- #402
Nas, Illmatic
Impressions: This platter is very highly-regarded by hip hop heads, but still somehow I missed the Illmatic boat. THIS WILL STAND NO LONGER… Short (40 minutes) running time bodes well. Starts off a little uneasy with a general talking warm-up track (“Genesis”) but gets down to business with a quickeness with a lean, moody piano-plinking “NY State of Mind,” Nas is pretty tough-minded lyrically with noirish crime tales that are presented with little fanfare (he even opens the song with “I don’t even know how to start this shit.”) With a Spartan production by a surprising variety of producers, Illmatic’s songs are mostly only built on a few samples, but a little goes a long way in building a cinematic atmosphere. Like the music itself, Nas isn’t that showy, but his flow is stunning. “The World is Yours” features a woozy, atmospheric piano loop that sounds like the sample is going to faint, but still completely pulls you in. “One Love” has a jazzy Q-Tip production that seems like a meaner alternate-universe version of A Tribe Called Quest. If most of these tracks are a perfect 10, the slower, more conventional “One Time 4 Your Mind” seems like a 9.8 but I guess that’s nit-picking. Mostly, this is Grade A early ’90s East-coast hip hop and I wonder if it would be one of my all-time favs if I had been listening to it for the last 20 years. In a way, this album reminds me of a hip-hop version of Van Morrison’s “Moondance” in that it’s a highly-rated, deceptively simple, well-crafted genre-expanding masterpiece without any fat that leaves you wanting more (not to mention neither artist never quite topped themselves afterwards.)
Starred Songs: “N.Y. State of Mind,” “The World Is Yours”
Sneaky Track: “Halftime” “Memory Lane (Sittin’ in da Park)”
Should this be on the list: Yes
Will You Listen To This Album Again: Yes