Most of the time hip hop hooks don't really work for me, which leaves me thinking "these beats are kinda fun" and then having nothing else to do on, which means I tend to respect the genre more than I enjoy it. But this whole album works for me! Like yeah, maybe it is the greatest album of all time? I'm not quite there yet, but it's certainly up there.
Sick album. What can I say.
One of the defining albums of 90s rap, as someone who really likes rap, this is a must-hear for sure, it's full of emblematic songs and it has that jazzy feeling to it too that I personally love. Goddamn I didn't remember represent being this good
What can be said about this album that hasn’t already been said? The production is fantastic, the content is amazing, and the fact that he was only like 20 when this dropped is a testament to Nas being the GOAT. Man, that first beat on New York State of Mind is just chef’s kiss
Another 5 from me. Gamechanger of an album
Finally upgrading to 5 stars after starting at 3. I have to tip my hat to Amelia for the influence here. Rap isn’t the genre I naturally gravitate to, but Illmatic has a way of growing on you. It’s one of the only albums from this exercise for which I keep craving more listens. I didn’t feel this way at the start, but it started to click as I biked through Chinatown one night with It Ain't Hard to Tell playing. The album's production is great -- the trumpets and record scratch effects feel just right for that classic East Coast rap sound -- and Nas has a silky lyricism that reminds me of The Roots' Black Thought. My original review said that getting a 3. from me for a rap album was an accomplishment… and now we’re at a 5. Illmatic is one of the stone cold classics across any genre, but now it’s my favorite rap album too.
Yaaass, an immediate 5 for me. A nice contrast to what we’ve been listening to (much of which has been less my vibe). Good nostalgia and just a great album, a real masterclass
Incredible album, not a single skit.
If sleep is the cousin of death this album is a boxing match. Bobbing and weaving. Hits land and truths be told. Words come in a barrage and leave a bewildering mark. You never know when you gonna go so why not just sit back and get lost in the flow.
It probably took me a dozen listens to “get” this when I bought it in college, and then it became an obsession. Now it’s probably a top 10 album for me, and in my (hardly unique) opinion the greatest rap album of all time.
Déjà écouté cette année mais dcp je sais a quel banger m'attendre
Greatness. A window into nyc in the 90s. Even more special if you keep in mind that he was 19 when he started working on this album.
Illmatic is the quintessential East Coast rap. It really takes you to the streets of New York, and shows you through lyrical, eloquent, and intelligent rhymes and story telling. ECR is my weak spot when it comes to rap, it was what convinced me that rap and hip hop are actually very talentfilled genres. Nas is legit one of the best rappers of all time, and he shows that rap doesn't always have to be fast, aggressive, and vulgar to be raw, powerful, and impactful. You can have fun, be a badass, AND show up people who doubt you based on where you're from and who you are. His passion for his craft and his music is palpable in Illmatic, and for that it will always be one of my favourite hip hop albums.
I loved this. N.Y. State Of Mind is on my running playlist so I was already familiar with it. At some point a few years ago I started seeing rap and hip hop as spoken word poetry, and ECR seems to have a lot of people pouring their souls out on the page, describing their lives and the hardships of people around them. "Life's A Bitch" is full of this. "I woke up early on my born day, I'm 20, it's a blessin'" is quite literally "you're lucky if you live this long as a black man in New York". The style and the genre of the music may not be for everyone, but the messages in the lyrics are really moving.
I'm a huge fan of rap but I somehow have never gotten around to giving this album a go for whatever reason, which is a shame because I can totally see why it's such a beloved and influental album, it's just nothing but bangers front to back. I swear this is gonna be my listening obsession for the next week.
Top 3 all time
Let’s go
Top 5 Rap album. Fantastic.
1001 albums really suggests a lot of rap for me to listen to, but I don't think anything I have ranked so far in the genre even comes close to what Nas Achieved with Illmatic. I am absolutely awful at rating rap/hip-hop albums just because it is a genre that I have never really been too interested in (so this review is likely to be completely dogshit) but when it is done well I absolutely love it. I've always been aware who Nas was but I can say with 100% confidence that I have never heard one of his songs before but Nas' songwriting is completely unforgettable and is so revolutionary in the scene. The album openly explores Nas' own personal experience growing up in Queensbridge and aims to provide a raw and authentic portrayal of life there with a specific focus on the challenges that younger people faced while growing up in a harsh environment. It is a highly personal album to Nas, but we have seen so many other rappers explore similar themes, so what exactly does make him different? Well, that's exactly what makes him so revolutionary within the scene. It is easy to forget how old this album is just because it is so timeless, and so many of the themes that he explores throughout the album are relevant today. Even the style and the flow of his storytelling is so catchy and memorable, it is clear to see why so many other artists took inspiration from this. For me personally, I can see the clear links between Nas and artists such as Eminem (literally the only rapper I listened to growing up) in terms of the vulnerability that is presented in the music. So sure, there are so many other artists who accomplish a similar tone in their music, but who was the first to do it in 1994? There is no denying how impactful this album has been on shaping the genre that it is today, and we can only contribute that to rappers such as Nas, who were willing to lead that development.
10/10 Rap perfection. Remarkably, Nas was able to create this at the tender age of 16. Internal and external rhymes are everywhere, making this so impressive, while also telling some of the most engaging stories of Nas's life in New York in the 90s. Favorite Tracks: *Life's A Bitch*, *The World Is Yours*, *N.Y. State of Mind*
Not only one of the best hip hop albums of all time, one of the best albums ever made. 10 tracks, zero filler needed. Fully formed. Incredible. If Nas never made another album again after this he’d still be top 3 GOATs. He was 20 years old when this album released.
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Classic. So so good.
Dont play with me
i already listened to it before
It ain’t hard to tell that this is a contender for the best rap LP of all time, maybe Wu-tang pip it to the post An excellent debut that really does represent a NY State of mind Representin’ y’all it’s illmatic 1 rapper, 1 guest spo (the criminally underrated AZ), 5 dope producers (Large Professor, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Q-tip and L.E.S.) 9 incredible songs and an intro. An album I’ve owned on CD, cassette, LP, MP3 and I even have the documentary DVD. Nice to take a trip down memory lane. One love
This album sounds hyperfocused. Love his flow and jazz piano loops. It creates a perfect “Those who crouch the lowest, jump the highest.” vibe. Love the quiet ambition. Definitely a five.
This album rocks, through and through. It’s silky smooth, the rhymes are incredible, and each track seems to build on each other Easy 5
My lack of knowledge of 90s rap has been well documented so I’ve really never sat down and listened to Nas before. Huge mistake. I absolutely love his flow. He’s got a great sound. There’s not a lot of extra fluff or frills here which I love and a perfect length of only 39 minutes. Definitely going to give this a listen again.
Amazing. The greatest rap album of all time. Arguments can be made for other albums, but no argument needs to be made for Illmatic.
An absolute masterpiece. When J. Cole said that “Nas wrote the [rap] bible,” he wasn’t joking. Definitely won’t be the last time I listen to it, and will probably hear samples from this album for the foreseeable future.
This is an album I've seen all over the place but have never listened to you. I always wondered why and now I realize it's because this album needs to be listed as a whole. There aren't really any big poppy songs to make it onto the radio, but the album works so well together. Nas has great story telling, and everything is crisp and clear enough to understand on a first listen. I definitely want to listen to this again.
Perfect. The finest hip hop album ever?
Jazzy samples and DJ scratching with boom bap drums make for classic 90s beats - a driving propulsive rhythm paired with relaxed warm sounds. Nas's verses are relentless: non stop rhymes within and between lines, story telling, image conjuring, world building. With an even cadence at just above conversational speed, he barely leaves any space to think and absorb what he's said before he's into the next thing.
5/5 Golden Era Polaroid Frames This isn’t just one of the best rap albums ever made— it’s an autobiography in rhyme, a time capsule in boom-bap, a Rosetta Stone for pain, pride, paranoia, and poetic genius. He was 20. TWENTY. Most people at 20 are Googling how to cook pasta. Nas was sculpting lyrical cathedrals out of Queensbridge dust.
100 % yes Great album High water mark that so many other artists reached for. Common argument that Nas never made another album like this or wasn’t as good later on. Doesn’t need to be. This album is perfect
fiyah
There are so many amazing things about this record. It’s not just the miracle that exists and Nas’s story, that the lyricism is great and that the album is honest and real, it’s that this is musically such a sophisticated and purely enjoyable album on top of all of that. A masterpiece.
Hoooly… I knew the reputation this album has but wow. woooow. This is several times better than I could have expected. These beats are so clean you can eat off of them and the rhymes should be studied in English classes.
Still perfect.
No notes.
A hip hop touchstone. Perfectly encapsulates it's era but also still sounds as fun as the year or was made. Others may say it's repetitive, but that's like saying anyone who sings the blues just sings sad stuff. It's talking about the world it comes from, and that was it. On a scale of -5 out of 5, easy 5. The Rumors of rap.
Such a great album. One of the best hip hop albums and such an iconic new york album. Some unforgettable beats
I barely have to listen to this one to know it's a 10/10. One of the most classic hip-hop albums ever. I must've listened to this record a hundred times as a kid. Nas is one of those lyricists who seems so natural in everything he does. He was born to do this and shows it on every single track. This album perfectly captures East Coast hip hop, from the beats and production to Nas' lyrics and performances. It's also impossible to ignore how absolutely CLASSIC so many of these lines are. "I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death", "Life's a bitch and then you die", "i'm out for dead presidents to represent me" ??? All have been referenced countless times, decades later 10/10
I've heard NY State of Mind quite a bit in the past, but I never checked out the rest of the album before. It holds up really well. Nas might have one of the most influential flows in the genre.
A masterpiece. One of the best debuts of all time. The lyricism is perfection. The sampling and production is so so so good It teleports you to a time and a place so vividly. Hip hop had well and truly spread to the mainstream and been commercialized by this stage. But Illmatic brought it back to street level, a human level.
Going into this I know knew who Nas was, but had never really listened to his music. I was excited to have an excuse to delve into this album as it’s probably the one of his I’ve heard the most about. It did not disappoint, usually I fell like I need to hear a rap record few times to really appreciate it, but this one feels like it hits on the first listen. I’ll have to go a little deeper into Nas’ catalog I definitely enjoyed this one. I’ve been stingy with the 5 star reviews, but this is a 4.5 rounded up for sure.
5 mic review from Source. How can I not give it 5 stars? Also, it’s an amazing album with astonishing lyrics and incredible beats. Gets better with every listen.
Certified classic with one of the best rap tracks ever. Listened to: at home, on vinyl. Favorite tracks: Genesis, NY State of Mind, Halftime
Simply the greatest rap album ever made. It's nothing short of a miracle that a teenager could so perfectly encapsulate his existence and surroundings. The production is also sophisticated and the lyricism is second to none, with some of the greatest bars in rap history. The first half of the album in particular is one of the best stretches of music ever recorded. In addition to its remarkable consistency over an airtight 40 mins, Illmatic also has some of the great moments in rap. Beginning NY State of Mind with "I don't even know how to start this shit" and then dropping one of the greatest verses ever penned sets the bar impossibly high, but Nas never falters. Favorite songs: N.Y. State of Mind, Memory Lane, Halftime, The World is Yours "I never sleep, because sleep is the cousin of death" "I dropped the ancient manifesto of hip-hop right out the block" "I want presidents to represent me. I want dead presidents to represent me."
Timeless. Classic. The essence of rap. If I could play only one album to make a person understand rap music, this might be it.
That was lit!
Such a sick album. It does two distinctly difficult things very well. The first is construct a story and illustrate multiple themes through MUSIC. Lots of artists attempt this, very few do it well. The second is age. For me, someone who did not grow up in Queens, NY or share hardly any of the experiences that Nas talks about on the album, I find that I learn something new about his life, culture, influence, etc. with each listen. This being his debut album goes to show how much passion and thought he has with his music which makes this such a banger for me.
This was fucking dope.
Possibly my favorite album on this list so far.
what else is there to say about this album?
Great…great album. Any excuse to listen is one I’m happy with
All time storyteller
It's a classic. Shorter than I thought? Appropriate since I live in Queens. Easily 4/10 of these are classics.
One of, if not the greatest rap albums ever
Top 5 hiphop album oat
PEAK
Absolute classic. This is very much of a time but it's not dated. I listed three times today because I was still digging it so much. I do wish Nas had more variety in his flows but his lyricism and technique more than make up for it across the album. I prefer It Was Written for what it's worth but that doesn't mean this isn't also a 5.
Don't even need to write something huge. This is a five star hiip hop albbum. "It aint hard to tell " is one of my favorite hip hop tracks of all time.
Brother it is Illmatic
Great
Fanatic record
Important & classic.
Any album that opens with Wildstyle samples is an instant 5. A who's who of New York producers in arguably one of the last great albums of the golden age. NY State of Mind is a classic DJ Premier sinister jazz beat. Life's a Bitch features some virtuosic rapping over an iconic chorus which leads the way for 2000s rap. The World is Yours replicates the formula and adds in more classic piano samples from Pete Rock. Halftime continues Nas's connection to baseball fans Main Source by bringing in Large Professor as a ringer and a really well constructed bassline. The album keeps bringing on the classics with One Love, featuring a spooky xylophone. More iconic bars in the laid bacl One Time for Your Mind. Premier's third track Represent captures the melancholy reality of life in the Bridge. Every track is peak boom bap and Nas raps with authority about life in Queensbridge. The album cover is iconic and the call for authenticity in this album is what makes it such a great reference for Kendrick Lamar in the 2010s.
An absolute classic of hip hop till this day! Production and lyrics on top. Compared to later albums Nas had some good support on the production side and not much say in it.
Enjoyed every second. Don't have a deep knowledge of rap so hearing an albums considered one of the best in the genre was a pleasure.
amazing, i love this album so much. every beat is perfection and every lyric is beautiful. such an amazing album.
Q-Tip told this about Nas: "Just from when you heard Nas initially, you knew he was ill. When I first heard him rhyme, I knew he was ill. Everybody knew he was ill. But I told Faith, “You guys got somebody special.” Because he has vulnerability in his rhymes. A lot of niggas who MC, you don’t hear the vulnerability. He keeps it relatable, but he has a lot of depth. He can keep it gangsta, he can keep it educated, he can keep it thoughtful. He can tell you that he’s the shit, & he can tell you when he fucks up. And that’s what makes Nas endearing to everybody."
Ja hoor hoe lekker is dit
This record is amazing!! As soon as the album starts, you are in the mode. This is probably one of the best rap albums I've heard!!
classic love nas
My pick for best rap album of all time. The perfect blend of gritty, jazzy beats with clever and soulful rhymes. Usually when people claim that gangsta rap is a form of street poetry it’s bullshit, but in this case it’s true.
It’s all there
knicks, pizza, illmatic
Didn’t even need to relisten to know this is an easy 5*. I did it anyway and it’s still just as great as I remember. Understandably called one of the best (if not the best) rap album of all time.
Classic. Deep topics, poetic and every song knocks it out the park.
5 stars immediately. The greatest hip hop album of all time in my opinion. I've listened to this album so many times and it always sounds so fresh to me. I don't trust anyone who doesn't give this album at least 4 stars. *New favorite album so far Favorite track: The World Is Yours
old school, can't believe i was 2 when this game up and they were doing this madness
Debatably the greatest rap album of all time, definitely the best of the 90s, in my opinion. Nas perfectly captures the seedier side of New York in a tight 40 minute package.
What a solid, tight album. No wasted space. You can easily just find you've listened to it 3 times back to back. A classic for a reason. Defining.
THE best rap album of all time bar none
Perfect no notes
One of the best pure rap albums I can think of
Masterpiece.
All time classic
One of if not the greatest rap albums of all time. Great production, otherworldly flows and iconic tracks. This is one of the best records ever. Done by one of the best to ever do it. 10/10
Feels like an expert bartender mixed this tall delicious drink with a touch of class.
Never listened to Nas before now. Pretty cool. -1 star for lyrics -1 star for good flow. -1 star for catchiness. -1 star for originality. -1 star for good album mix. More like 4.5 but round up.
Every track hits. Easy 5.
Easiest five in the whole dang list
Lives up to the hype. Incredible flow. Wonderful beats. Lyrics that will need multiple listens to process.
Yeah it's awesome. It doesn't sound all that groundbreaking, and I'm not sure it was at the time in terms of being a new sound, but holy cow is it just quality. In the past I've struggled to get into some older hip-hop that don't have choruses or hooks, but I could listen to Nas rap for hours on end without any problem. Just so smooth and the lyricism just fits like a glove. The jazzy instrumentals are top notch as well. 9/10
good
Thought I’d hate this when it first started but it grew on me a lot. Glad I got to listen to it.
Already known this is one of my favorite albums so yeah.
One of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time and one of the greatest debut albums of all time. That's it. Best Tracks: NY State of Mind; The World Is Yours; It Ain't Hard To Tell
A classic album with no weak tracks, perfectly suited for its time. Today the production style sounds dated but the lyricism and flow still make this feel like a masterpiece. Favorite songs are: NY State of Mind The World is Yours Lifes a Bitch Memory Lane 10/10
My kinda hiphop!
it's not typically me to judge music just by the lyrics but i can put respect on them, the backing production felt pretty cool (especially for 1994,) and overall i was decently captivated from track to track
First time listening to this set of tunes all the way through. Illmatic is an excellent hip hop album. Top 3 tracks: 1. N.Y. State of Mind 2. Halftime 3. It Ain’t Hard to Tell 9/10
First of all… I just had the weirdest experience. I looked at the year the album was produced and thought damn, I didn’t know Nas was recording that long ago! He was popular when I was in high school. Wild. And then I realized that 94 was only like 6 years before I was in 9th grade. 😬 Anyway, Nas is crazy talented and this album grows on you as it progresses.
A gotdamn classic.
It is very easy to argue this is the greatest HipHop album of all time. It's also of course one of the greatest albums of all time and could comfortably be the greatest album of the 90s (I wouldn't say that lightly though, stiff competition). Genesis opening to N.Y state of mind is an album opening that every rapper ever has tried to replicate and none have ever succeeded. I could spend all day listing each track individually and saying why it's one of the best rap songs of all time but I won't bother because all you need to do is listen to this master piece and you'd agree. A perfect album in every sense of the word from beginning to end.
As good as hip-hop gets, if you ask me. A very atmospheric album.
Top 3 rap albums ever
5/5 is an insufficient amount of stars. Amazing album start to finish
Awesome album
À classic
Automatic 5 stars
I listened to this album years ago and didn't really like it, but now I'm wondering what exactly I was thinking! Really, really good album, the run of the first four tracks might be the best I've heard on a hip hop album.
Fire
This is obviously one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time. In my opinion, it's not the best rap album, but it defines an era. For that it borders on a 5 (and I'll give it a 5). Best Songs: NY State of Mind, The World Is Yours, One Love, It Ain't Hard to Tell Worst Songs: The Genesis
Shout out John Jay
Illmatic was Nas’s debut album, and you can hear the heavy influence of New York rap styles in it. The flows were excellent and the beats were good. Just like the other older rap albums, I heard lines borrowed from new artists which I always think is super cool.
Not even a huge fan of Nas, but hard to deny this album
Obvious 5/5. Legendary record.
Wow, never listened to this before and didn't know I liked this genre! great album a new favorite
I never sleep cause sleep is the cousin of death.
a game-changing album when it came out, and still a striking listen
One of my favorite albums of all time. Nas wrote the bible. I can't comprehend how this shaped the rap landscape and brought an attitude to NYC. 1994 was a good year alright
Lyrically impressive, great flows, chill beats and backing tracks. Excellent album to listen to and chill. I haven’t really listened to NAS before and this one lived up to the hype. Definitely will be on the regular rotation.
Greatest rap album of all time
5-
Simply one of the best rap albums of all time. Nas walks the fine line between raw and polished lyricism, with the end product being an album that has stood the test of time.
Loooove this allbum!!!
A classic by one of the GOATs of the genre, amazing atmosphere, great beats and irreplaceable flow. This one always makes me want to pick up a bass to play those loops!
The hip does in fact hop
fire
felt familiar even though I've never heard it
Illmatic isn’t just an album; it’s a masterpiece that defines what hip-hop can be. it’s still as fresh and relevant today as it was back then. For me, this is the gold standard of rap albums, and its influence is undeniable. From the first track to the last, it’s clear that this is the work of an artist who understands the power of storytelling and the craft of lyricism. There’s a timelessness to this record. The first thing to mention is Nas’ lyricism. The word "genius" gets thrown around a lot, but here, it’s entirely appropriate. Nas paints vivid scenes of life in Queensbridge with an unparalleled knack for detail, weaving tales of struggle, ambition, and survival. Lines like “I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death” from "N.Y. State of Mind" stick with you, not just for their poetry but for their raw truth. His ability to balance introspection with hard-hitting street narratives is unmatched, making Illmatic feel deeply personal yet universally resonant. Nas’ ability to craft intricate rhymes and blend personal storytelling with larger societal commentary is nothing short of brilliant. He’s got a knack for using metaphors and wordplay in ways that feel effortless, but you can tell there’s so much thought behind every bar. His flow is arguably one of the defining elements of Illmatic. it’s the perfect balance of technical skill and emotion. The production is nearly flawless. Each beat matches Nas’ lyrical prowess perfectly. The jazz-infused samples, boom-bap drums, and soulful loops provide the perfect backdrop for Nas to shine. I love how the production complements the tone of each song, from the dark, gritty feel of “N.Y. State of Mind” to the smooth, reflective atmosphere of “The World Is Yours.” The production is sophisticated yet never detracts from the raw energy of Nas' delivery. It feels almost cinematic, as though the beats are telling their own stories alongside Nas' lyrics. Tracks like “One Love” and “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” exemplify how seamlessly Nas and his producers intertwine with the instrumental layers to create an unforgettable soundscape. Every detail, from the subtle background vocals to the percussion, is meticulously placed. It’s hard to fault Illmatic, but if I had to nitpick, the brevity could leave some listeners wanting more. While its tight runtime is part of what makes it so impactful, a couple of additional tracks might have fleshed out the world Nas creates even further. Additionally, while the production is stellar, a few moments feel slightly overshadowed by the beats, making you wish Nas’ vocals were just a touch more prominent in the mix. But honestly, these are minor issues in an otherwise flawless album. Illmatic is a shining example of what happens when lyrical genius meets top-tier production. It’s raw, poetic, and utterly timeless. Nas doesn’t just rap, he educates, reflects, and takes you on a journey through his world. Whether you’re new to hip-hop or a lifelong fan, this is an album that demands to be heard. There are few records in any genre that come as close to perfection as this one does. It’s a timeless classic, and for good reason. It’s a perfect encapsulation of ’90s hip-hop at its peak and a blueprint for everything that followed. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favour and dive into Illmatic
An album that offers a shocking amount of parallel, often intentionally hypocritical, perspectives for such an autobiographical journey. Something that's interesting to revisit so many years into his career. A masterpiece borne from the inquisitive eye of a young man in a tumultuous world with more questions than answers. People talk about the career of Nas as a failure in ability to live up to his debut. I think it speaks more as the failures of a society to answer in a satisfactory way those questions so many 'Nas'es out there had from that generation. As the artist grew into the man, the impression of his words of wisdom appear to fall on the deaf ears of a world paralyzed by indecision. In a world such as this, we shouldn't have needed another one. Strong 8, Light 9
9/10 Your favorite rapper’s favorite rap album, and it probably should be your favorite rap album. At the age of 16 to 20, Nas wrote and released a lightning in a bottle Hip Hop album, being not just incredibly impressive for someone his age but would be a permanent blueprint for East Coast and Hip Hop as a genre. Even if you don’t like this album as much as other Hip Hop albums that you could debate are better than Illmatic, you’d be a fool to believe this record didn’t earn its reputation. We get a young and hungry kid from Queens already establishing himself as king of the game on here, and while for most rappers it seems like a typical premature statement to make, Nas’ energy, rhymes, and subject matter have set the bar for some of the best rap has to offer. His clever rhyme schemes paint a very grim portrait of New York, specifically through his life as a teenager subject to poverty and crime. We get crack deals gone wrong, bodies pumped full of lead, police confrontations that lead to an intense chase or a deadly shootout, an overwhelming exposure to violence and hedonism is what Nas puts the listener through on this record. And while most “Gangster Rap” records might dive deeply into the intensity and brashness of these themes, Nas offers a much more introspective and philosophical side to this kind of writing. What do we get to counter this intense and horrific lifestyle? Survival and “realness”. We get a duality of nihilism and perseverance on Illmatic that proved to be one of the most essential rubrics for “realness” in the genre, Nas reaps his glory and reputation not with temporary hedonistic desires but with a better way out of this loop of trauma and destruction, and better displayed with how Nas lives his life now. It’s a great “Hero’s Journey” soundtrack with a bunch of the most iconic Boom Bap and Jazz Rap beats of the 90s, most notably by DJ Premier and many other iconic East Coast producers. Unfortunately this album really does overshadow the rest of Nas’ discography, leading to many modern listeners believing it was a fluke, that’s until Nas would release a string of records with Hit Boy almost 30 years later consisting of some of the best rap albums this decade, establishing him as a noteworthy contender for the GOAT yet again. Woke Nas be like “My style switches like a f****t but I’m bisexual”
DAMN
Banger
5/5
Отличный альбом. Просто пушка, побольше бы такого 5+
One of the greatest rap albums of all time, absolutely phenomenal album. Every song is better than the next, all time classic Best Song: NY State of Mind Rating: 9.5/10 5 Stars
One of the building blocks of the genre
Classic 90s hip hop!
Best hip hop album of all time containing some of the best hip hop songs of all time
Розйобний базовий NYC альбом , класично хіпхопний ,сам Насір крутий лірецист та флоу в нього важкий і ритмічно комплексний , це базаосноваґрунт так шо 10 з 10 , слова зайві
Класичний хіп-хоп альбом, та шедевральний лірика. Квінтесенція реп музики 90-х
Oh hey I know this one
Unbeatable. One of the best of all time.
This is one of the greatest rap albums of all time. One of my favourites. So many good songs on here. A master rhymer and the beats go hard too.
Classic hip hop album. Just a great vibe all the way through. Most of the hits you know from Nas are on this one, too. I remember what a huge hit this was when it was new - feels like it would be again today.
One of the top 5 rap albums of all time.
One of the greatest rap albums ever
Nas tells a real story about real life in New York, and makes poignant points that were likely very much ahead of the time in which they were written.
Poignant production provides Nas the perfect platform for his flawless flows, masterful meter, and luminous lyricism: it ain't hard to tell why this is a hallowed hip-hop classic.
one of the goat rap albums.
Magnificent. Probably the greatest hip hop album of all time
I can't score this objectively - this was one of the albums that got me into hip-hop when I was young, and Nas was an absolute reference.
I wish we got a little more AZ in here, but this has a credible claim to being the greatest hiphop album of all time. 5/5
A classic that I've never listened to. I now understand. The beats. Nas' flow. 10/10
Phenomenal. The best album so far, very glad I got to hear it - very much on the list.
Songs i knew: all of em Songs i like: all of em pretty much Koffi delivered a banger, always a pleasure to come back round to this. Hit after hit, such a raw and gritty sound to this which you just don't get anymore. East Coast hip hop at its finest. Mid 5.
Along with the 36 Chambers, this is THE sound of 90’s East Coast hip hop. There’s not really much to say, there was hip hop before those albums and hip hop afterwards. For me, 36 chambers just edges it but this is still great. Beats slap, lyrics are a great mix of personal experience and storytelling, can’t pick a fault with it (try as I might just to piss Chris off). Best tracks: NY State of Mind, The World is Yours, Represent
This is the most excited I've been to jump into an album since this experiment started. This is one of those albums that always makes my top albums of all time but it's been a couple of years since I played it. One of them ones that you love but rinsed as a yoot so don't go back that often. Incredible flow from Nas throughout with different rhyme styles throughout which was unmatched at the time. The sampling is sick too. DJ Prem needs mad props for coming up with THAT beat for NY State of Mind (aka The Greatest Hip-Hop Song of All Time). Just watch this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DXw4AtwclU&ab_channel=Tracklib Highlights: N.Y. State of Mind The World Is Yours Halftime One Love One Time 4 Your Mind Lowlights: Don't like the beat on Life's a Bitch Always a toss-up for me between this and 36 Chambers for the best East Coast album. Think Wu slightly edges it but it's so close.
How have I never listened to this before? This is fabulous. Perfect mid-90s vibe. Loungey, scratchy, real music, real flow. This is a gem. Saving every song. The authentic Queens accent is the cherry on top.
I recognise the greatness of this album, and it's immaculately produced and performed. There's something about it though that never really clicked fully with me, maybe the immaturity of some of the lyrics. That said, the lyrics aren't overly misogynistic or homophobic (apart from a couple of slurs here and there) and the story of the album is very transporting in a way that feels genuine. Listening to it feels like listening to a snippet of a day in early 90s Brooklyn or Queens. Bumping it up to a 9/10 because it's so influential, and to counter some of the rap haters in the reviews.
First time listening to a rap album. It was quite interesting. Love the melody and the beats.
really really good this. didn't know much about Nas but definitely will be looking more into his stuff
This is bloody awesome, especially for a debut album. It's way too consistent.
Absolutely no contest, this is the best hip hop album of the 90s. The rapping is absolutely top notch, and the beats and instrumentals are just as fantastic. The hip hop scene in New York was bursting in the 90s, and this album is the absolute best thing that era of music has to show for it.
Feel good music. Not usually my style but loved the lyrics and the music
I said a hip-hop, the hippie, the hippie To the hip, hip-hop and you don't stop the rockin' To the bang-bang boogie, say up jump the boogie To the rhythm of the boogie, the beat
10/10
GOAT DEMAIS esquece illmatic é arte
um absurdo. os beats, as letras, tudo cabulosíssimo. tem jeito não, é um dos melhores da época memo. life's a bitch and then you die.
Fav: The World Is Yours Least Fav: One Love (feat. Q-Tip) Albums like these really make me want to get into hip hop, it just hits all the right notes for me
might be my new favourite rap album?
жизнь - сука, и тут я согласен на все 100.....
This is a hip-hop "Mount Rushmore" album candidate for me. Not only is it one of the greatest debut albums of all time, but it's probably the most important East Coast hip hop album considering the landscape at the time. Nas, who was only 20 years old at the album's release mind you, assumes the "King of New York" mantle with a somehow unassuming bravado. He leans on an already lifetime's worth of experiences growing up in inner city Queens. A vivid picture of the NY streets is painted throughout these 10 tracks, helped even more so by Nas' fluid & poetic lyrical approach. There are just too many memorable verses to count that each track almost warrants its own in-depth dissection. Lest I forget to mention the production and sampling featured throughout. Snippets from Kool & the Gang, The Gap Band, Michael Jackson, etc. paired with DJ Premier & co.'s crisp beats make for a very clean and enhancing production. The only "negative" I can think of is that the album flies by while listening. It's so seamless and comfy for a hip-hop album that 40 minutes goes by just like *that*, then you're right back to "The Genesis". Not a single wasted second or bad track on hand, which is a testament to the talent of both the artist and production team involved. Easy 10/10 for me. "Nas'll rock well, it ain't hard to tell"
The motherfucking greatest album of all time. The thing that started my whole music journey. Even bought it on CD. As I go through life, I find myself finding a new favourite song from this album. A top 3 is hard even on a 10 track album 1. New York State of mind 2. One love 3. World is yours All very interchangeable with top 3 bc I’m an indecisive duck
The best rap album all time
Someone could tell me that this is objectively the greatest rap album of all time and I truthfully would have a hard time trying to argue. I guess it ain’t hard to tell.
One of the best albums on the list One of the best albums ever The best hip hop album ever
The only thing better than this classic? Seeing Nasty Nas perform it live with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Red Rocks.
Best debut Hip-Hop album ever released, if you disagree you know nothing about Hip-Hop.
Greatest rap album
Flow besser als der aus meiner Nas in Allergiesaison
Maybe the best rap album of all time? Hard to say, but it's a strong contender for the greatest album of all time, genre aside. Holy smokes, this record is incredible.
All time great East Coast hip hop.
landmark
Illmatic is revered as the best, or one of the best, rap/hp-hop albums of all time, and for good reason. The sound, the flow, the lyrical dexterity, the very real way it brings you into where he's from and the life of his community, the storytelling, it's all outstanding and an obvious 5/5, even if it's not actually my favourite album (I thought The Blueprint was better, for example). A massive influence too, even to this day, that's some legacy and heritage.
This is great - have listened to this a few times over the last couple of days and it gets better with every listen. Flow on this is brilliant, lyrics and storytelling are great, and the production gives it enough music around it without distracting from the main event. Can't fault it, best rap album we've had. 5/5
STRAIGHT FUCKING CUTTER BANGER I COULD DIE TO THIS SHIT GOD THIS CUTTER, FUCKING CUTTER
"I never sleep 'cause sleep is the cousin of death." It's one of those albums that can (and should) make you fall in love with hip hop. When I was growing up in the 90s in post-communist Eastern Europe, New York for us was a symbol of capitalism, success, Western world, an El Dorado. This album takes me to the parts of New York that I could not even imagine existed at the time. It's gritty, dark, cold and cloudy, the streets are dangerous and living day to day is hard. And yet there's this magic in the air that shines through the album, especially when you're with your crew, sitting on a bench just outside your block reminiscing. The contrasts between the beautiful jazz loops and hard knocking beats set a perfect background for Nas' incredible almost liquid flow. It's just perfect.
Solid rap album from beginning to end. Literally flawless.
The greatest Hip Hop album of all time, they say. I'm not the greatest aficionado of Hip Hop, so who am I to agree or not, but I had a very good time with it and maybe it's the greatest I've had in here. Dope.
I mean, some albums you just don't need to say anything. If Illmatic isn't the most respected rap album of all time, it's at least in the top 5. I've heard it a few times, and it's the definition of a classic. Either you like rap or you don't and it's the same probably for this album. It's full of classic after classic. Some of the sounds used for beats here are insane. 9/10
They call me nas, I’m not your legal typa fella Moët drinkin, marijuana smokin street dwella Always on the corner, rolling up blessed When I dress it’s never nuthin less than guess
Iconic. Best in class.
Goat
In the 90s, I was a West Coast guy, so I didn't really listen to this on repeat like some hip hop heads did, so it's fun to listen to it now, with a bit of remove. I've never fully been on board with the genius of Nas, but this album is exceptional. the beats and samples are so good, and there isn't a weak song on the album. 4.5 stars.
This is really great. It’s Been years since I listened to this. Now I haven’t gone deep Into the lyrics so that could change how I perceive this. However the beats and music is classic Hip-Hop. This flows extremely well and IS A CLASSIC ALBUM Stand out tracks N.Y State Of Mind The World Is Yours Life’s a Bitch Memory Lane 5/5
The granddaddy of hip-hop albums. Hugely influential for many modern rap artists. I can hear many of my favorite rappers in the cadence and flow of Nas on this album. I have listened to this album multiple times over the years and each time am floored by how incredible Nas sounds over his beat selection. Maybe not the most mind-blowing production but what the production of the 90s lacks Nas makes up for in spades. His effortlessly cool flow paired with insightful and at times funny lyrics makes this a must listen. Essential hip-hop. BEST TRACKS All of them WORST TRACKS None
One of the best of all time.
Love it. Raw and pristine and the production is iconic
Life’s a bitch and then you die. Probably have been underrating this one. Not at the very top of my personal rap list but still really good and understandably a classic.
First time listening to Nas. Good shit. 5
Hip Hop perfection!
Heard this a zillion times. Epitome of Nas. 100/10
GOD
solid, really new york
Klassikko. Viisi tähteä.
Straight fire the whole way through
it is really odd how a debut album by a 19 year old feels like the full summation of someone's entire "deal". in a lot of ways, that's gotta be both a blessing and a curse; people have both the highest regard for your short body of work and equally high expectations for whatever art you put out after it. in a way i wish i'd listened to a Nas album that wasn't Illmatic before hearing this so i wasn't just stacking the gems of his discography up against... well, Illmatic. overall, it's just a tight record that feels like a document of whatever situation Nas was in when he was writing and performing it, like the best art of young men. you can find little bits of lyricism that pioneer what you hear on hip-hop tracks both later in the decade and to this day. maybe that makes a lot of what it does "old hat", but there's value in studying the blueprint of what makes everything that came after tick. plus, if you don't care for Nas, there's always the all-star beats behind him that make the thing worthwhile. i hope Nas has a lifetime supply of Moet from how much he reps it on this record.
Love me some early 90s NYC hip hop. ATCQ. De La Soul. Native Tongues. How have I not heard this before, it’s a real treat. Slick production layering muted big band, double bass, lounge piano, jazzy organ, laid back beats & artful scratching. It’s all very lush, listenable and instantly set my head bopping. His voice is smooth & melodic and his narrative driven flows are neat. Wasn’t surprised to hear Q-Tip was involved and I anticipate this one is gonna enter regular rotation for me. Fkn loved it. My first five stars.
a quintessential rap album. one of the best debut albums ive ever heard, solid from front to back with no fluff
Regilizing the realism of life and actuality, fuck being the baddest a persons status depends on salary
Stone-cold classic.
Misschien wel mijn favoriete rapper aller tijden. Wat is deze man fantastisch, dan te bedenken hoe oud hij was toen hij Illmatic maakte, en te bedenken dat dit zn debut was? Bizar. Van de tram geluiden in opener The Genesis word je echt meteen New York van de jaren 90 in gegooid. Daarna neemt Nas je met zn rustige flow mee in zijn leven, schetst hij nummer na nummer waar hij mee dealt. De features die er op staan zijn fantastisch, de legendarische verse van AZ bijvoorbeeld. Productie door Q-tip en DJ Premier, ge-wel-dig. Soms heb je een perfect album, en dit is er zo een. FAVO: Alles. Luister dit album. Het is geweldig, 1 van de beste albums ooit gemaakt. I dont care of je van hiphop houdt of niet.
Illmatic is sacred in the annals of hip hop, having often been christened the best hip hop album of all time. When you listen to it, it becomes abundantly clear that rappers have tried to recapture the magic of this album for decades, and seem fated to always come up short. The internal rhyme schemes, fluidity, and searing insights into life in the Queensbridge projects are unparalleled, recalling the street prophet poetry of Rakim.
this album went under the radar for me until N.Y. State of Mind was featured in Ozark (shout out to Ruth Langmore and Killer Mike), since then I've listened to it countless times, an incredible album, easy 5 stars
10/10 album
I thoroughly enjoyed this whole album. I'm struggling to figure out why it isn't a 5... This album is a 5.
I didn't listen to this yesterday but I've heard it before. I will listen now.
Trying to find a reason this isnt a 5
There’s a reason why this album is a classic. To the point, doesn’t overstay its welcome. Production is fire and bars for days
Standouts: •lifes a bitch •Halftime •Represent • it aint hard to tell Skips: • one love ++Production Gesamt: 4,5/5+
Remains (arguably) the single greatest hip-hop album ever made. Pure poetry from start to finish.
Fabulous flow with no low spots
One of my favorite hip hop / rap artists through time. This album sets the scene and defines the genre up til today. Nas has a great voice, relevant lyrics and the music composition is fantastic. No favorits on this album - it is just one i can hear over and over again :)
Første album jeg hørte flere gange
Finally, a 90s hip-hop album that isn't an hour-plus. And it's great.
One of the greatest and most consequential hip-hop albums of all time. Full stop.
Amazing album, Nas has probably my favorite flow of the hip hop artists from the 90s/2000s. Some of the best hooks I've heard are here, with N.Y. State of Mind, Life's a Bitch, The World is Yours, and One Love standing out. There wasn't any duds on this album, I could easily revisit it. Even the backing music is interesting, with pianos and cellos appearing throughout. Easy 5.
Solid groovy album that deserves a relisten. But also worked in the background to wind down from a day in the dales and barbecuing. Perfect late-night vibes
One of the best hip hop albums of all time.
Today's going to be a good day. I love this album so very much.
Awesome album. This is just a stellar album that I first listened to in college. "Halftime" is one of the best rap song of all time. Nas has incredible flow and lyricism, and the jazzy, East Coast production is perfect. *****
Takes me back to my brief spell as a teenage rap head. Terrific
This was great, awesome album.
Rightfully one of the most iconic rap records of all time, and a pillar of the jazz rap subgenre. Feels totally perennial; rite of passage beats; iconically New York. It’s amazing! Sadly didn’t get to spin my vinyl copy of this today!
Sorta can't overstate how important this album was to me in youth, and I definitely have made and retained a lot of friends due to my early immersion in hip-hop music... it does seem in recent years that there has been a re-evaluation of hip-hop's greatest album, which would have been Illmatic basically since it came out in '92. it's sort of interesting listening to this as the 'old' best hip-hop album of all time (obviously, To Pimp a Butterfly is the new GOAT hip-hop album, although i don't even think it's Kendrick's second best album and I would place like 4 albums before it, including Illmatic) anyways, I don't understand the distinction of this as an "old school" hip hop album, to me it sounds incredibly modern and I do think from top to bottom it is a perfect album. I do wanna give a special shout out to the production on "The World Is Yours" - if there was any question that Pete Rock is the greatest producer in hip-hop history just that track alone would dispel any doubt.
Illmatic by Nas is definitely a classic album. Although I’ve reached a point in life where hip hop doesn’t resonate with me as much these days, this still remains a timeless album that is always fun to revisit from time to time. The production of this album is raw and gritty yet high quality, with amazing producers like Pete Rock, Q-Tip, DJ Premier, and a few others. Nas is truly an amazing MC. His lyrics are vivid, and he has a remarkable way of giving a clear visualization of life in NYC, with a smooth and intricate flow.
I think hip-hop is the only genre where if you took thousands and thousands of fans and asked them what the best album of the genre is, you would get one clear front-runner. Illmatic would be that, it's just perfect in every way. A young Nas rapping like he's been perfecting the art for centuries, alongside some of the very best producers of the time (and of all time). Super concise, not a single second wasted, not a weak track/beat/bar across the whole thing. Makes 40 minutes feel like 10.
Another great rap album that i get from this page. This have been on my list for a long time and today, I finally heard this masterpiece. I honestly ain't got much to say. The Rap and Hip-Hop world it's kinda new to me. But I know how to recognize a hit when a I hear one. And definetely, this album got a lot of them!
10/10
Classic.
I'm not the biggest rap guy but I always liked this album a lot. Many of this songs are spread across different playlists that I've made. I'm hardly an expert on the genre but I'm pretty sure this is an all-timer.
One of the best hip hop albums. Love his rhyming and the 90s production
All praise for 90s rap. I will probably give this album 5 stars but I recognize that is betraying my allegiance to West Coast rap. My favorites are: “NY State of Mind,” “Life’s a Bitch”, “One Love,” and “Represent.”
Oooh, this is good. Really good! This is what it must feel like to discover a classic about 30 years after it came out. Not too late. Roaring and funky.
🔥🔥🔥🔥