Illmatic Review
Illmatic, released in 1994, represents a milestone in hip-hop. Its influence on East Coast rap is unparalleled, as it essentially propelled New York to the forefront of the hip-hop world, paving the way for the careers of Nas’ eventual counterparts, Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z. The album is astounding in its lyrical potency and gritty street-life narrative. All of the tracks are comprised of effortlessly flowing, relatively simple beats and hooks, appropriately complementing Nas’ equally effortless rap ability, as most of the songs have a freestyle feel.
The album opens with a brilliant intro track, “The Genesis,” which sets the mood for the nine raw, street-life oriented songs to follow with sounds of a train rattling by on its tracks with Nas imperceptibly freestyling in the background. The album’s first real song, the candidly powerful “N.Y. State Of Mind,” begins with Nas starkly quipping “Straight out the f****n’ dungeons of rap, where fake n****s don’t make it back.” The track continues in this manner, recounting the harsh realities of the inner-city with lines like “The city never sleeps, full of villains and creeps, that’s where I learned to do my hustle had to scuffle with freaks.” The following cut, “Life’s A Bitch,” builds upon this somber mood, and features an outstanding, rapid-fire verse from A.Z.
After the first three tracks, the rest of Illmatic turns to more upbeat songs which are sure to have the listener’s head bobbing. The songs generally focus on the positive aspects of the New York hip-hop culture, narrating the intricacies and emotions associated with urban living, and paying homage to Nas’ stomping grounds in Queensbridge. In “Memory Lane,” essentially a nostalgic tribute to Queensbridge, Nas brags “The most dangerous MC is comin’ outta Queensbridge,” to a soulful hook with DJ scratches. The album concludes with perhaps its most dynamic track, the egotistical rhyme-fest, “It Ain’t Hard To Tell.” In this song, Nas substantiates his lyrical supremacy, boasting “I kick a skill like Shaquille holds a pill, vocabulary spills – I’m ill – plus matic.” This track closes the album appropriately, leaving an impression of Illmatic’s unsurpassed lyrical aptitude. This lyrical aptitude, combined with Nas’ equally impressive narrative ability and street intelligence, makes Illmatic a blueprint for what hip-hop should be: compelling music with honest themes, free of materialistic gaudiness, exploitation, and misogyny.
The album opens with a brilliant intro track, “The Genesis,” which sets the mood for the nine raw, street-life oriented songs to follow with sounds of a train rattling by on its tracks with Nas imperceptibly freestyling in the background. The album’s first real song, the candidly powerful “N.Y. State Of Mind,” begins with Nas starkly quipping “Straight out the f****n’ dungeons of rap, where fake n****s don’t make it back.” The track continues in this manner, recounting the harsh realities of the inner-city with lines like “The city never sleeps, full of villains and creeps, that’s where I learned to do my hustle had to scuffle with freaks.” The following cut, “Life’s A Bitch,” builds upon this somber mood, and features an outstanding, rapid-fire verse from A.Z.
After the first three tracks, the rest of Illmatic turns to more upbeat songs which are sure to have the listener’s head bobbing. The songs generally focus on the positive aspects of the New York hip-hop culture, narrating the intricacies and emotions associated with urban living, and paying homage to Nas’ stomping grounds in Queensbridge. In “Memory Lane,” essentially a nostalgic tribute to Queensbridge, Nas brags “The most dangerous MC is comin’ outta Queensbridge,” to a soulful hook with DJ scratches. The album concludes with perhaps its most dynamic track, the egotistical rhyme-fest, “It Ain’t Hard To Tell.” In this song, Nas substantiates his lyrical supremacy, boasting “I kick a skill like Shaquille holds a pill, vocabulary spills – I’m ill – plus matic.” This track closes the album appropriately, leaving an impression of Illmatic’s unsurpassed lyrical aptitude. This lyrical aptitude, combined with Nas’ equally impressive narrative ability and street intelligence, makes Illmatic a blueprint for what hip-hop should be: compelling music with honest themes, free of materialistic gaudiness, exploitation, and misogyny.
Comments
Post a Comment