It probably seems kind of redundant for me, someone who is relatively new to reviewing albums, to give a 5 star review to an already established classic in the rap genre. On top of that, I'm writing this in 2016, 22 years past it's release. But I do feel the need to pay homage to the album that truly opened my eyes to rap, a genre of music that I spent many years ignoring and never caring to dig into, and even more-so for opening my eyes to some truly harsh realities for many living in the inner-city.
For a long time, I couldn't help but be bothered that I could not see the merit in rap music. It is a dominating force in today's music industry and is one of the few true American musical styles. As a young, budding music fan, I surrounded myself with metal/rock and spat at most other genres. I swore by my own philosophy: "What else does one need in their music as long as there's some drop-tuned crunchy guitar riffs and 200 BPM tempos?" So how could rap, a genre based on repetitive loops and samples, minimalist instrumentation, and wordplay, ever catch my attention? As I realized how immature it was to limit myself to these genres, my taste expanded to pop, alternative, indie, and even some country. As this transition was happening, I wanted to find a rap album that I could not only appreciate, but love and enjoy. So after digging through some 'best of' lists online, I settled on Nas' Illmatic. I went into this album with relatively fresh ears, with only "B4.DA.$$", the debut LP from Joey Bada$$, under my belt as a reference point. For all intents and purposes, I did enjoy the "B4.DA.$$" LP as a first entry into the genre, but I still found that I couldn't fall in love with it, for reasons I was too inexperienced to distinguish yet. So I settled down with Illmatic, pressed play, and let the album tell its story.
It's a rare occurrence that I sit through an entire album without skipping a single track upon first listen. I found myself completely ensconced in the beats, with the thick and powerful bass drum kicks pounding into my ears. The samples, which range from arpeggiated piano chords to guitar and horn parts straight out of classic funk records, are right at home on this record and never seem out of place.
The production is quite an anomaly to me. Upon reading how much praise the production received on this album, I was expecting the tracks to sound slick and polished. In fact, it's quite the opposite, with boomy bass, a solid midrange, and raw, unfinished sounding beat pervading the album. It's a far cry from what the modern industry would pass off as good production. However, in the context of the record, it fits beautifully. It serves to compliment the mood and locks right in with Nas' effortless flow.
The obscenely straightforward and terrible depictions of life in the inner-city add a legitimacy to the storytelling that is simply unparalleled. Nas' ability to juxtapose his rather youthful age with the violence and drug use that exceeds what most people experiences in their lifetime provides for an intriguing and eye-opening look into his life in the Queensbridge housing projects.
What I love about this record is how much it feels like a complete work of art, with the album cover reflecting the tone of the music beautifully. The cover, drenched in various brown hues, displays a young Nas over a backdrop of New York. The color choice and artwork do a fantastic job of reflecting the dark, weathered tone of the album.
To this day, I still find myself re-listening to this album over and over again. It's powerful, moving lyrics and unique production set it apart from many other music releases. I would highly recommend this to anyone making an entrance into the world of hip-hop. Don't wait as long as I did to delve into this amazing genre.
