Nas' Illmatic Documentary

Illmatic is the debut album of American rapper Nas, released April 19, 1994 on Columbia Records. Following his signing to Columbia with the help of MC Serch, recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Its production was handled by Nas, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and DJ Premier. Stylistically a hardcore hip hop album, Illmatic features Nas's multi-syllabic internal rhyme patterns expressing inner city lyrical themes and narratives based on his native Queensbridge, New York.

Upon its release, the album debuted at number 12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 59,000 copies in its first week. However, its initial sales fell below expectations and its five singles failed to achieve significant chart success. While it experienced initial low sales, Illmatic received generally positive reviews from most music critics upon its release and earned praise for its production and Nas's lyricism. On January 17, 1996, the album was certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America, and in 2001, it earned platinum certification after sales of one million copies in the United States.

Since its initial reception, the album has been recognized by writers and music critics as a landmark album in East Coast hip hop. It contributed to the regional scene's artistic renaissance in New York, while marking an influential, stylistic change in hip hop at the time. Its influence on subsequent hip hop artists has been attributed to the album's production and Nas's rapping. Several writers have cited Illmatic as one of the quintessential hip hop recordings and one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 400 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• nas
• illmatic
• discography
• rap
• ill
• it
• ain't
• hard
• to
• tell
• one
• time
• your
• mind
• represent
• hip-hop
• cool
• hip
• hop
• jay-z
• new
• york
• stillmatic
• awesome
• sick
• nasir
• jones
• tight
• album
• music
• dope
• nyc
• amazing
• genre
• classic
• nasty
• underground
• songs
• song
• freestyle
• hiphop
• rapper

[MegaKwanzaa]

Best Hip Hop Album Of All Time .

[Bangura187]

Jay Z dislike this video

[ShookOnes92]

@Masuuuuud lol ready to die compared ton this ? fuck off dick ridding nigga

[blitzvomitew16]

@basicblunthead

actually nas said he lost the original lyrics to "life's a bitch" on the subway.

& "life's a bitch" was suppose to originally sample Mtume's 1982 song "Juicy Fruit" but Biggie took the idea.

"Life's a dice game" sounds like some shit he made just fooling around in the studio...not like a actual track.

[Masuuuuud]

@cdm386 Either way bro, there both SICK. 

[cdm386]

@Masuuuuud its a tie bro

[justcrazy187]

@basicblunthead Good luckin bro.

[basicblunthead]

@justcrazy187 , Nas didn't put life's a bitch on the album until one month after he recorded it, he was going to originally put the track Life's Like a Dice Game on illmatic, instead he "finished" life's like a dice game and Nas called the new "finished" version of life's like a dice game, Life's a Bitch.

[nomibe2911]

@Amaan305 The lyrics were actually my first album had no famous guest appearances so Nas was right when he said that.

[Masuuuuud]

2nd best album of all time. After Ready to Die

[justcrazy187]

@5:59 wheres lifes a bbitch?

[Bangura187]

@DaleCaliente lol