Reviews (page 9 of 14)
Is this why there is Little Nas? And did they coin the phrase “life’s a b and then you die?”
Life’s a bitch, and then you die.
Good one
As somebody that is not a big fan of hip hop this was a very enjoyable album to listen to.
This is a lyrics-focused album. The beats and the samples are minimal, making the listeners focus on the lyrics, on what the album is narrating. Which is apparently his life in the rough areas of New York City. I love everything about this, the sampling, the vulnerable and not the usual machismo-driven lyrics, and the overall solid length of 30+ minutes. Definitely a classic.
Surprisingly awesome
В то время звучало интересно, сейчас - нет. 7/10
I enjoyed this much more than I anticipated. The lyrics are intelligent and on point. Overall a good listening experience.
Was all round quite good nothing be to say about it really. 4.35/5
yees
Dope
Don't feel too qualified to judge, but the tempo and overall feel seems a pivotal moment for hip-hop -- from showier and classic acts to grittier, more specifically urban (i.e., NYC-centric). Pretty ill, indeed. Beats seem very much of the moment. Clear, articulate flows in the rapping, too.
Classic hip hop. I was surprised how few tracks I recognised by name, but knew more of the songs when they came on. NY state of mind and the world is yours were stand outs, but the whole album works well as a piece
Great grooves.
Dope
As far as debut albums go, there are few more iconic and impactful Rap albums. Nas' lyrics and flow are smooth, simple, and restrained in a way that you understand his journey and views that got him to this point. All while showcasing the potential that would make him a figure for the industry moving forward.
Nas is an insane lyricist. This album also serves as a who's who, featuring members of Gang Starr and Tribe all over the record. Still insane all these years later. Plus, front-loaded with some of the best rap tracks ever. Favorite tracks: "New York State of Mind", "The World is Yours", "Memory Lane"
A pretty good album,not up to the standard of the best from Eminem, A Trube Called Quest or Kanye but NY State of mind and Life's a Bitch, Halftime are great. 3.75 stars
Illmatic by Nas (1994) Here we have intensely local East Coast hip hop brought to the listener by a variety of producers supporting the considerable talents of 20-year old Nasir Jones, ‘Nas’. With relatively smooth beats, and softly pulsing R&B and jazz keyboards rocking in the background, these tracks are generally free of production gimmicks, tending to focus the lister’s ears on the poetry of the lyrics. And the lyrics are every bit poetic. With a consistent meter that isn’t evident on the printed page, we hear a mature mix of cadence, alliteration, creative visual figures, syncopation, and exquisite internal and external rhyme. Nas delivers his poetry with crisp diction and disciplined spoken tone. It helps to have an ear for urban slang and street life references, but there are resources available to the serious listener who wants to understand (I recommend a critical use of the Genius app). Several nice touches are heard here in the midst of the violence, drugs, and sex, like the outro to “Life’s a Bitch”, with a very nice low register jazz trumpet performance by Olu Dara Jones, Nas’ father. It’s a “keepin’ it real” declamation of the criminal, violent, and drug-saturated facts of life for the young men living in the low-cost high-density habitation of the Queensbridge Houses (‘projects’) on the eastern banks of New York’s East River. Who was the genius who decided to keep these people poor and far from Fifth Avenue but close enough to Manhattan to make a daily commute for doing the dirty work? The unified field theory of 20th century American urban planning is cheap labor. Nas draws vivid pictures of the results. “Life’s a bitch and then you die; that’s why we get high, ‘cause ya never know when you’re gonna go.” “Beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined; I think of crime when I'm in a New York state of mind.” “My strength, my son, the star will be my resurrection; Born in correction, all the wrong shit I did, he'll lead in right direction.” One may recoil, or wish it away, but this is an integral element of the artistic trajectory of our day. And on this album, it is done well. 4/5
Some of it is hit and miss for me, but it's undeniably a great hip hop album. Giving a 4 as it would probably grow on me over time. The last track is my favourite
Was pretty good and can see why Nas was so influential to others in the future.
First time listening to this. I kept having moments where I thought the music sounded familiar but then realized that it's because the rapper Logic seems to copy a ton of Nas's themes. Good album.
Abjectly East Coast. Didn't realize NAS came up around Tribe. Harder than Tribe, though.
Solid album. Fully appreciated the Michael Jackson sample on It Ain't Hard to Tell when listening through.
Dem New Yawrk beats are fya
Jam after jam on this album. I can see why people call it a classic.
Illmatic is a properly impressive piece of work honestly. He wrote this piece when he was 19 and at that time had more lyrical ability then most rappers would ever achieve honestly. It's a really solid piece of work, but I don't think I'm a huge huge fan of it. I've listened to it a quite a few times, and it's sort of the album that people respect you for listening to. But eh, I don't like it all that much. Could be my southern bias too a certain degree, but I don't think I love it as much as everyone else does.
Solid. Kinda tame beats but words and flow are great
Definitely caught and kept my attention. There's a darkness to many of the track's rhythm and harmony that I like. It's not so dark as to be overly dissonant or grating to my ear, and it's not a downer; it's really a texture or layering that I'm feeling. Melodically, it's a bit more interesting to my ear than other rap and hip-hop I've heard. I could almost see the notes climbing up and down the staff as a song progressed, and I don't normally get that kind of visual imagery. Very cool. I'll need to go back to listen again and read the lyrics, too. As someone who loves poetry, I'm hearing some intriguing uses of meter and lyricism. 'Memory Lane' and 'Represent,' among others...I need to dig in. Great album. (Follow-Up: I just scrolled the Wikipedia article; dang, that's a long one! I'll definitely have to read it.)
Reminds me of knuckles stages.
An instant classic, probably the greatest hip hop album of all time. Highlights for me are N.Y. State of Mind, Halftime, Represent, and It Ain't Hard to Tell
This album is a fine example of 90s East Coast hiphop.
Really good but I just wish there had been more variety in the beats 8/10
I have some familiarity with Nas, but for most of this album, I was a first time listener. I was excited to see a classic hip hop album show up, and I am happy to now be familiar with the studio debut of Nas. I appreciate the artistry of storytelling and rhythm of delivery that Nas has. I also enjoy the musical mixes and beats backing the lyrics. It's good.
Haven’t ever listened to Nas before this and this isn't a genre I have much experience with... The rap on this is impressive, albeit with the occasional problematic lyrics. The music has lots of 90s flair, although iI found it was a little stripped down for me as the music and samples could become monotonous. Although I guess maybe that's part of the deal here since the focus is on the rap. I liked listening to this. Although I don't see myself listening to the whole album, there are some songs I will revisit again. Hovering around a 3.5 rating so I guess I'll round it up since the rap is so strong. Favorite songs: “Life’s A Bitch”, "Memory Lane (Sit-in' in da Park)", "Represent", "Ain't Hard To Tell".
021121 13:38 4
Narsty nas
bastante mejor de lo que había esperado si soy sincera.
Nas never had quite the best beats but he remains probably the best lyricist from the 90s. His Lifes a Bitch verse is my favourite rap verse of all time.
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Life's a Bitch, Memory Lane, It Ain't Hard To Tell Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Well deserved classic status, enjoyed myself more than the amount of songs saved would indicate.
7.5
Great Album. Heard a billion times now but its fire 9/10
I've heard this before, a few years ago. It's a good album, one of the last I know of from before rap started to sound like shit a year or two later. Glad it came up, hit the spot this morning. 4/5.
Love the old school hip hop
Classic
Classic as fuck
Not a hip hop fan, but holy shit does Nas have the gift of poetry. This didn’t feel like a collection of songs, but a love letter to the gritty New York so many of us grew up in.
I don't like the language, but the music is phenomenal. What a talent. Really enjoyed this. Listened to it at least three times today and just keeps getting better.
Every track has a solid groove, the rhymes are so effortless 8/10
It goes, hard.
A fantastic rap album.
Slick beats, mean flows, classic album.
Me gustó mucho. No puedo creer que este disco se me escapó cuando me estuve metiendo en Hip Hop de los 90s. En The Genesis, escuché una voz conocida ... el que canta en Public Enemy, puede ser? PD. En "NY State of Mind" dice "The city never sleeps, full of villains and creeps", es contradictorio pero me hace querer un poquito más a NYC 4/5
Good stuff. Beats are solid
Dope album actually
Great album
Sick jazzy 90s hip hop
It was good
I was quite enjoying this album, but I did have to listen to it in three goes, as it was a bit much to have blasting at home. From what I've read, illmatic was the first album of its kind, making way for people like dre, Jay z, biggie smalls etc. For this, it definitely deserves to be up there on this list.
Boomer Gut
Рэп, но хотя бы не раздражает
Can see why this is so acclaimed, really good tracks and lyrics
Amazing verses, liked the later songs on the album more than the well known first couple of tracks
A rap album that I actually enjoyed listening to and would consider coming back to if I ever wanted to listen to rap. Fav Track: Halftime
Started out a bit slow, but the 2nd half of the album is all bangers.
Enjoyed this, so much that I listened to it twice through without pain
OH HELL YEAH
Some lyrics still as poignant today as when they were written which asks questions about how much social progress has really been made
Keine Ahnung, soll ich jetzt wieder das alte Lied anfangen, von wegen früher war HipHop besser, die MCs haben's mehr real gekeeped und von der Consciousness an sich? Naja, aber für mich ganz persönlich/meinen Geschmack war das schon auch so. Auch wenn Nas meinem Lieblings-Flavor nicht durchgehend am nächsten kommt: meinen kross gebratenen Rehspeck kricht er natürlich trotzdem, und kriegen Premier, Large Professor, Q-Tip und die anderen für die Produktion. Für seinen supergechillten Old-Newschool-Flow, für das Selbstbewusstsein (mit 19!), für die klare Artikulation, und für Queensbridge: 4 Punkte
Its that bridge to modern hip-hop. Halftime is rad. Memory Lane is rad. Aint hard to tell is a great closer
It's a very good classic rap album. For me, these songs could be more strong and the thematic sounds old for modern days, but I respect the historical music from the hip-hop movement.
I still have a hard time sitting and listening to rap because the words are a lot like poetry so I always feel like I need to read along. What I picked up from this I liked.
Finally, a rap album! I’m wondering how I’m going to feel about this one, though, as I’m not a big fan of glorifying violence. So I actually liked this one more than I thought I might.
Still can't pull out individual tracks but always enjoy listening as a whole
Chill! 3.5 rounded up.
Has a 'old school' New York feel. Can feel the pain but also filled with hope
Can definitely see why this is considered one of the best rap albums ever
Old school hip hop
Very complex rhyming
Good background beats, interesting lyrics.
Classic album from a classic time in hip-hop.
damn decent . ill prolly listen to this as socially acceptable music
Yeeeh. Listen 4 times to this one to try to understand the hype. Sure the rhyme structure is interesting, his flow is nice and the production from prem is tight. For me, I think it lacks any killer hooks and maybe that is the reason I’ve never really got into Nas.
3.5/5
Nas’s flows on this are so good, literally flowing. Just so smooth. The instrumentals aren’t super grand or anything, but they’re groovey and funky, sort of minimalist here and there. Almost lo-fi hip hop/jazz inspired. I think it’s good, I know how influential this was, how big it was and has been since, but I can’t rank it a 5. Would like more hooks, more instrumental changeups, bigger sound. A couple songs that maybe go on 45 seconds too long
An amazing rap album in every aspect, storytelling , lyrics, beat choice,... no misses one of my favorite hip hop albums 9.3/10
The lyrical flow is great and works nicely with the samples and beat. But the content isn't much different than other rap albums.
MUY BUENO
Somehow I missed actually listening to this thing. Seems to be about worth the hype. The low end backs up the bars, and reinforces their sheer density. Probably the best fusion of East Coast sound and jazz that I've heard yet. Deserves a closer listen than I gave it, though.
yep
Pretty good! But I don't get why it's so highly rated... It's an enjoyable album. Maybe because I'm not a huge fan of rap, I can't understand why people love this so much. I actually enjoyed the Marshall Mathers LP more (someone might kill me for saying that). I think when I listen to music I don't usually focus on the lyrics as much, especially the first time, and since rap relies so heavily on lyrics (naturally), I end up enjoying it less. Either way, the music is still really good.
Not bad just not my style
ich checke, aber für vier Sterne reichts nicht ganz.
The street atmosphere really comes through, for an inexperienced hip-hop ear it is hard to distinguish between songs. No variety in terms of the overall mood.
Gangster rap is so much more interesting when it presents as having come from genuine experience. It's nice to hear something from the genre that isn't all bravado. No particular enormous stand out for me but this album produces some great beats and hard hitting raps while still managing to have some fun. I liked it!
good background beats and stuff
Hip-hop isn't really my genre, but this was a super refreshing. Not bragging, but it’s actually more like a raw audio documentary. Nas captures the reality of growing up in Queensbridge. Obviously, I can’t relate to his background at all, but the storytelling is great. Sonically, it’s really good. The beats are built on these really smooth jazz samples. I get why rap heads call it a 5-star —the craft is undeniable. But since it’s just not my usual style, it won't be on repeat for me. Glad I checked it out though.
Truly meh.
I recognize this as talent, and even like a few songs. So i'll rate it 3 even tho rap isn't really my jam.
Incredible follow up to yesterday’s album, The Low End Theory. Spending my last weekend in New York for a while hangin with Q-Tip. I feel like there’s no world where “Life’s a bitch and then you die that’s why we get high cus you never know when you gonna go” wasn’t on all my fellow Long Island white girls’ aim profiles while we were in middle school (not mine bc let’s be real I don’t know if I fully knew hip hop existed until well after Tupac and Biggie died)
I understand why it's great. Not my favorite but great flow and wordplay. Ahead of it's time. Some language I don't like tho
I wasn’t feeling it but there were some decent songs in there.
Not my vibe
Same thing with the last one. Incredible what it did for hip-hop as a genre. Reviving the NYC scene, and very well written lyrics changing the game to a place where hip-hop would rhyme a lot more with poetry, which is something that still happens to this day. Very impressive feat for only a 19 year old kid. It still isn't fully my kind of hip-hop, but I do like this slower, jazz/r&b/soul influenced style of hip-hop much more.
Not bad, I'm not sure I would say it was the definitive hip hop album.
Represent
7,9,10曲目がすきです 一回聴いただけなのでまだまだ良さを発見できそうだけど、とりあえずヒップホップを感じました。 歌詞の意味もあんまわかんないけど、リズムとビートがいいとおもいました。
Good stuff, I haven't listened to much of this timeframe of rap so I'm looking forward to more
Never listened to Nas before today, except through ignorant cultural osmosis maybe. Still there’s something both familiar and comforting about his voice and flow style. It wasn’t enough to trigger any kind of aggressive dive down the rabbit hole, but I’m definitely open to take in more as it comes.
i always thought this album was pretty overrated, but these last couple relistens have made it even worse .. it's a mixed bag at best, some great tracks like "N.Y. State of Mind" and "Represent", but also some tracks i don't care for, such as "Life's a Bitch", "Halftime" and "Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)", and even some tracks i'd straight up like to never listen to again like "One Love" and "One Time 4 Your Mind". overall a mediocre album with high highs and low lows, along with a lot of meh.
Hip hop is not my thing but this is kind of entertaining.
Nas delivers hard lyrics over stylish beats in a calm, yet confident manner. While not necessarily complex, the tracks are far from elementary and keep you grooving along throughout the album. A good listen for an artist I’ve only sampled previously.
No strong opinion on this one. Didn't like the opening track, but it improved.
I like rap, but NY hip hop has always been tough for me. The beats and samples are super tight, but I have a hard time getting into the constant flows that make hip hop is own distinct thing. I get the influence of this album, but hip hop just isn't my thing.
This debut album by Nas is considered by many not just to be a great album, but the greatest rap album of all time. In theory, it should be great in every way: it sold well, it consistently ranks high on various best-of lists, other venerable rappers sing its praises; Wikipedia has an article on "Impact and legacy of Illmatic" — how many similar records do you know? Basically, by all accounts, it's a gem. I listened to this gem, and... is it just a typical '90s rap album? No, maybe it seemed incredibly innovative for the time, with nice beats and decent lyrics (sleep is the cousin of death!), but I still haven't figured out how it's fundamentally different from the records of his peers in the genre at the time. Although, no, there's one thing: unlike hour-long rap opuses, this album is just under forty minutes long, never gets boring, and that's definitely a plus.
It all kinda sounded the same to me except for the Lauryn Hill feature. The lyrics are good 3.5
7/10
It's all right. Definitely not my thing though. I have trouble rating hip hop albums as I don't have as much experience with them. This one, however, I enjoyed it more than the others I've previously reviewed
Good hip hop album
[17th of July, 2026] Fave song: the whole second half of the album Funnily enough, I'd hear this album for the first time a few days back. Includes some hip hop classics, nice to jam out.
3/5
I am not really a rap listener, however this was enjoyable. I found that a couple of songs really stood out. I liked some of the instrumentals/samples that were included in the tracks. For me overall, nothing lifechanging, however was a good album to listen to. Will listen again.
Cool album, not my genre.
it's pretty good rapping 💥n.y. state of mind 💥life's a bitch 💥the world is yours 💥represent 💥it ain't hard to tell
Not my thing I can recognize it’s great
Actually really helpful to listen to when working.
Overall Rating - 2.55/5 (5.10/10). Solid album. Good flow, decent skill.
Lauded for production and lyrics, east coast rap
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 (rounded down for re-listen value) Another one that makes me hang my head and say "I'm 25, what am I doing with my life?" Incredible that this came out of a 20 year old, but in sort of a different way than, say, Kate Bush's "The Kick Inside" because it's like, shit, he's been through it. In light of that it feels evil to give this any lower than a 4, especially with the poetry on display, but it really does excel more at the poetry than the music. The beats aren't bad—I enjoyed every song—but there are very few I'd come back and listen to because the music itself went in one ear and out the other. One Love with Q-Tip was my favorite, or maybe hit me the hardest. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing
This album was ok. I see why it is so popular. It it just not the type of music I like to listen to.
I’m enjoying more than I thought I would? I’ve never given hip-hop a try before really but it’s really not bad! I’m finding I really like the relaxed beat in the songs as it gives it a nice swing feel. Everything is rapped in quite a satisfying way as well.
Interesting, bueno, bien, rap con onda.
Most albums like this are an hour & a half so I’m grateful this was 40 min…that felt like 2 hrs… By the “second hour” I think it finally clicked for me. Maybe I just gotta LA state of mind! Bazinga!
Damn, a rap album from the 90’s that’s under an hour and not riddled with the worst attempts at comedy you’ve ever heard? Who knew it was even possible?
Good vibes
Some of it is pretty good, but it feels much more dated, both lyrically and in production/beat style than some other rap of the era such as A Tribe Called Quest. It’s got a nice feel overall but none of the songs are particularly memorable by the time the album ends.
Yes, I could never really get into hip-hop, but it felt very vintage in a pleasant way.
this era of east coast rap is so good. I wasn't totally into it but I'll probably revisit sometime.
liked this! i have Get Down on a few playlists but idk if ive ever rlly listened to nas. saved
Not my type of music. But I like the vibe
I found this album to be interesting, it just misses me by a little. Its like there's a lot to identify with here, but it feels like art that isn't for me. And that's fine, there's plenty of talent on display here.
Maybe 2nd or 3rd time listening. Leaves me a little cold but some undeniable bangers
I liked One Love because I’ve heard it before. a good album but i’m not a huge rap person
It was fine. Listening I could tell that this was a well-made album and had some interesting storytelling about New York in the early ‘90s, but there wasn’t anything that made me go ‘wow! That was a great song’. A decent listen but didn’t do that much for me.
As with (for example) ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, I can appreciate this album’s importance in hip-hop history, the high esteem it’s held in, and the craft, artistry, storytelling, etc. that went into making it, whilst not personally enjoying it to the same extent as most people, judging by the current rating distribution. ‘N.Y. State of Mind’, ‘Life’s a Bitch’ and ‘The World Is Yours’ are great, and the rest of the album was pretty good too (the production was really solid all through), but I did find it quite samey, and it was losing my attention by the end.
Meh. Not my taste but it's not bad
Okay sejt.
Pretty good. Three stars
Tooth, strong, literate, poetic
Okay
If you told me this was one of the most average hip hop albums of all time I'd believe you. Maybe I'm just too white to understand it... 😔
3/5
Hardcore Rap not my genre, The world is yours and It ain't hard to tell pretty good
Good.
I listened to itttttt
Good album with some great story telling! 6.8/10
Great poetic lyrics and an enjoyable listen
OG Rap sound. Not my fave. Wildly misogynistic, antisemitic, and homophobic. Crazyyyy
Nas is a great rapper, but I didn’t like the lack of dynamics with the production
Earlier rap and hip hop continue to be a blind spot for me, but I’m learning a little more every time. This album sounded good from start to finish and felt like a foundation of more that came after it.
Without any context this comes across as joyless hardcore hip hop. The Wikipedia article suggests the lyrical style is material for graduate-level literature study, and that Nas is not cashing in on the authenticity of his adolescent urban squalor. That may be, but it's lost on me. The narration is seemingly an inaccessible inner monologue.
Знову реп?
Not bad
good vocals, great beats, all around good
Not really my thing, I like parts of this but doesn't really stick with me. Nas is clearly super talented and really has a clear sense of self. I want to like this more, but it purely comes down to personal preference and it just isn't for me. Fav Track: The World is Yours
Hadn't heard this til now, it largely lives up to the hype, the musical backdrops are interesting and warm, the rhymes are clever and cool (the usual casual homophobia aside, extra point docked for that). Might return to this one!
vähän tylsä mut ihan kiva ja lämmin tunnelma
Classic hip-hop, what else is there to say. Convincing and to the point
Incisive lyrics and alright beats, I guess? I'm not a hip-hop expert but it sounded better than the average on this list.
Somehow Nas flew under my radar in the 90s. Not that I'm much of a hip hop fan. Decent I suppose.
Mega nice! Chillig und cool zum nebenher hören. Hab Lust jetzt mehr Hip Hop zu hören!
I like the beats on this one. It has that classic New York hip hop sound—raw, sharp. You can tell why people hold this album in such high regard. Not every track fully grabs me, but I respect the impact and the vibe. A solid listen overall.
Jamais écouté avant. Je crois que je ne suis pas encore complètement équipé pour comprendre ou apprécier le hip-hop à sa juste valeur. D'autant plus quand, comme ici, la production minimaliste, essentiellement rythmique, sert surtout d'écrins aux textes, visiblement brillants, mais dont les subtilités langagières m'échappent très largement. Reste, pour le nul en rap que je suis, quelque chose de l'ambiance d'une ville en décomposition, qui tranpire à travers chaque mot, chaque note, et la diffuse impression que cet album, en 1994, a montré la voie à de nombreux autres artistes. Top : Life's a Bitch (feat. AZ & Olu Dara) Flop : The Genesis
4 days of hip hop in a row. One of the better entries.
3 1/2 stars
Litt skuffa faktisk
-life's a bitch es como una super netota que te lanzan a la jeta pero luego como que la aceptas pues porque si, life is a bitch pero pues uno sigue viviendo -no escucho tanto hip hop pero no se me hizo pesado el album -me senti super walking NY con una hoodie en calles de dudosa procedencia -creo que me falta saber un poco del lore de Nas, pero ¿porque esta obsesionado con los Jackson 5?
Not bad - better than quite a few in this genre
Wasn't bad but nothing really grabbed my attention.
3 4
I don't love the album, but I do appreciate and love the fact that Nas influenced a lot rappers today in a huge way. New york state of mind is an obvious hit and used to jam to it on repeat.
I'll be honest in saying that hip-hop is not my preferred genre, but this album is full of great loops and smart lyrics. I enjoyed it far more than I expected.
Not my typical genre, but his flow is insane. N.Y. State of Mind brings to light the struggles of growing up in Queens. This is not something I will ever be able to understand personally, the drugs, the danger, but he communicates the message perfectly. He is incredibly clever with his lyrics, he must've struggled for a long time... Damn he had beef with Tupac and Jay Z! They all made up though, which is good! But damn, Jay Z was WRONGGGGG for that.
honestly great raps , it feels like a typival rap songs
His others are better
Rap américain des 90', j'avoue que le style me parait répétitif à la longue - pas un gros coup de cœur, mais l'album s'écoute. Les samples sont sympas, j'ai particulièrement apprécié It Ain't Hard To Tell (avec un sample de MJ sur Human Nature), et Represent.
Pretty good rap record, with some recognizable songs. Enjoyed.
Hip hop isn't my thing but I appreciate the chance to give this a go. Sounds ok, wouldn't rush back to relisten
My most despised genre, but this was catchier than expected. Happy to not be able to understand the lyrics.
Solid hip hip with nice lyrics
Amazing instrumental and poetry. Although I'm not interested in rap this album was excellent.
5/10
Not bad, nothing really was a stand out for me.
It's a solid, old-school hip-hop album.
Some interesting jazz and blues-inspired background tracks. He's a great lyricist.
no soy quien para opinar de hip hop, se lo dejo a mi amigo hirai. me gustaron los beats
I've always struggled to resonate with rap... and while this album is clearly good, it's the same thing here. Enjoyable, but doesn't resonate.
necesito escucharlo otra vez
pretty damn good.
I don't generally enjoy rap, so this album probably has a lower ceiling than other genres, but it wasn't bad. No weird skit interludes and no overtly and unnecessarily sexual-assault-like vibes.
yeshh another old rap
I don’t listen to a lot of rap but I enjoyed this. There were a couple lines that flowed really nicely and the beats where comforting. From what I was able to interpret this is mostly about the life in New York. I always worry that the themes aren’t really ment for me but there was a lot of him talking about the impressive things that he has done/will do. I don’t think that I would actively seek this out but I do enjoy the fact that I have listened to a proper rap album because Bizkit can’t be it. It does lose points for being homophobic and Sexist.
I like this classic old school hip hop rap album. Only rating it a 3 as it's not my favorite genre.
it's a vibe.
I hate N-bombs but I understand it's point in rap music. It's part of the reason why I don't gravitate towards it. Talk of drugs, violence & sex, money whatever. GETS real old, real fast. Yet, it's my issue. This is ok. I didn't mind it. I don't hate it, but I don't love it. He's got a good flow & knows how to play with words. The samples were nice. Nas won't make me like rap but it's slightly closer. 3
Álbum tranquilo con flow para escuchar mientras uno trabaja, no es mi estilo, pero si es bueno para conocer su música y escucharla mientras uno hace otra cosa
Nas paints a pretty gritty picture of what life was like growing up in the New York suburbs with your guns, drugs and hustles to earn your next buck. That's the way it was and he doesn't sound too pissed with it - it made him who he is. We get chilled, hypnotic backing tracks and minimal production. Some of the rapping is improvised, which is clever and also shows how he had honed his skills before he got into the studio. I liked Life's A Bitch and The World Is Yours but, let's be honest, I'm a middle class teacher from suburban UK. I'm not his target market and undoubtedly not the best qualified to give a serious review to urban hip-hop. So 3 stars for documenting the struggle and the attitude without resorting to aggression.
En la personal no me atrae mucho el rap, pero esta vez me puse a escuchar y ver las letras en profundidad y me gusto un poco mas
5.5
Supposedly renewed focus on East Coast rap. Interesting use of backing music. Standard rap beats with off-key and syncopated piano and horns. His father was a jazz musician, so either a direct or an absorbed influence? Gritty. Urban. He has said he wasn't celebrating "thug life" but more or less shining a light on it. Good grooves and still academically interesting.
I enjoyed this debut rap album from Nas! I don’t listen to a ton of rap or hip hop but I felt like this album had some catchy and fun tracks. It made for a great album to listen to while I was at the gym! Overall, I thought this was a great rap album that I would listen to again in the future!
Album #112 Nas: Illmatic So much 90s rap just feels like straight posing, over-indulgent bars about stealing, killing, and gangster life to the point where you begin to think whether or not we live in Gotham. Now obviously there is an element of fantasy there, and the music isn’t meant to be taken literally, I’m not trying to sound like one of those “rap is crap” guys, but I just never connected much to the lyrics or themes. However, Nas, or at least Illmatic, is clearly a tier above all of that. Nas is just a kid from New York trying to make it out through music, and that is exactly what he presents in his songs, and exactly what you feel when listening to them. Rap at its purest is about storytelling, and more specifically, storytellers. The kind of rappers who can paint a picture and keep you engaged through their lyricism are no different than the singer-songwriters of the past who did the same. I have a friend whose favourite genres are hip-hop and folk, which at first I thought was weird, but upon further reflection, I realized how similar they are. A Nas and a Neil Young are doing the same thing, presenting the world how they see it through their specific personality and perspective, which allows for the music to come across in such a personal way. It allows you a glimpse into their psyche and creates a stronger bond with the music. The fact that I can even listen to an album like this and enjoy myself through the entire thing is surprising enough for me. However, I’m still not crazy about rap, so it’s far from my favourite album, albeit it is definitely one which I can respect and see the appeal of. Best Songs: N.Y. State of Mind, One Time For 4 Your Mind, One Love Worst Song: Represent Score out of 10: 7.5
Average 90’s rap
like
a classic by one of the legends of rap 3.5/5
N.Y State of mind - 🔥🔥 Rest solid background music
Fresh, East Coast rap. This is an album I’m surprised I missed. A lyricist leading the music ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Highlights: “Life’s a Bitch,” “NY State of Mind”
A better time machine than the Delorean
My first rap album. It's a good one.
Ik had eigenlijk echt geen zin in hiphop, maar heb het toch een kans gegeven. Erg leuk! Wederom jammer dat ik geen halve sterren kan geven
Just sounds like all 90s rap
A decent album, especially for a debut release. I had to remind myself that Nas wrote these songs in his teens, demonstrating his talent at a very young age. Considering this album helped influence Eminem (according to a quick Google search) is also very impressive. Without this album we may not have Eminem! Probably won't listen to this album again, but I can appreciate the beauty and hard work that went into Illmatic.
ny state of mind is insane, rest is pretty good
-nicht schlecht -nach einer Zeit nervig -coole Basslines
7/10
This album was decent for the first one to be rated however there was nothing special so 5/10
Odotin kuraa mutta olikin ihan jees ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5 - Solid album.
Ahhh one of the Golden Calfs. So - I remember when Nas came out, and I remember thinking he was terrible because he was always so far behind the beat with his flow. I must've confused him with some other dude, because listening to "Illmatic," he is extremely precise. I have no idea who I thought he was, but Nas is excellent. Lyrically he could be Shakespeare himself and I wouldn't know - all I really gathered from this record is that Nas is from Queensbridge. That isn't his fault- I just have a low tolerance for lyrics. Overall this is totally fine - the backing tracks are good, if extremely derivative of Wu-Tang, and his flow is great. It's good. THREE STARS
Liked: N.Y. State of Mind, The World Is Yours Added: N.Y. State of Mind (already added)
Obviously well done. The songs are clever and musical. I appreciate some of the jazzier(?) vibes. But what are we supposed to do with the casual homophobia of a song like “Halftime?” Not cool.
Ihan jees. Ehkä odotin enemmän. 3/5.
Toute les musiques se ressemblent, mais je m'y attendais vu le style , cependant j'aime bien le old school donc 3/5 c'est bien
Some extremely solid 90s rap. I enjoyed it, but its not my genre. Well executed tho.
Thank you to Milwaukee Ballet company for dancing to "the World is Yours" and introducing that song to me in 5th grade
This was actually not bad compared to what I expected. Not my favorite genre but it was ok.
Not bad. Never heard much of his music before but i can appreciate it.
Old school NY rap/hiphop
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Didn't love it. Didn't hate it.
Life’s a bitch and then you die… some pretty catchy beats and rap on this but I didn’t fall in love. I’d tried listening to this before and I think I fail to hear what everyone else is hearing. It’s good but I don’t know when I’d choose to listen to it over some other albums…
Hip hopin suuri klassikko, jonka biiseillä räpätään kovasta elämästä New Yorkin kaduilla. Tekstiä löytyy runsaasti ja biitit ovat jykeviä. Voin kuvitella että monien genren ystävien mielestä tämä on mestariteos. Kyllä tämä minunkin korvaani kuulosti aika hyvältä, muttei hip hop kuitenkaan ole ihan se lempparigenre itselleni.
Enjoyed it from start to finish. Simple production, but tight. Not a lot of waste on this record. I get that this is in the pantheon of hip hop record.
jeg forstår den kulturelle indflydelse den har haft og synes det er sejt, men ville nok ikke komme tilbage
Messa like.
its cool. its old school rap. its a vibe for sure. couple i recognize, gonna go with the world is yours. 3/5
3.5 but rounding down. I had a few songs saved already and I saved a couple more (so clearly I enjoy it) but it’s been less that 24 hours and I don’t remember what anything from this album sounds like
Got better as it went along. First track (proper track not track 1) didn’t click with me but gradually started to enjoy it. Good beats throughout.
7/10 - the lyrics and rap are strong but the beat can become samey; but a classic album of the times
bit repetitive
Not my usual music cup of tea but appreciate the artistic talent. I like that I get to listen to music I normally don’t while doing this project.
Just don't quite get it yet after 2 listens, but glad I've heard it if that makes sense
Not my type, but it was good.
Classic. Great lyricism. Personally It is not form me, but I can appreciate this work.
Not bad
A couple of songs really hit with me.
Occasionally found it repetitive, but on the whole I enjoyed it. Not necessarily something I would listen to again, but nice to have listened to. Fav song: N.Y. State of Mind Least fav: One Love
Some of it got a bit too repetitive but mostly I really enjoyed it- also very cute that his dad is playing the trumpet on Life's a Bitch. Favourite song: Memory Lane Least: One Love
Es un clásico aunque no es mí estilo favorito
I'm sure this is good but it just wasn't for me. Nothing caught my attention
Trop de nword pas fan
I enjoyed this and it was great to hear after public enemy to hear the progression in the genre. It definitely sounded moodier but more of an individual take on the hardships of the time unlike public enemy that was more of a collective fight the power. I have listened to this before and would listen again. Would give a 3.5 if I could.
I'm aware this record is a rap classic, but it didn't grab me particularly. I found it enjoyable but nothing stronger than that. I wonder if it's a case of being unable to appreciate how impactful this album is. The lyrics I do remember are good, so maybe I just didn't pay enough attention.
That was solid, there were some good songs, but I wouldn't be interested in listening to this again any time soon.
3.5 stars It’s really good but repetitive. It both deserves the hype and is overrated.
Знову реп, але на цей раз було навіть не так погано. Я не можу виділити композицію, яка б сподобалася чи не сподобалась, все відчувалося максимально рівно
I know that this is hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time. I can’t really tell. I guess it’s fine.
When I worked in a record store that primarily sold hip hop in 99-00 this was considered the s-h-i-t. Never heard til now. I get it. But not really.
dovrei riascoltarlo meglio
Nothing that really wowed me, but still a very listenable rap album that carries itself well. 2.5 stars.
Didn't know this is where Life's a Bitch and then you die comes from
Quite nice
3 stars, good for what it is. Not as much my vibe as some of the other rap albums
Ni
I get why this was universally loved and looked up to but I really don’t think it’s aged as well as a lot of people claim it has. Sort of boring, sort of the same boom bap beats and flow throughout this whole thing. Life’s a bitch is a bad song. I’m maybe being too harsh but I’m not really feeling it. Lyrically phenomenal of course, and that’s the big stand out here overall. I really feel like I’m going to get flamed for this one.
Given that I don't like the violence and misogyny associated with gangsta hip-hop, by two minutes into the opening track I thought that I was going to dislike the entire album. Also, way to much first person singular in that opening track. But the rest was OK. Not my bag but OK. Pretty slick rhymes and such, although I must admit that I didn't listen too closely to them (I was cooking dinner at the time). Tho I have mad respect for Nas for appearing in the 2020 remix of Fight the Power, which is all-the-more pertinent these days. Unfortunately.
A little monotonous for me. Cool album but not really my style
This album is of its time in both a good way and a bad way. Yes there is a lot of misogyny, homophobia and talk about gang violence. But in 1994, I imagine that is culture and Nas is living in. Does it make it ok? No. But is Nas talented and is this album smooth and fun to listen to? Yes. It has a very chilled feel, even though the subject of most of the songs is some variety of violence, threatening or intimidation. The overall feel is an album that you could put on as you just relax on an idle Saturday. As long as you dont listen too hard to the expletives. (2.850)
3.5
Obviously a very high quality album but just felt samey to me, couldn't get into
niet helemaal mijn stijl maar wel goed
This is a little too low-key to keep my attention, but I'm sure if I focused on the rhymes I'd be impressed. I guess I'll try again. I recently read Mark Ronson's memoir about DJing in NY in the 90s, which comes with a 19-hour playlist if you want to follow along. The World Is Yours is on it and I agree that that's a great track but I can't picture it on a dance floor. 3.5
Okay but not my vibe
Hip hop really isn’t my thing. That being said, I did like the rap on this album and I could see the talent. It’s better than I expected, so I guess I’ll give it a 3.
strong 3
There's some bops, but just an okay album
Life's a bitch and then you die. Yup. But. This album wasn't that bad.
Instrumentals on life’s a bitch are dreamy and I like. I like the Micheal Jackson sample
Yep, c’est du rap, et c’est un wrap pour moi
I watched Belly a couple weeks ago. Nas is a terrible actor. The album is ok
I liked the jazziness but the lyrics left me cold.
"i never sleep cause sleep is the cousin of death" - OKAYYYYYYYY "I can't call it, the beats make me fallin' asleep I keep fallin', but never fallin' six feet deep" - bars "Versatile, my style switches like a faggot But not bisexual, I'm an intellectual of rap" - AHAHAHHAHAHA "When I dress, it's never nothing less than Guess" - koja diva poslednja pesma sempluje human nature sa thriller koji sam juce slusala, coincidence? i think NOT! "givin' mics men-e-strual cycles" BRUHH HAHAHA ma super je ovaj album, moj prvi hip hop/rep album u ovom projektu. mozda i prvi rep album ikada, ne znam, ali ne slusam rep to je cinjenica. svakako, ovo je bilo toliko zabavno brate, a plus produkcija je super, the beats and the bars are fireeeeeeee!!! zanimljivo je malo promeniti zanr koji slusam jer onda i moram drugacije da pristupim slusanju, odnosno moram da pratim tekst pesama na ekranu ako zelim ista da razumem jer ne cujem ja to nista, pogotovo kad prvi put slusam pesmu. ima dosta semplovanja ali dobro to je taj hip hop nacin i guess, svakako je to dobro uradjeno, ima puno dzez pesama koje su semplovali, odatle uglavnom dolazi klavir u miks i to mi je super!
Pretty good, but not my preferred genre.
It has a nice vibe definitely more summer like but not my style and I found it pretty boring
Correct pour du RAP... Sans plus !
Fairly average lyrical content and flow, but good tunes behind it. But should Nas get the credit for this, or just his producers?
it’s okay. i had higher expectations
The Genesis - 4/10 Sets the tone of the album. N.Y. State of Mind - 7/10 Life's a Bitch (feat. AZ & Olu Dara) - 6/10 The World Is Yours - 6/10 Didn't like the chorus but the rest of the song is good. Halftime - 6/10 Memory Lane (Sittin ' in da Park) - 6/10 One Love ( feat. Q-Tip) - 7/10 One Time 4 Your Mind - 6/10 Represent - 7/10 It Ain't Hard to Tell -6/10 Crazy rhymes and rhythm
An alright album. Wouldn’t choose to listen to any of the songs but wouldn’t mind listening to them if they were playing.
This isn't really 'my genre' which makes it slightly more difficult to rate, I have the typical problem that, not being so well versed in this type of music, a lot of it sounds similar to me, and as such this album did come across slightly 'samey' and I had difficulty differentiating between songs. That being said there were some that I found marginally better or worse, the better ones being "N.Y. State of Mind" (which I have only just realised in writing down that it may be a pun on 'New York State') and "It Ain't hard to tell" which unsurprisingly do seem to be the more popular ones on the album, and the slightly worse one being "One Love" which I didn't vibe with as much. I think that hip hop and rap are genres where lyricism is really allowed to thrive and this album did have its fair share of well written songs, at least the parts I had focused on, which is made all the more impressive knowing that Nas was just 19 or 20 when creating this album. I could definitely see people rating this more highly and I can recognise a well crafted album, even with minor 'flaws' but this is held back for me by my own preferences and as such I can only rate it based on my own enjoyment which was more than middling, but nothing incredible. Side note: the more I rate things the less confident I am with my rating system. 69/100 Score edited 28/01/26
Hip-Hop isn't my kind of thing. I was pretty set on a 2 but as I worked my way through this I was quite impressed with just how tolerable it was. Don't think I'd consider putting it on again but it really is an incredible debut. I know I'd consider this a masterpiece if I was into the genre.