Illmatic
Nasir Jones was fifteen years old when he met producer Large Professor in Flushing, Queens. This meeting launched a career that would eventually produce Illmatic. Nas initially performed under the nickname Kid Wave before adopting the alias Nasty Nas. His best friend and neighbor Willy Graham served as his DJ during these early days. The partnership ended abruptly on the 23rd of May 1992, when Graham was murdered by a gunman in Queensbridge. That same night, Nas' brother was shot but survived. Nas later described this event as a wake-up call for him.
Major rap labels like Cold Chillin' and Def Jam Recordings rejected Nas despite his growing buzz in the underground scene. MC Serch changed the trajectory of Nas's life in mid-1992. Serch approached Nas to work on Back to the Grill, a single for his own album Return of the Product. During that session, Serch discovered Nas lacked a recording contract. He contacted Faith Newman, an A&R executive at Sony Music Entertainment. Newman had been looking for Nas for eighteen months prior to this discovery. She secured a deal for Nas immediately after hearing his demo tape.
Illmatic was recorded across four New York City studios between 1992 and 1993. These locations included Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios. Five major producers contributed to the project: DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, and L.E.S. Nas also produced tracks himself. DJ Premier recalled hearing Nas's debut single Halftime and knowing it was classic material from the start. He stated that working with Nas felt automatic regardless of payment terms.
The chemistry between Nas and DJ Premier proved exceptional according to MC Serch. They described their connection as inseparable rather than just compatible beats and rhymes. Pete Rock collaborated with Nas on The World Is Yours through contact from Large Professor. AZ provided guest vocals on Life's a Bitch while Nas's father Olu Dara played trumpet on the same track. Nas composed Nas Is Like during these sessions but later released it as a single in 1999. The opening song N.Y. State of Mind captured Nas recording his first verse live in the studio with Premier counting him in.
Nas focused on depicting his own experiences growing up in the Queensbridge housing projects located in Long Island City. He was twenty years old when Illmatic reached listeners. His lyrics detailed gang rivalries, desolation, and the ravages of urban poverty throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Jeff Weiss of Pitchfork described the album as a story of a gifted writer born into squalor trying to escape the trap. Nas said he felt trapped in the projects both physically and spiritually during creation.
His narratives alternated between moments of pain and pleasure alongside frustration and braggadocio. Nas often depicted specific corners and boulevards of Queensbridge while naming local streets friends crews and drug dealers. Poet Kevin Coval called this approach hip-hop poetry rooted in intimate specificity. Sohail Daulatzai compared the album to cinema for its dense reportage and visually stunning rhymes. Mark Anthony Neal described these themes as brooding introspection disclosing the tortured dimensions of drug crime. Steve Juon noted Nas illustrated the trife life while providing hope beyond money guns and drugs.
The album features multi-syllabic internal rhymes and inner-city narratives based on Nas's real-life experiences. DJ Premier contributed minimalist style production with simple loops over heavy beats. Charles Aaron of Spin noted the producers offered subdued slightly downcast beats resembling jazz keyboard vibes from the 1970s. Q magazine praised the razor-sharp musical backdrops featuring melodic hooks atmospheric background piano strings or muted trumpet samples. The majority of tracks consist of vintage funk soul and jazz samples drawn from childhood collections.
Donald Byrd Joe Chambers Ahmad Jamal Parliament and Michael Jackson provided source material for various songs. Nas invited his father Olu Dara to play a trumpet coda on Life's a Bitch. Pitchfork's Jeff Weiss claimed both Nas and his producers found inspiration through their parents' music libraries. Ben Yew commented on the nostalgic sounds created by infectious organ loops vocal samples and synthesizer-like pads in the background. The Genesis intro began with elevated train sounds and an almost-inaudible voice rhyming beneath dialogue between two men.
Illmatic debuted at number twelve on the US Billboard 200 chart on the 19th of April 1994. It sold 59,000 copies during its first week of release. Initial sales fell below expectations despite high anticipation within the hip-hop community. Five singles failed to achieve significant chart success. Halftime reached number eight on the Hot Rap Singles chart while Life's a Bitch never charted. Regional demand was so intense that MC Serch discovered a garage containing 60,000 bootlegged copies before official release.
The Recording Industry Association of America certified Illmatic gold on the 17th of January 1996 after shipping 500,000 copies. Platinum certification arrived later on the 11th of December 2001 following shipments exceeding one million copies. As of the 6th of February 2019, the album had sold two million copies in the United States. The twentieth anniversary edition Illmatic XX returned to the Billboard 200 at number eighteen selling 15,000 copies in its first week. This represented an 844% sales gain compared to previous performance metrics.
Illmatic received rave reviews from most music critics upon its release. NME called its music rhythmic perfection while Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune cited it as the best hardcore hip-hop album out of the East Coast in years. Touré hailed Nas as an elite rapper due to his articulation detailed lyrics and Rakim-like tone. Christopher John Farley of Time praised the album as a wake-up call rendering rather than glorifying the rough world Nas came from. USA Today's James T. Jones IV called his lyrics the most urgent poetry since Public Enemy.
Some reviewers remained less impressed with the work. Heidi Siegmund of the Los Angeles Times found most tracks hampered by tired attitudes and posturing. Charles Aaron felt comparisons to Rakim deserved more if Nas expanded on ruminative lyrics with personal revelation. Robert Christgau recommended the record to listeners craving full-bore authenticity without brutal posturing. The Source magazine awarded Illmatic five mic ratings their highest possible score given the publication's influence in the community. Jon Shecter lobbied for this rating after receiving a copy eight months before scheduled release.
Illmatic has been viewed as one of the quintessential hip-hop recordings of the 1990s by music writers. It ranks near the top of many publications' best album lists across disparate genres. Jon Pareles of The New York Times cited it as a milestone in capturing street ghetto essence. Chris Ryan described it as a portrait of an artist as hood loner tortured soul juvenile delinquent and fledgling social critic. In 2021, the Library of Congress selected the album for preservation in the National Recording Registry for cultural historical or aesthetic significance.
The album played instrumental roles in restoring interest in East Coast hip-hop alongside Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang and Biggie's Ready to Die. Rob Marriott noted rarely had the birthplace of hip-hop received such unanimous praise for a rap record. Queensbridge's local scene returned to prominence after years of obscurity thanks to this release. Nas inspired rappers like Jay-Z Ghostface Killah and Elzhi to improve lyrical abilities through intricate internal rhyme patterns. Talib Kweli Lupe Fiasco Just Blaze and 9th Wonder acknowledged Illmatic influence upon their own careers. Kendrick Lamar compared his Good Kid M.A.A.D City album to Nas's debut work.
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Common questions
When was the album Illmatic released?
Illmatic debuted at number twelve on the US Billboard 200 chart on the 19th of April 1994. The album sold 59,000 copies during its first week of release.
Who produced the tracks on Illmatic by Nasir Jones?
Five major producers contributed to the project: DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, and L.E.S. Nas also produced tracks himself.
Where were the songs for Illmatic recorded?
Illmatic was recorded across four New York City studios between 1992 and 1993. These locations included Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios.
How many copies of Illmatic have been sold in the United States as of February 6 2019?
As of the 6th of February 2019, the album had sold two million copies in the United States. The Recording Industry Association of America certified Illmatic gold on the 17th of January 1996 after shipping 500,000 copies.
Why did Nas write about Queensbridge housing projects in Illmatic?
Nas focused on depicting his own experiences growing up in the Queensbridge housing projects located in Long Island City. His lyrics detailed gang rivalries, desolation, and the ravages of urban poverty throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.