Why Nas' Illmatic is One of The Greatest Rap Albums Ever | 1994 Hip Hop Series

[@RamonAcosta191]

Ice Cube said to NaS on his 'The Bridge' podcast, "Back then we were doing our penmanship, then you came and put it in Cursive". Highest compliments from 1 of Hip-Hop Greats! Illmatic is like New Testament to Catholics, it is like BC & AD, Before Illmatic and after Illmatic! Facts!

[@BooHefner]

Yup

[@JefferyPowell-cp5mv]

Why are you so NY when youre from Texaz?! Ugk has 2 albums better than Nas's and biggies!!

[@JefferyPowell-cp5mv]

Fuck NY.

[@JEFFMAN90]

​@@JefferyPowell-cp5mv Stop trolling you fool. You don't know shit about hip hop

[@OKG1979]

Nas's style and flow were so distinct that he reached mythical levels in hip-hop lore nationwide

[@TMGettingMoney]

Powerful and well said!💯‼️🏆👑💪🏾

[@medesrevenge9192]

Lol. Correction Bo. After Live at the Barbeque Nas threw us a few bars on MC Search's "Back To The Grill Again". After that Halftime dropped.....

[@bigfamsmusic]

Serial killer that kills by the phone book

[@dariusmcnair601]

Then he dropped "It Ain't Hard To Tell" in December of '93.

[@medesrevenge9192]

@@bigfamsmusic "I got ta have it, I miss Mister Magic. Versatile; my style switches like a f****t......."

[@ChiefRxcka]

Literally was just bumpin that Serch album yesterday.

[@XavierCoolDude]

He’s is correct. Back to the Grill came out summer 92. Halftime came out late 92.

[@blackspider1405]

Illmatic is a rarity.. its flawless.. There is no flaw on it. Bought it the day it came out. One of those 63,000 was mine.

[@hiphop-ht7sh]

He is the most purest to the original artform, the most skillful rapper ever. His legacy now transcends all genres. In my opinion Nas is the true Goat!!!

[@tatertots0046]

I love Nas but purest to the original artform? No. That would be LL Cool J.

[@Judahscattered4corners-d4g]

​@@tatertots0046dude stop lol

[@tatertots0046]

@@Judahscattered4corners-d4g you don't know hip hop

[@Judahscattered4corners-d4g]

@tatertots0046 I do but LL is not Nas and Nas aint LL. Nas is his own lane and so is LL. I like both! Don't turn then against eachother. Thats not hip hop!

[@tatertots0046]

@@Judahscattered4corners-d4g none of that matters. What Nas does(poetic storytelling) is NOT the original art form. Hip Hop started at the block parties and the MC's job was to compliment the DJ, talk shit and keep the energy high

[@ChiefMac]

Bone Thugs even dropped in 94. That year was crazy good. Glad i lived it and still have all albums in my collection

[@jiveturkey9494]

94 probably the best year for hip hop you have gang Starr Tical so many classics

[@MRBBALLMAN10]

Illmatic is so good that even with Hov dissing Nas he’d find ways to still compliment him on that Album

[@lovememoremeticulous4378]

And he delivered at the age of 19, it was so fascinating. How can a young kid be this so intellectual.

[@TheSupremeDunk]

Most rappers were young in that era delivering masterpieces

[@IslandGoMTG]

This album is a complete representation of what the genre is to me and why I love it

[@al5603]

One Nas joint that people forget about is The World Is Yours the Q Tip remix. Check out the song and video. That's how we rocked back then!

[@lamontbrown1773]

That’s my joint Q Tip killed that beat’ the best Hip Hop album ever in my opinion

[@coolcalmcloud363]

Memory lane is a masterclass in story telling.

[@louinsights]

Man listen

[@stmattobkproductions]

My all-time favorite!

[@mr.reliable8123]

My favorite song by Nas!!! I think that "Store Run" is a son of "Memory Lane". I love them both.

[@coolcalmcloud363]

@@mr.reliable8123 yo, i never saw it like that but I see it!

[@ADSTHEBARBARIAN]

Yeah my all time favourite joint from Nas and preemo killed it on that beat!

[@billydeedre]

Man, I remember hitting the story that Tuesday morning to buy this. Still my favorite hip-hop album to this day. Beginning to end, this album is a certified classic.

[@tedhill2095]

Ilmatic is an essential recording something we haven’t got in the 21st century

[@Yea6408]

I’m from Louisiana and illmatic put me on east coast rap.The whole album from front to back rolls.I like it was written to but ilmattic had that raw NY sound like you could picture the city 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@aaronbloom8401]

The point you made about 90's rap drums is such a great point. Grew up in the last two decades then back tracked to older stuff and it just feels different. Great video as always.

[@trg-7506]

word the arrival of Nas was truly an event when you think back. 94 - 95 had MAAAAAAAD heat

[@moneyjordan8789]

Q Tip production credits is flawless

[@pike8840]

Are you talking his whole career or just on this album cause if u talking career then LL new album should be phenomenal

[@moneyjordan8789]

@@pike8840his whole career

[@tracyworobe8699]

I LOVE these deep dives. Hope Bomani discusses the importance of Dre's Chronic and Ice Cube's first solo album...

[@youngtdubl]

This is def one of my all-time favorite albums. I didn't listen for the first time until 1997 and I thought it was the greatest music I've ever heard in my life. The rhyme schemes. The flow. And the content had me stick for months. Still listening to it to this day. Shout out to the big homie. Peace King.

[@siniister710]

Album is incredible.

[@anthonythomas4375]

Hands down one of the best albums ever

[@RamonAcosta191]

"Biggie's Ready to Die album came out several months after Illmatic, and Biggie was crowned king of New York in the popular culture of Hip Hop heads, Ready to Die unfairly over-shadowed Illmatic, which is truly a classic album. Though they were quite distinct artists, they innovated in analogous ways. Biggie merged language that was high and low, vernacular and vocabulary words, in a way that sounded natural. He did this with a sophisticated understanding of the patterns of black language. When a different or unusual word or phrase could be introduced while still maintaining the aesthetics of black language, he inserted it. NaS, in contrast, merged concepts that were high and low, vernacular and metaphysical, in a manner that was whole rather than pieced together, thus presenting a complex that is unusual in any music outside of jazz. What Biggie started to do with language in 1994, NaS had already begun to do with ideas on Illmatic. He carries us through the "Righteous steps" of the cosmic, oceanic, and literal dimensions of his person. He transcends." - Imany Perry (Born To Use Mics)

[@imsofocused4678]

Biggie was copying Nas and WuTang's slang on Ready To Die. And The Source magazine called Biggie the king, not the people. Biggie even admitted backstage at the 95 Source Awards that he didn't expect to when lyricist of the year over Nas. We know Puff paid for those awards.

[@vincentwelch8577]

94 was such a great year you start with Snoop and Wu Tang debuts that came out the end of 93 then Illmatic, Outkast Southernplayalistic, Method Man Tical, Nas Illmatic, Biggie Ready to Die, Craig Mack album, Keith Murray The Most Beautifullist, Da Brat Funkdafied, Warren G Regulate, The Fugees Blunted on Reality, Thug LIFE those were just debuts. You also get albums like Scarface The Diary, Gang Starr Hard to Earn, Common Resurrection, UGK Super Tight. So Illmatic being the top album out of that year says alot

[@jeanbeasley4736]

NAS IS THE GOAT 🐐

[@mmiller7615]

I'm 34, but I wish I could have been outside when Illmatic dropped. Illmatic is the reason why I put Nas above Jay. The replay value of Illmatic is unmatched when compared to his East Coast contemporaries. Also, Nas only had ONE guest appearance! There is nothing else to say...

[@JonathanPereiraDaFranca]

Illmatic is #1 and greatest rap album of all time. But Reasonable Doubt is my #2. Is close.

[@anybodycangetit-e1s]

It's really quite simple it was everything New York that even outsiders and fans wanted and still wants to hear this is the reason New York rap died down because New York in some ways (not everyone) changed their sound which hurt New York to a degree

[@DJAmuur]

I remember the day it dropped. Like Labron James' arrival in the NBA, Nas was like our Labron when he arrived in Hip Hop and dropped "Illmatic".

[@chriswright2568]

Illmatic completely changed the format. NY State of Mind? The World Is Yours? One Love? memory Lane? Not a single song that is not brilliant. And he pulled his own dad's jazz into it? 5 Mics. 6 Mics. Jay-z switched his style to Nas' style. Also, you hit EVERY point.

[@spenser6353]

represent is my favorite track

[@thewatersavior]

Thank you for mentioning Infamous!

[@taronneal7645]

I still remember the day I copped the cassette, didn’t even have a cd player yet. Classic album. One Love is still my favorite joint on there.

[@ThingOfOursCommission]

“Congratulations, you know you got a son I heard he looks like ya, why don't your lady write ya? Told her she should visit, that's when she got hyper” Sad truth about what happens when u get booked. Out of sight out of mind. She’s has to survive w/o you.

[@brotherdandy]

One of the other reasons why Illmatic is only nine tracks is that the bootleggers and got to it so fast that the record company had to beat them to market. More songs that were featured on the album were cut for the sake of getting a legitimate record into music stores. That definitely helped the impactful because it was a spartan, but so amazingly produced.

[@ZMSportsnShorts]

Memory Lane the underrated killer on the LPa

[@fanonk]

Dope review Bo. I’d only add one more point, like you said Nas had the Hip Hop universe waiting to hear his joint and could have had any feature he wanted. He chooses an unknown AZ as the only feature and he drops an iconic verse and AZ goes on to build a 30 year career from that verse…magic. Keep them coming🔥💯🎤 #94tilinfinity

[@scole4545]

47 years old and one of those 63,000 was me! The World is Yours is my favorite track with my all time favorite producer. So glad to be alive at that time

[@splatter5737]

Bomani a real hip hop head. Saw him at a Freddie Gibbs show years ago.

[@Dr.Sunshine]

Nas is TRULY your favorite rappers favorite rapper!!! Illmatic is the greatest hip hop work ever. No debating

[@rashawnmoore-b7i]

When you listen to that album, you can imagine every track in your head like a movie and see it.🎙️🔥🎙️🔥💯

[@IknowMoreThanYou]

Nas was 16 on live at the bbq

[@bornkinguniversal]

Excellent breakdown Bomani! And I’m even more impressed coming from a man from the south! The only slight critique is no mention of an unknown unheard of AZ who was a guest feature and this sky rocketed his career. Salute Bomani‼️🫡💯

[@hannibal090]

Yes period

[@TMGettingMoney]

Excellent analysis and breakdown of all the producers and the impact that New York hip-hop had on the world, especially during the 90s! Very good journalism, my brother,salutes!💯‼️💪🏾🏆👑

[@ronaldbaker5201]

Illmatic is the greatest rap album of all time, and one of the greatest all time in any genre!

[@solaodebunmi9492]

Simple!

[@dewrite504]

1994 was a pivotal year for Hip-Hop It Ain't Hard To Tell!!!!!💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@iamcent7726]

Mr. Bomani, regardless of how much sponsorship or how little you end up getting out of this segment obviously as long as you're not coming out off pocket, please continue.

[@SandMclain]

Also, with regards to sales...Illmatic was bootlegged something serious. And the emphasis on first week sales was a new thing, so to speak.

[@imsofocused4678]

Illmatic forced all rappers in NYC to step up their game. Nas had respect from listeners, and a lot of his peers in NYC wanted him on their album because of Illmatic.

[@t-god2439]

Something so interesting about early hip hop. Is how fast the flow changed and evolved. Like it went from “clap ya hands everybody” to big daddy Kane, rakim and nas real quick.

[@stevenbrown6956]

It was written is my personal fav by him. Just my preference.

[@TMGettingMoney]

Nas is a lyrical genius hands down! 💯‼️👑🏆💪🏾🎤🔥💙

[@trevorjames4619]

It took nas a whole year to make illmatic. He gave himself time to properly curate and craft the vibe and the direction he wanted it to go. So of course it was bound to be THEE classic of all classics. Pac said he would listen to this riding from LA to Vegas. That’s the impact this had on people. People still bump in the whip this till this day.

[@hemeheru6219]

READY TO DIE is also flawless and I will add just as many radio hits...MAYBE more...R.I.P Biggie

[@loggizzo]

This album is literal poetry. Imagery in every line

[@CampFireCEO]

I remember I was 8 years old in ‘92 and I was so captivated by hip hop so much that I started to rap as well. I’m just a kid… I didn’t know what to do, lol… I was just rhyming words with no structure at all. Fast forward to ‘94 and I’m over my aunts house. My older cousin was a hip hop head as well. I used to go through all of his cassettes of what will catch my eye. Not much so of titles and names. Then I stumbled crossed Nas’s Illmatic… the artwork… how his face was blended with the background of the city, I’m like who is this? Popped that joint in and was like 🤯🤯🤯. So this is how it’s done? The structure, the storytelling, the cadences, etc… I was blown away! Needless to say, I was a student. Nas gave me a master class in the art of rap and it changed the whole trajectory of my penmanship to where my peers and old heads from around the way couldn’t believe I’ve written any of what I was going around the hood spittin’. They had me rapping for everyone lol. I appreciate Illmatic and what it has done for me 🙏🏾. That’s why Nas is my favorite rapper and will always be the goat to me. Oh yeah, and I stole the tape from my cousin 😂

[@bandheadhbcu]

Yes, Illmatic is a Hip-Hop classic. I became an instant Nas fan after I heard it. 🎧🎶🔥🔥🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙

[@korbymarks]

Loved listening to this review.

[@mc365mc]

No question Musically a masterpiece, lyrically a masterpiece, super production team, no filler, only one feature that was from an unknown and was fire, he changed the definition of lyricisim with triple internal rhyme schemes, and he lived up to the hype without being commercial!

[@rafaelsantiago9760]

Dope show my brother keep speaking the real 💯

[@jnkazee2526]

Fours Deuces & Trays from G- Slim cant go unnoticed.

[@Turner4Judge]

Hey Bo! I love your stuff. I’ve been a supporter for a minute. I enjoy your perspective on things. Anyway I want to put in a suggestion for an album in 1994. Lethal Injection not only had a few bops for the summer such as You How We Do It and Bop Gun, it also was one of Cube’s last legit hip hop album. He was still dangerous and not just controversial on this one. Cube was talking about the dangers of LA when most artists were talking about the parties. The production was grand funk infused and was among the first hip hop albums to bring George Clinton on in real life as opposed to just sampling him. And the bars! The bars were so West Coast G Funk. I hate this narrative that folks on the West can’t rhyme because what they rhyme about is being hard. It starts……To G or not to G is the question and like Smith told Wesson, I’m shady with the three eighty, old school diploma. I leave that ass in a coma. Anyway this was one of my favorite albums of 1994 and is SLEEPER. Please consider featuring it

[@rashawnmoore-b7i]

👑 G.O.A.T 🔥🎙️🔥🎙️🔥🎙️🔥🎙️Classic album

[@cardsandrecreation6983]

Honestly I think the length of the album plays a big part in Illmatic’s greatness. With zero fat, nothing that you want to skip, when the album ends you’re left wanting more. Illmatic isn’t my favorite hip hop album (it’s close, but E.1999 Eternal takes that honor for me), but it is the greatest hip hop album IMO.

[@guerillastatusmedia8682]

great analysis. excellent commentary!

[@santoro19782]

bomani, you should include in this series november 9th, 1993 the day midnight marauders and 36 chambers were released

[@Tommy_Montana]

This was a great video. I started listening to music on my own about 10-11 in 2001 (parents passed me down their stereo system) and while I heard about illmatic, It wasn’t until Nas biggest competition used the greatness of this album to shit on the rest of his catalog as well as Nas claiming to be Stillmatic that I eventually went back and got this album an saw the hype

[@jamesosei6888]

Hip-hop Bible! Best album ever!

[@rachaad]

He wrote that album age of 15 !!

[@WalkingWallet]

Maybe some of it, but most was 17

[@rachaad]

@WalkingWallet facts. It's still impressive, of course

[@doe_ez6305]

Fire Series can't wait for the Down South Albums being a 41 yo from NY.

[@kuulie5220]

I have had a physical copy of this album in my possession for like the past 20 years.

[@TrentStanley-q3t]

Nas is Still to this day one of the most Greatest Lyricists of our generation & beyond !!! The things that he has spoken on a plethora of mixtapes along is like ??? Holy Shit how did he come up with that ??? The lyrics just flow like a river of warm butter to him !!!!! One of the GREATEST of ALL TIME !!!!

[@ViSRoCkZerrr]

Illmatic was the first 5 mic review ever in the source.

[@imsofocused4678]

No it wasn't. De La Soul, Rakim, Tribe, and NWA all had 5 mic ratings before Nas.

[@nelsonrivera764]

this is beautiful, Bomani...you told it like it happened. I purchased the cassette from the WiZ ...

[@shemereali551]

I bought 5 of Nas Alums at one time he's that good 😂

[@davidgutter2710]

There you go my boy. This is what the culture wanted

[@Thenobleone81]

Nas is the Michael Jordan of rap

[@nm4life191]

They, greatest rap album of all time

[@bigwillie54]

Yes

[@rtwo4570]

If it’s not the best it’s probably the most flawlessly produced and lyrically dense.

[@terrelljackson1995]

What album you think the best

[@rtwo4570]

@@terrelljackson1995 low end theory is probably better but it’s close

[@terrelljackson1995]

@@rtwo4570 I look at them two different albums a group album vs a mc solo album nas didn’t have no guess appearance

[@rtwo4570]

@@terrelljackson1995 nas had a bunch of guest appearances. You forgetting AZ’s verse on Life’s a B? You forgot Q-Tip was on 1 love?

[@terrelljackson1995]

@@rtwo4570 Az wasn’t sign and plus q-tip was a producer and did a backup vocals jay did had more famous artists like foxy mjb jaz o biggie sauce money bleek was new

[@KotaManifest]

No skips, only artist with 3 plus classics

[@bybd]

Great analysis. The 1 motivation that wasn’t elaborated on was how the East Coast as a hip-hop collective saw Nas as the Trojan horse to rally behind and intentionally take hip-hop back to it’s “home” from the West’s stronghold & the bubbling South (which was easier here bc Nas wasn’t just a credible MC, but he notably came into the game w/ no BLATANT affiliations like other East Coasters in that same era that actually landed harder…Tribe & Redman immediately come to mind).

[@bybd]

He was anointed by NYC & its media as soon as the all-star produced album hit the critics’ desks & before it hit the stores. But it didn’t work. He didn’t sell, hence him needing his label mates the Fugees, Ginuwine, etc on the head scratching but sales generating collabos that dotted later releases.

[@bybd]

Biggie benefitted from those missteps & dropped the album that officially re-centered hip hop in NYC…and for a few years, at least, King of NY = King of Hip Hop… But only a FEW…

[@ab-gy3yl]

Bomani even though I know this album came out in summer of 96 you're gonna have to do one on DE LA!!..STAKES IS HIGH!!... 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@troylee76]

What up classmate?! Yeah we were bumping these in. High school

[@troylee76]

This

[@chrismejia6274]

I been saying this. Illmatic is the greatest hip-hop album ever by the greatest rapper of a generation!

[@h.g.2046]

Great video Gentlemen. Love the series Bo'.

[@dblshotz75]

Bomani is one of the best dudes to come out of that dump at ESPN.

[@haitianjuice2390]

It’s the best hip hop album ever!Perfection

[@Solarsystemrdffdfyyhh]

Nas had one track on that movie soundtrack zebrahead and this guy had the streets buzzing across America. “ I used to watch CHIPs now I load Glock clips”. He was the one and only. Yeah biggie was amazing but when illmatic came out with the absolute greats productions it was over! Wutang came out as well but illmatic was the across the world album. When you sample Micheal Jackson and flawless rhyme over him, damn!

[@reggiemiller1176]

Whew...Life's A Bitch...that AZ verse...

[@RICO_SUAVE21]

Nas is the GREATEST rapper of all time !!!!!!!! 🥸👏💪🏾

[@ErinDeNis]

Pete Rock and CL Smooth “Main Ingredient” album and “Illmatic”

[@michaelbetts8379]

We didn't bump that ablum like that in Texas nas illmatic. Rap had regional fans in the 90'S

[@mdtaylor83]

This series is dope!

[@MrOhioPlayer]

Nas Illmatic, Jay Z Black Album, Snoops Doggystyle, Biggies Ready To Die , Kanyes My Twisted Dark Fantasy, Kendricks GKMC, Outkast Aquemini All Elite Albums

[@leightonsavary7607]

Dope explanation on Illmatic tho🔥👌🏽

[@glennford9948]

Along with Ready to Die!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@glennford9948]

My BAD Life after Death 😂😂😂

[@amour_nyla]

I first heard Nas on a Tony touch Dax tape

[@TheProdigy12]

Yes. Yes it is.

[@delbertprince5302]

Halftime and It ain’t hard to tell were classic songs.

[@TheHENpp]

Deep, introspective musical analysis for a 13-14 year-old.

[@QUEENSBRIDGE_10TH_ST231]

Illmatic is a Hip Hop purist’s masterpiece but I honestly like his material that came afterwards more.

[@bernelhall4293]

Best Album...Best Rapper of All Time.

[@ArthurDayneFirstOfHisName]

FACTS