Illmatic

Iconic.

This is 100% the greatest rap album ever made. Nas has also solidified himself as the greatest of all time with KD3

If there was a 6 i would give it.

Why aren't all rap albums like this? Tight beats, melodic hooks and samples, and every track a 4-minute unspooling of bars. Has to be five stars as it escapes the cardinal sins of rap albums: no skits, no 18 tracks, all killer no filler as they say. Also - like the best Public Enemy, Wu Tang (who do all of the above) and it shames me to say the first NWA album, bears repeated listening.

One of the best rap albums ever.

Masterpiece

aight I’ll give credit where credit is due I’m not a huge fan of old school rap but this is a damn good album the only old school rap I really like is A Tribe Called Quest and Lauryn Hill but still, this was amazing too I guess it’s a 10/10, I don’t really know what to complain about, it was just good favorite song was probably Represent

there’s a reason this is commonly cited as the best rap album of all time. incredible lyricism, great production, all around just excellent. couldnt imagine rating it less

Rating: 10/10

I hate to do this but I’ve got 3 5/5’s in a row baby! Maybe that’s a bad thing though because I’ll get less 5/5’s later but it’s so good… The reason why I love this album is because it’s one of the only rap albums that are concise and lack a bad song. Nas is also quite possibly one of the best lyricist’s that I’ve ever herd I’ve always especially liked the line “sleep is the cousin of death” on New York state of mind. The beats are fairly samey but it doesn’t matter too much as that’s not really the focus of the album . There are some skits on the album but (other than the first track) they act more as introductions to the songs and don’t drag unlike they sometimes do on rap album. Maybe it’s slightly front loaded but it gets balanced out by the skit at the start. I guess it’s a 5.

A stone-cold classic. So many stellar hip hop tracks on this one, "N.Y. State Of Mind", " Life's A Bitch", "The World Is Yours", "One Love", "Represent", "It Ain't hard To Tell"... The stars just aligned for *Illmatic*, one of the strongest album debuts of all time. Yet chance was not the only factor that can explain such a hip hop miracle. What you have here is an incredible team of producers at the top of their game (DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Q-Tip and L.E.S.) providing the best cuts ever so that an incredibly talented lyricist and wordsmith can shine under the eyes of the world for the first time ever. Said world seemed to be his indeed. Nas was so young, and for someone his age to accomplish such a feat on his very first record is just the stuff of legend. Per Wikipedia, this is what Prefix Mag's Matthew Gasteier re-examining Illmatic and its musical significance stated in 2002: "*Illmatic* is the best hip-hop record ever made. Not because it has ten great tracks with perfect beats and flawless rhymes, but because it encompasses everything great about hip-hop that makes the genre worthy of its place in music history. Stylistically, if every other hip-hop record were destroyed, the entire genre could be reconstructed from this one album. But in spirit, *Illmatic* can just as easily be compared to *Ready to Die*, *It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back*, and *Enter the Wu-Tang* as it can to *Rites of Spring*, *A Hard Day's Night*, *Innervisions*, and *Never Mind the Bollocks*. In *Illmatic*, you find the meaning not just of hip-hop, but of music itself: the struggle of youth to retain its freedom, which is ultimately the struggle of man to retain his own essence." 5 stars, of course. The Source barely hesitated to break their "no-5-mics policy" back then. And you know what? History proved them right. Number of albums left to review: 762 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 119 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 57 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 62

El mejor disco de hiphop de todos los tiempos, dicen. One Time 4 Your Mind.

5/5. A truly forward-thinking album that is important not only to the rap community but also to America and the world as a whole.

I just love this style I can't resist

A classic for me. "N.Y. State of Mind," "Halftime," "One Love," and "The World is Yours" bring back some fond memories of listening to this album as an adolescent.

This is the epitome of 'on point' isn't it?

Impresionante. De esta lista de 1001 discos los que más me están sorprendiendo son los de Hip hop/Rap que no conocía. Este de NAS me parece buenísimo suena todo bien pero me han gustado más temas como: "N.Y. State of Mind", "Life's a Bitch" (featuring AZ), "The World Is Yours", "Halftime", "One Time 4 Your Mind" o "Represent". Cinco estrellas *****.

Illmatic is Nas' masterpiece. It's one of those classic rap albums that everybody claims to love, but this one is actually still enjoyable to modern ears.

In just under 40 minutes, we have banger after banger with everything you could ask for in a hip hop album. Let's start with the incredible mindblowing production, by the world famous Q-Tip and DJ Permier (among others) who produced their own masterpieces with similar vibes. It's a chill album, with jazzy, soulful, and atmospheric samples, and hazy and static effects that evoke feelings of nostalgia and despair of the NY state of mind. The record scratches appropriately add on to these emotions, but sometimes contribute to feelings of fun and optimism as in "The World is Yours". There's a lot of diversity in the styles, which give each song its personality. Everyone has a different favorite song. Now for the lyricism. Nas is cool and slick, sometimes loud and in your face, but other times thoughtful and introspective. It's no wonder he's a GOAT. I'm impressed by his extensive metaphors and vocabulary, always smooth yet playing with literary devices as if each song has its own audience and storytelling style. His raps are imaginative; I can picture the scenes, the characters, and the troubles he describes. Sometimes he's self aware of his skills, and at other times he's sending letters to friends in jail. Many songs have catchy hooks that draw your attention, allowing you to participate even for just a one line (or word) chorus. It makes it engaging, but also its limited extent directs your focus to Nas's lyricism. No weak songs. I found something impressive and novel about each of the songs. It's short with no filler. No need for skits either, or at least they're integrated well with the songs that they don't disrupt the flow or mood. "NY State of Mind" starts the album strongly, and "It Ain't Hard to Tell" is an appropriate ending that's atmospheric with bright and dreamy samples: a satisfying way to close the album.

A classic in the rap genre

One of my favourite hip hop albums of all time. Lyrically and musically on point!

It drops deep as it does in my breath I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death. The album starts with a skit as is tradition in early 90's boom-bap, setting out the stall that these are sounds taken straight from the streets. Then facing into what is arguably THE iconic hip-hop track. NY State of Mind encapsulates everything people love about this era of rap; driving insistent rhythm, mind-blowing sampling work, lyrical excellence, and the anti-hero protagonist delivering with menace and attitude. Life's a Bitch continues in this strong vein of form with a mantra everyone can get behind. We have a nice contrast in the next song, although the world is shit at least it's your world to do with what you please, the guiding belief of gangsters justifying the hustle. First half of the album concludes with 2 very solid tracks, Halftime and Memory Lane. One-Love a bit of a low point with a disjointed beat which never really falls into a groove. One Time 4 Your Mind is back to form with a bass-line that's as smooth as butter, a slow burner that could go for days. For an album that is so lyrical I find it quite hard to focus on the lyrics as the instrumentals are so strong. Could take a few more listens with a lyric sheet to fully appreciate something this dense. Represent another high-point along with the closer to conclude an album that is right up there with 36 Chambers as arguably the best hip-hop album of the 90's Nothing's equivalent to the New York state of mind - 4.5/5

Fantastic

Big Willy Styles.. Just shy of A Tribe Called Quest level perfection

One of the best

Great album, been a while.

ok

A lot of people would say this is the best rap album of all time. I wouldn’t go that far but it is very good. Nas’s greatest strength is his story telling ability which you hear on almost every song here, especially NY State of mind. I wish he switched his flow up a little more on this but they didn’t do that back then and he does now on his newer stuff. My favorite song on this is The World is Yours.

Timeless east coast hip hop.

Absoluter Klassiker, immer wieder gut

Rap classic

Classic

Old school hip hop doesn't get any better than this.

Not a rap/hip-hop enthousiast, but this is top tier stuff. Very nice!

Wow, I love it so full of solid songs, but it's seem like it's mostly an album you would listen in the background in a trendy saketeshop or restaurant. Jazzy sample are really nice. Why is it the first time I listen to it from the begining to the end ???

I'm not a big connoisseur of hip-hop, I don't have many references to explain it, but... It's one of the best hip-hop albums of all time, isn't it? It seems to me that the flow of NAS is varied and perfect. The beats are very easy to listen to, not too flashy, but far from being empty and without interest. The man seems to have a lot of vocabulary and he knows how to use it.

Rightfully one of the most celebrated rap albums of all time. Top tier beats, flow and lyrics - and no weird, horny skits.

Arguably the best rap album of all time, Classic flows and classic beats love NY state of mind and around the park. Love how nas is still dropping classics as well with the kings diseases. :)

Un de mes album rap pref 5

5.0

Another absolute banger of an album. One of the greatest and most influential hip-hop records of all time, enough ssid

Fantastic. This is one I could listen to over and over. Great lyrics, fantastic beats

LP

Fantastic rap album by Nas. His first album at such a young age gives an insight to the New York street life. The lyrics are raw and visual. The beats are great and still entertaining today. This album is historical in Nas having it produced by various people. This album is one of the best. 8.9/10

Borderline perfect

East Coast Hip Hop™️

Hip hop is not my main music genre, but I respect and appreciate the good music, and this album is a true piece of art!

Pica

One of the greatest rap albums of all time. classic!

It's as good as everyone has said. This album is 27 years old!!! It blends "street" rap with the trip-hop/horns backing and beats and political rap. I'm only on my first listen and suspect it will take many more to fully ingest this. Easy five stars.

legendary and foundational album

The best

One of the best ever

Hotter than a Manilla tic’s bite, I liked this much more than expected. Uncomplicated and easy to listen to

I love this album. Hip hop / rap at its best. I will be honest and say this is not my type of music. This has really changed my mind on the whole genre. The laid grooves really set it off

Undisputed classic. No wasted space.

Unfuckwithable

One of the greatest and most influential rap albums of all time. The classic beats and smooth flow from Nas make it a classic.

the greatest debut album in hip hop

Best hip-hop album of all time.

Probably on my list of 10 greatest hip hop albums ever. What can you say that hasn't been said. Classic, no skips.

I’m not surprised how much I still like this.

5.0 + Sleek and ferocious with smooth jazz samples and non-stop bars. Arguably the pinnacle of New York hip hop, and any hip hop ever.

IM OUT FOR DEAD PRESIDENTS TO REPRESENT ME

The best rap album ever. No skits, no filler tracks, only 1 excellent guest verse. Every best sounds classic, Nas is on fire beginning to end. NY state of mind and the 2nd verse on memory lane especially are my favourites

classic

This album brought back memories of when I used to hustle on the streets of Brooklyn. 1. I have never been to New York. 2. I have never hustled on the streets.

haven't listened to a lot of 90s rap, i enjoyed it

Классика

Classic for a reason. 9/10

A Hip-hop Classic

Really good.

OK! I liked this the first time through. Liked it even more the second time through. Yep, the music is catchy, the rhymes are clever. All the talk of M-16s, M-10s, .9s, and the threat of death or prison makes me viscerally anxious, so I'm not sure if I'll listen to it regularly (and I acknowledge the privilege that I have that allows me to say and do that). But this is a great album and I can see why it's on this list.

Straight classic in the rap genre. Biting, intense lyricism and amazing crisp production and beats.

När jag i mellanstadiet ville bredda mina musikhorisonter och lyssna på något annat än Eminem, läste jag på internet om Nas' Illmatic, och hur den beskrevs som en "hip-hopbibel". Sedan dess har albumet följt mig. Jag återkommer alltid till det efter några månader, inte för att det påverkat eller betytt särskilt mycket för mig, utan för att jag vet att när jag slår på Illmatic har jag 40 minuter ren kvalité framför mig. Varje låt, varje beat, varje rad är så nära perfektion man kan komma i hip-hop. Detta trots att Nas i vad som kanske är tidernas bästa hip-hoplåt, N.Y. State of Mind, inför första versen lägger in en brasklapp: "I don't know how to start this shit, yo...". Albumet är perfekt rakt igenom, men extra bra är ovan nämnda N.Y. State of Mind (såklart), Life's a Bitch, One Love, och Represent. Straight out the fuckin' dungeons of rap! Bästa låt: N.Y. State of Mind.

Ill

Timeless, basically

Stonewall CLASSIC hip hop album. Legendary album.

Wonderful flows

Had this album saved from back in like 2016 when I thought it made me cool to like it, so nice to return to this with a much better sense of musical literacy. Infectious beats and hooks, rewards multiple close listens, and I bet the samples are fire. Easy 5 Already Saved: N.Y. State of Mind Saved After Listening: Life's a Bitch, The World Is Yours, Halftime*, Represent, It Ain't Hard to Tell

Insane he pulled this off his debut, I mean the production alone Is stacked. The cover is literally one of the first images in my head when I hear “hip hop”

It’s Illmatic.

damn this one slaps! NY State of mind is a stone cold classic, I really like the mixing and that flow! again, damn!

Classic

Iconic album

Terrible discazo, la produccion me encanto, tiene buenas liricas, esta excelentemente rapeado. 5/5

Classic!

Nas is a legend.

top5

Great album front to back. Pentacle of hip hop

What a wonderful album. Possibly one of my favorite beats/samples in the last track. So many dissertations have been written about how great this album is. What else is there to say?

"I rap for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners" Escuchar este disco es visualizarse en un auto, ventanas bajas cruzando el Bronx, literalmente donde nació el rap. No culpo en lo más mínimo a la gente que dice que Illmatic es el mejor disco de rap de la historia o el lugar donde comenzó la era dorada del género. Soul, funk, jazz. Este disco lo tiene (y samplea) todo. Cierra de principio a fin. Si bien fue producido en conjunto con un montón de productores es notoria la contribución de Q-Tip, proveyendo carácter y personalidad a la voz de Nassir. El flow y el sonido de este disco solo se compara con un grupo muy selecto de discos de la época/genero. Es rarísimo mirar atrás y decir que las letras de este disco son las más… ¿Educadas? Nas tiene esa capacidad de demostrar lo horrible de vivir en un ghetto y a su vez señalar la esperanza de salir, o de vivir en uno. Por supuesto que todo se vuelve full circle cuando lo comparás con discos que venían de la otra cosa como el amado The Cronicle de Dr. Dre. No hay notas adicionales, el disco lo dice todo y más. Si querés hacer un viaje por los gigantes del rap, Illmatic va a estar entre las 3 primeras paradas que quieras hacer.

Oh man, what an album! One of the best hip-hop records of all time! Even if you don’t like hip-hop this is worth a listen.

Simply one of the greatest albums ever, hip-hop or otherwise.

One of the greatest albums of all time. One of my personal faves and overall flawless. Lots of nostalgia everytime I hear a song from this album. Lyricism is amazing!

its illmatic, one of the best rap albums ever

GOATED

Not usually a big rap listener, but I really enjoyed this album. Great beats and lyrics.

El mejor disco de hiphop de todos los tiempos, dicen. One Time 4 Your Mind

Honestly didn’t even listen to it for this.

Probably a top 10 rap album all time. Nas is one of the great storytellers and wordsmiths of rap with a buttery smooth flow. Love this album.

No notes necessary

I see why this is a classic. The beats. The samples. Nas has a great flow and great word play.

Classic hip hop. Great album

Absolutely classic

Love this album

Straight fire. I see where a Nas has influenced a ton of rappers. Beats were great.

One of the best. Collabs are on point. I feel like this is the transition album between old school and new school.

perfectly balanced and smooth. as good as rap gets. fav track: it ain’t hard to tell

fantastic

Album pilier du rap américain Excellente production Des flows incroyables Intemporel

Old School Rap. Rootz!

There's just something about this type of old-school rap that's so easy to listen to

A true hip-hop classic. One of the top ten greatest rap albums ever conceived. .

heard many times - my personal number 1 rap album of all time.

Nas was 19 when he wrote this album - the talent. This was the beginning of east coast rap as it is today. Thank you Nas! Side note, I saw him play most of this album at Gov Ball in 2013.

Fantastic album through and through, one of my all-time favorites.

One of the GOATs

one of the most flawless albums of all time

Instant classic, from the day it was released. Not a bad track on here. Best hip-hop album of all-time? Best album of all-time?

ok basically back on schedule now! been putting this album off for a while because tbh i was scared i wouldnt "get it" (hip hop is still not quite my genre of choice) but nah this bangs. mr nas raps way too fast for me to get everything hes saying but like the rapping is great and the beats are also really good so who cares? and when i can make out the lyrics theyre pretty great. lifes a bitch is basically perfect. not every beat hits it outta the park for me (one love) but its still fairly consistent just bc nas is really fucking good the entire time. dont get the love for the genesis though. feels like a bit of a superfluous intro. mayb i simply dont get it.

Wish I'd listened to it before now

Not really much to say about this classic slice of east coast hip hop except how ace it is. Top 5 hip hop off all time

Poetic brilliance, though there were so many references that I didn't know so I couldn't fully appreciate the details. Absolutely insane that this was a 20-year-old's debut.

muemer glaub mol glost haa hä. huere funny zum so goofy 80er rap laufe "what is this shit on the radio" loh und denn ny state of mind usehaue mit geilem flow. song kenni beat isch huere geil und er chan reime moll. the world is yours hani au scho ghört huuuere geil. d klavier chords sind de hammer. halftime au seehr en geile beat und reimkettene bis an hag ane. aber d homophobie mösst nöd sii. würkli nöd. one love au rieeese banger. ha freeeud. git e guuuets vieri. aha uf chillo mit 19i gschriebe alles. merciiiiii.

Great grooves, flawless flow, a true hip-hop classic. Since I am a white, middle-class Central European, the lyrics don't hit me close. For the lack of cathartic identification, I'll give this a strong 4.

Have this, but haven't listened in a long time. NY state of mind is still a classic, the rest is pretty good, of course its a sound that was copied a lot the following years. Ends very strong with 2 bangers. 4 Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes, 91/343 (26%) Will I get: Already have

Good nigga music, i rlly fw ts

I was not familiar with your game, Nas. Listened to this while playing THUG PRO.

Ótimo álbum de Hip-Hop. Samples bem elaborados. QKZXHBB.

Solid album, but I'm still biased towards West Coast LA Hip-Hop

7/10

Classic 90s hip hop album by one of my favorite artists. Definitely a highlight. 4.1/5.0

fav track: The world is yours im glad to get to listen to 90s rap/hiphop because i find that i actually really enjoy it this was a great album to get me started in the morning

I mean, it feels on first listen like a 4 because of how much it sounds like other albums. But it's probably a 5 because of how influential it is.

7/10 sounds good i dont have anything bad to say its just that i dont really like or listen to rap

“I don’t sleep because it’s the cousin of death.” I have no recollection of this album in the ‘90s, but I wish I did. The flow and lyrical compositions are great. It made me realize how long it has been since I have heard any really smart rap. In recent years it seems it is all dubstep-style flow, high hats and redundant lyrics, usually about race, sex or money. Despite having those elements, this told a story, a life in his world. I loved the jazz and R&B backing it had too. I also appreciated how it I listened different from song to song but also consistent in its stylistic choices. Key songs for me were the slow One Time and Life’s a Bitch, because the flow is like Tetris it it’s so well. This is a classic.

Suena a que inventó el rap que escucho básicamente.

This really captured a vibe and a style

Forty minutes. Ten tracks. One of the most unanimous critical verdicts in hip-hop history, and listening to it now it's easy to understand why — Nas was twenty years old rapping about Queensbridge with a specificity and lyrical density that made everything around it sound approximate. The authenticity is total and audible from the first bar of "New York State of Mind," which remains one of the great album openers in the genre and sets a standard the rest of the record spends forty minutes living up to. The production is the other half of the argument. DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, and Large Professor each contribute beats, which gives the record an instrumental variety that shouldn't work at this length and cohesion level but does completely. The jazz samples and piano loops sit in adjacent territory to the Low End Theory listen — same DNA, rawer energy, street-level rather than late-night. The drums hit with genuine weight throughout. The honest ceiling is the same one that kept good kid m.A.A.d city at four — very good and not my music are compatible verdicts, and this is both simultaneously. The lyrical density and the Queensbridge geography are doing something specific and irreplaceable for the listener this record was made for. For everyone else it's a document of craft at the highest level that stops just short of the personal pull that earns a five. Illmatic wasn't a radio record on release — it grew into its canonical status over years rather than arriving as a phenomenon, which explains the absence of a crossover moment without diminishing what it actually is. A strong four, honestly delivered.

I enjoyed the first half more than the second half. The musical undertones were jazz and had a great sound. The subject matter was dark but the songs didn't feel dark. Towards the end it felt more harsh. Interesting album.

Ta chido

Hyviä kappaleita. Vähän sellaisia totisempia gangsta biittejä, mutta myös muutama letkeempi kappale, et ihan hyvää kesäfiilistä kyl saa. Parhaat: N.Y. State of Mind, It Ain't Hard to Tell, Represent, Memory Lane

This artist and album was on my radar as one of the best of 90 hip hop, but never got around to listening to them. Another one of those 'what have I been missing' moments. Great album, deserves more love.

Nice and jazzy, with cool collaborations! Great selection for the list!

Not a boring moment on the record yet somehow I don’t find much about it memorable. Solid throughout though.

There are few lyricists better than Nas, and he established that on his arrival with Illmatic. The production is tight and crystal clear, complimenting the street poetry on offer. Illmatic falls short in the beat department, but that's honestly something Nas has struggled with his whole career 🤷‍♂️. It's considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time, and that's 100% on the talent of Nas and his pen, though some of the samples are perfectly used.

Excellent first album by nasty. The beats are a little samey but the message is not. Very clear and concise rapping with memorable songs. Highlight of which is towards the end with it aint hard to tell

Sr Lauryn Hill??. Bring back this type of album please! i need it on vinyl

Thats what i have in my ear when i think about old school hiphop. Nice record!

An iconic hip hop record. Such a sick representation of East Coast rap - bars are clever and there isn't a weak song. I'd say the only problem is it's a bit one note - that one note is great but it doesn't venture far outside Nas' box. Still awesome though.

Memory Lane (Sittin' in Da Park) Life's A Bitch One Love

Fat Beats - sehr viel Jackson Einflüsse...

very good album overall

ya la escuche 4

Best Song: Life's a Bitch This was really solid and before its time. If someone put this on and told me it's from 2002 I would have believed them. You can hear Nas' influence in a lot of hip hop that followed, especially East coast. 4/5.

I spent more time listening to Nas's Stillmatic album than any of his other albums. This album, his first, shows the same lyrical skill and beats though a bit rougher and raw. While I'd probably still reach for the familiarity of Stillmatic over this it's a fine example of the things I like about Nas that separates him from the rest of the pack.

The man has flow. Great internal rhymes, impressive speed, and some pretty deep lyrical cuts among all the drug and gun references and N-drops. The production is extremely polished as well, and the samples and beats are choice. It's still not a genre that particularly calls to me, but I have to give props to the talent involved.

Truly a fantastic hip hop album that embodies the era it's from. Really fantastic dark themes in some of the songs too

This is a legendary album. I have considered buying this on vinyl, which already means it's on the 4-to-5-star scale for me. I think 4.5 stars would be optimal, since the one thing the album is possibly missing is a truly strong single. While 4 stars might feel a bit low for this, I really want to highlight that it is a solid album from front to back.

This is one of the few Hip-Hop albums I like.

Focused, great

Très très bon

There's not a bad song on here. This is solid straightforward EastCoast street rap. This record makes it easy to see why he blew up like he did. He's talented as hell and can spin a tale. One of the many to come out of that scene that rightfully hit it big. Fantastic early album by a rap legend.

One of the first East Coast hip hop albums! So much groove and vibes. It still sounds pretty fresh, as if Kendrick made it before his GKMC era.

I understand why this is considered one of the greatest albums of all time. I am also campaigning for the ability to give half stars. 4.5/5

Illmazing

Not sure I’d ever listened to this before, despite its classic status. It’s great, of course.

es increible pero cuanto mas escucho illmatic mas me gusta. las primeras veces que lo escuchas pensas que esta bien y que la letras de nas a menudo son buenas pero a larga se hace repetitivo y que la produccion envejecio un poco. pero si sos alguien que recien esta empezando a escuchar hip hop (como me paso a mi) es normal, este album lo vas a apreciar mas cuando tengas un mayor conocimiento del genero. canciones como "the world is yours", "ny state of mind", "halftime", "life's bitch", "it aind hard to tell", todas autenticos clasicos del rap. dicho esto, illmatic no es solo uno de los mejores discos de la historia del hip hop (sino el mejor), sino unos de los mejores discos de la historia de la musica. 4.6

even tho i've listened to it before the album is still a fun time.N.Y state of mind is one the most iconic tracks in hip hop history, and for good reason. that being said i am kinda dissapointed that this is the first album. i started this project to listen to new albums.

Det er et godt album, men jeg vil ikke påstå, at det har en helt særlig plads hos mig 4.0

One of the 90s east coast rap high water marks. I’m not too deep in this genre but I like this album a lot more than Jeru the Damaja from earlier in the list.

Some bars are definitely dated but for the most part the pure talent and creativity on this album just fantastic.

reeeeaaally enjoyed this - the beats are basically the foundation of lofi beats I swear every song I was like omggg

really nice flow

Great stuff, not an album I was familiar with, but definitely one I'll come back to and should add to my vinyl library. 4.5/5

a classic

queensbridge!

Wow he wasn’t lying, he does dominate those break loops. So I actually listened to this twice today, which I think are my 6th and 7th listens overall. This is definitely the closest I’ve gotten to seeing this as top album material. The run of Genesis and the first three tracks is actually flawless, I was prepared to slap five stars on this based just on that run, but the further it goes on some cracks do start to show. Halftime is the weakest link on the album, with a forgettable beat and lyrics that seem amateur compared to what precedes and follows it. Like Nas is just fucking saying anything in that song to try and be clever but it doesn’t mean anything. It sounds like he’s trying to fit the meter of a school poetry assignment while not caring about how the lines all relate to each other. Gotta mention this gem, “But not like a f***ot. Not bisexual, I’m an intellectual.” Like what are we doing here c’mon. One Time 4 Your Mind hasn’t left much of an impression on me after all these years, this time the beat AND lyrics are forgettable. But every other track? That is a fucking masterpiece of an album. Nas is on fire with all these bars mixing between different forms of meter and switching up the rhyme scheme often but in a way that feels totally natural and awesome to listen to. There is clearly a lot of thought put into how all these rhymes and the words inbetween them interact and bounce off each other. Production is phenomenal, the Premier tracks get spotlighted for good reason but the downbeat jazzy mood of Q-Tip’s One Love is one of the first things that pops into my head when I think about this album. Shoutout the instrumentals of Life’s a Bitch and Represent for sounding lime proto-survival horror safe room themes.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I may come back for it. It was super reminiscent to me of the Knuckled stages from sonic adventure 2 battle.

Rating:★★★★ Poetry

I’ve been meaning to listen to this for some time and it didn’t disappoint. Following on from 50 Cent, this is much more focused, it’s a different vibe but more up my street in terms of style. I will return to this very soon.

NY State of Mind's beat is on some Goosebumps type beat in the best way possible. Sucks you into the world of the album. Halftime's beat hits like a truck. Up to this point it's been all bangers. Will have to relisten to dig in to Nas' lyrics, but I've been enjoying what I've caught on to. So many songs on this album feel like they were pieced from a walk through New York, in both the lyrics and beats.I love songs and albums that can paint a place so vividly. Love the piano that sounds like it's off the minecraft soundtrack in Represent. Bro really cleared an MJ sample. I was moving so I didn't have time to give this the listens it deserves. Tentative 9, but a possibility to go up. T3: NY State of Mind, Halftime, IAHTT

This album was all experience. The most impressive part of the album was the immediate realization it gave me; this was a long story waiting for an opportunity to express itself. The start of the album to Halftime were great and the lyric performance from Nas kept me constantly engaged into the story he was telling. This World Is Yours I felt most engaged with. Memory Lane was my favourite listen where I was most impressed with his lyrics performance. Ain't Hard to Tell was a Great exit/end for the album and is second behind Memory Lane. Missing the MJ sample made me feel fucking stupid."For me it is" LMAO T3: This World Is Yours, Memory Lane, Ain't Hard To Tell

So a sair albinos de prestigio e comhecidinhos Bom mas n me fascina Como ja ouvi tanto hip-hop vindo depois disto e nao conhecendo muito da era antes de illmatic nao consigo relativizar o suficiente para apreciar este album como deveria.

Liked it

Legit

I can see was this album is callled such a classic, it was really good

랩을 잘 듣지 않았는데 이번 기회로 많이 들을 듯!! 굿-

Gostei

Holds up better than expected

Good album, catchy

Love the 90s NY feel to this one.

I'm not a huge hip-hop person, but this album is iconic! Glad I finally listened through it

Great hip-hop album from an artist I've never given the time of day. The lyrics flow so smoothly from one verse to the next, each song conjures up vivid images of growing up in New York, and the beats had me bopping my head from start to finish. Definitely one I'd listen to again, and will certainly be recommending to people going forward. Favourite track: One Love (ft. Q-Tip) Least favourite track: The Genesis, mainly due to it being more of an interlude than an actual song.

Amazing storytelling

Good rap

real nig

16 años la criatura

Cooler gechillter hip hop der keine höhen hat aber dafür geilen flow 7/10

given that I usually strongly dislike rap, this is quite enjoyable (for rap)

Love it! No skips. The only thing missing is a kind of round theme or a feeling of being caught or personally attached. One of the greatest tho for sure.

Absolute classic

Illmatic is one of the strongest debut albums in the history of hip-hop. Nas started writing it as a teenager, which makes it even more mind-blowing. I’ve listened to it several times, and what always stands out to me is how vividly it tells its stories and builds atmosphere. You can almost feel as if you’re roaming cold streets while navigating issues ranging from systemic oppression to nihilism and ambition. The beat selection is immaculate, and the verses are consistently thrilling. The songs that speak to me the most are "N.Y. State of Mind", "Life’s a Bitch", and "The World Is Yours".

Enjoyable.

This album came out right in my biggest hip hop blind spot. I was a bit too invested in indie in the early 90s, so I missed this album and pretty much every other rap album. I'm glad it was on the list and I got to hear it. Very, very solid.

4/5 - This list is helping my previously (and still mostly) toddler-level understanding of hip-hop. I'm getting a better sense of what I like and don't like, and I now have a clue why this is so often cited as a pioneering album. I think it's not a surprise that I liked this given what an impression Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City made on me. I'll revisit here.

fav: the world is yours represent

N.Y. State of Mind is an incredible song that I added to my favs playlist. There's a few other notable ones, but that's definitely my favorite. I understand why it's his most popular.

4/5

Why's life gotta be so hard? :( fire bars

Really enjoyed this one, must have listened to it all the way through like 10x. The tempo and beats are so flowy. This 90s hip-hop flow reminds me a lot of Nujabes. The first half of the record is especially strong, with my favorite track being Life's a Bitch. Gonna have to return in the future to read thru the lyrics.

маленький нигга

Rap is not my genre but this was really well done and heart felt

Historic album that transformed hip hop. Poetic, creatively produced, flows like a river, a snapshot in time in 90s NY

The lyrics flow nicely, gotta give it that. And for a debut album it’s very impressive how highly regarded this is. That said I probably can’t fully appreciate it. This is a 3.5/5 rounded up.

Enjoyable. First brand new (to me) hip hop record I've listened to in awhile that I found engaging.

Not my typical genre but I liked this quite a bit. I picked up on many of the quick rhymes but need another serious listen and even still, I won’t get all the references

first listen to this album and I truly enjoyed. it

Was aware of Nas but had not really listened to him previously. Really enjoyed it - great beats - strong smooth lyrically delivery and no gimmicks.

It’s a good album but a little bit repetitive in my opinion

Franchement très bon album. Honnêtement, je trouve que le projet est quand même très surcoté, même si il reste particulièrement marquant, surtout pour l'époque. En effet, je trouve que l'album est très bon sur pleins de tableaux, à la fois au niveau des paroles qui sont extrêmement bien travaillées et qui restent bien en tête (ce qui est particulièrement rare pour ma part quand il s'agit de rap) et très soignées au niveau des schémas de rimes qui donne un flow extrêmement stables et agressif qui marche magnifiquement bien pour des morceaux comme "N.Y state of mind" ou "Halftime". De plus, le niveau des prods est vraiment excellents, avec un travail sur la simplicité et l'ambiance pour laisser place au lyrics, tout en apportant une diversité intéressante, oscillant entre le piano de "N.Y State of Mind", le xylophone de "One Love" ou l'orgue de "Memory Lane". Néanmoins, je trouve qu'au global, même si l'album est très solide, il ne tente rien de particulier. L'ensemble des sons, même s'ils sont propres, restent tous assez similaires, en changeant à la fois un élément, mais restant souvent dans une certaine zone de confort en explorant moins que d'autres artistes de l'époque comme Dre ou Biggie par exemple.* En résumé, l'album est donc vraiment excellent, mais à mon sens manque malheureusement d'une petite étincelle qui le fait sortir du lot.

- favorites: halftime - rating: 3.5/5

Cool samples cool flow

No habia escuchado nunca a Nas, pero me ha sorprendido para bien y me da las vibras de los plenos 90s.

Surprisingly better than I thought it would be.

9 / 10

It's an insane run of pro-afroculture lyricism and shocking beats, it's amazing to listen to it in a modern context cause it embraces how though it was to be black at that time everywhere, not just only in the USA, I enjoyed it but that type of "HARD hip-hop/trap" it has its just not for me, amazing work tho.

Very very cool

Once you've heard hip-hop this clean, this well-written, this PERFECTLY aesthetically crafted… it’s hard to listen to anything else. I’m not a hip-hop historian, and I didn’t have much of a listening history with it before this project, but I 100% believe it when they say that Nas changed the game with this one. Favorite Song: It Ain’t Hard to Tell Least Favorite Song: Life’s a Bitch

Classic album.

giving me such a dense album for literally my first day on this site with me being a total beginner to rap is definitely a choice. while the beats stuck with me right away i had to go home and spend a couple hours looking over the lyrics for the album to really hit. i don't think anything in it will make my playlist but it's really easy to tell why people think it's one of the best hiphop albums ever. i admire it from afar like i'm looking at a famous painting behind some glass and red rope at a museum fave track: one love

I feel you Nas. Life’s a real-ass bitch and then you just die. That’s why it’s imperative to get baked as a cake at least once in your life. ;) btw, it ain’t hard to tell’s a fuckin banger.

Quite enjoyed this. Good backing tracks too. Even had a second listen!

buen álbum, bacanito, me gustó que dura 50 minutos entonces estuvo re melo. Me lo escuché de una y me pareció que tenía un flow como bacano, lo único es que no es mi tipo de musica

8/10

it was nostalgic but tested my music palate in a good way.

4.1 3x great album

Siiick

Feel like I'm in a gritty 8 part TV Series about Queens in New York. Captures that really well.

Really good. Nice flows No real stand outs (im notoriously bad at hooking myself into older school rap), but all quality. 8/10

Amazing obviously, amazing lyricism,flows and voice. BUT if i were to rate it on a scale of 1-10 i would say 9/10..simply cause it doesnt quite take me on a sonical journey if ukwim..Production is still great, but there not much groundbreaking or exciting for me. It lacks that X factor of something novel that elevates an album from a 9 to a 10. Maybe this is just because of me listening and being overstimulated by newer better techniques and production…or this album just being too influentual that it influenced EVERYTHING..but ye..imma leave it at 4..

Really enjoyed this album, the music was so well composed and fit the style of rapping so perfectly. Never listened to Nas before but this body of work has really makes me want to explore more.

ILLMATIC 3.97 The Genesis N/A NY State of Mind 4.8 Life's a Bitch 2.5 The World is Yours 3.3 Halftime 4.5 Memory Lane 3.9 One Love 4.2 One Time 4 Your Mind 4 Represent 4.4 It Ain't Hard to Tell 4.1 Seminal work that I respect greatly. With that said, for my personal taste, it rounds out to a 4 out of 5 I suppose. It doesn't quite "wow" me enough either to get a pure 5/5, but perhaps that's due to having to sit down and really digest the lyrics to truly appreciate it. It also fails the "Meteora Metric", wherein I can't give this a 5/5 like I would for that just for pure enjoyment, either. With that said, NY State of Mind remainds a killer song, probably top 5 ever or something.

90s rap just hits different I wholeheartedly agree that Nas is one of if not the greatest lyricists in the history of the genre. It just feels a step above in terms of self awareness and effort. The way he raps feels so unlike other artists before him where it feels more free flowing and conversational. It makes it easy to get lost in the music. Was very familiar with NY State of Mind, got some great lines in there. I was a little disappointed with all the buzz this one gets, as this is one of those albums that universally gets that “greatest rap album of all time title”, and I just don’t agree. It’s a really good album, but I just don’t think the highs are as high as Ready to Die or 36 Chambers. I think some of the beats themselves just ain’t it. Can tell just by listening how influential this album is, but I don’t think it’s in the running for my personal best of the best when it comes to rap

Quite liked it, good beats that aren't too repetive or grating to let the lyrics take center stage.

Ideal para armar un puzzle

Сара 4 Марко 4.5

amazing album

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Great - Another classic. N.Y. State Of Mind is a masterpiece, fantastic beat, even better flow. If you discount the intro track I think this might be the greatest opening trio of tracks in all of rap music. I do think the rest of the tracks are at a slightly lower level but that is an extremely high bar. Memory Lane for example is fantastic it just isn't quite Life's A Bitch. Brilliant album overall.

I feel like this album is nearly perfect, my only complaint is that I feel like Q-Tip’s feature was wasted.

classic. need to look up lyrics

Boom bap lives forever

really enjoyed this one, slow 90s rap is very chill. favourites: -N.Y State of mind -Memory Lane Negatives - Slurs :(

This was really good. I really enjoyed the sound of it, and it reminded me of A Tribe Called Quest a lot, which I love a lot. I also noticed Q-Tip was featured in the album so that probably helped.

Hits, pop-rock, energy

So good

Ikke min genre, men kunne egentlig godt lide det.

liiiige det bedre end biggie 4.3

It's Illmatic. What's not to like?

Uuuuuh 4-5. King of Rap

love nas

Prefer Rakim.

Me gustó, es el tipo de rap que no agota y disfruto de escuchar

Έτυχε αυτό το άλμπουμ να είναι ο patient 0. Αποφάσισα να ακολουθήσω αυτή τη σελίδα και να διευρύνω τους μουσικούς μου ορίζοντες. Έχω να πω πως μου φάνηκε ιδιαίτερα κλασικό στον κόσμο της ραπ και μάλλον είναι πολύ γνωστό και φαίνεται. Έχει την κλασική στεροτυπική ραπ ποιότητα του 90 που ακούς σε σειρές και ταινίες όταν προσπαθούν να δείξουν 'αλητεία'. Πολύ καλή πρώτη επιλογή, μου άρεσε ιδιαίτερα Halftime

Nyt oli hyvää räppiä. Hyvää samplea, hyvät beatit ja laatukamaa. Kevyt kuuntelu!

Pretty cool album not something I listen to but still very good

Nice

Neblogas, geri beatai, geri barsai lol

Big fan love the line half African half amazing

I enjoyed it! Will listen again

102. thank god for genius lyrics

I was nervous about this one, I have not historically liked 90s rap. But this was so good!! The beats were incredible and catchy, and there were only a few questionable or outright dubious lyrics. A product of its time, but still very good. 7/10

Good

This is some great old school hip hop. Crisp beats, clear vocals, great production, good storytelling, it really gets you. I enjoyed it a lot.

oldschool cool

4/5 I think this album is such a classic. It's just really nice, I have no notes.

Ida-ranniku flow on siin tugev. Kohati Jazz Hop kõlaga palad on mõnusad. Ma lüürika osas ei oska kaasa rääkida, aga musikaalselt on küll hea plaat. Nas on siiski räpimaailmas üks GOATidest. 3.7/5

Liked it.

I really liked it. It surpassed my expectations a lot.

Really really good. Never listened to this before but extremely pleasantly surprised

Good album. Wish it was RB.

I hadn’t listened to Nas before. Really good. I saved some songs

Wish the background instrumentals were more interesting but this was still very cool

I thought this was great

Awesomesauce

Good 90s hip hop

if I save almost half of the album I can't really give it any lower than a 4 can I. Love me some hip-hop with lyricism and good flow. Why a 4 not a 5? I just can't imagine me thinking to put this album on a lot on random occasions, which is what I reserve the 5's for.

Better with every listen. I love the clean,very bopable music behind the rapping itself, and any hip-hop album under a hour and a half is already well rated in my book

Classic and influential

So good!!!!!!!!

One of the few rap albums that I actually like listening to.

I remember this one hitting like a bomb when it dropped. Crazy that it was so completely outdone six months later. I think time has been kinder to this one.

This album is phenomenal. It’s undoubtedly one of the best hip hop albums of all time. Before listening to this album, I wasn’t quite familiar with nas’ work. However I was quite impressed by this record. My favorite track was represent which had these really good synths. And I loved the very ethereal horns on the closing track feel almost dream like. His lyrics are so articulate and they flow so logically.

I think this is what rap is supposed to sound like. Easy Coast 90’s hip hop at its absolute finest. Found drum loops, musical samples, scratching, and a flurry of words, ideas, and expletives interwoven. A hook here or there but no real push to make pop songs. And the artistry of Nas’ flows are obviously dripping with talent. He has so much to say in every song. The stories are real and compelling. An undeniable Rap Hall Of Fame inductee on this effort alone. I dock it one point because the production is pretty typical. There’s nothing groundbreaking in the beats and they starve for differentiation.

I’m not a rap fan, but I’d like to understand the genre better and find some rap I can enjoy. Illmatic is a rap album that I honestly enjoyed. The beats are minimalistic in a good way, and Nas’s rapping is impressive to me. This is a good album, but it still suffers frequently frustrating m one aspect of a lot of rap that turns me off—the glorification of the gangster lifestyle. But, although that’s not something I understand, I still feel this is a really solid, well produced album full of diverse and interesting tracks.

Hip hoppin

Estuvo cabrón la verdad

Classic for a reason, the raps and flows on this are insanely good Some of the hooks let it down a little, like The World Is Yours becomes a little grating (4/5)

Amazing for a debut