Illmatic
by Nas

Parts of this lack melody or musicality. I only really liked six of the ten tracks, but I liked those a lot.

Nas really nails it on "N.Y. State of Mind", "Halftime", and "It Ain't Hard to Tell"; elsewhere the rapping can be a bit sloppy or not in perfect sync with the music, and often too rushed like he's trying to say too much in a space too short. His guest rappers range from okay to bad in the case of AZ on "Life's a Bitch".

I mostly liked the production, even if it's a bit sparse at times. Hard beats and deep bass almost dub-like at times. I especially liked the jazzy production on "One Love".

So parts of this could have been improved, but the best parts are very impressive. Overall it's a very good album.

It's hard to tell how much I like this album.

Well worth the hype. It's simple hip hop but somehow it's such a unique and cool sound. Some great lyrics too. He has probably my favourite rap voice ever too. My picks are It Ain't Hard to Tell and One Love.

One of the best produced albums in hip-hop. Nas's lyrics are phenomenal. He also doesn't fall victim to what most rappers do, have too much filler. This makes the album tight and effective. His flow is smooth and impactful. The second half is weaker than the first half, but this album is still a classic. 9.5/10!

It might be my favorite rap record everz banger after banger after banger, simply amazing beats, top notch rapping skills amd many quotable lines.

A fun and creative listen that utilises brilliant samples to create an infectious and catchy hip hop album. Nas also demonstrates one of the best flows ever found on any hip hop album. This results in a smooth experience for the listener that we can so easily get lost in. His choice of sampling is fantastic as well with them transforming songs like N.Y. State Of Mind, The World Is Yours and It Ain't Hard To Tell. All 3 of these songs are classics of the hip hop genre and the influence these songs, as well as the rest of the album, would have on music is evident as so many artists tried to achieve the quality of his flow and samples. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable hip hop album which had a huge impact on music and is a demonstration of the quality of Nas.

An absolute classic. Influential and sounds great even today.

From C_Krug2009 05/08/2022 14:12 | #285111

It's the bible of rap because everybody copies Nas' flow and he modernized the art of the flow. I like it for this reason and because it captures every vibe of NYC. If you ask me the best hip hop album of all time, it's this one, Marshall Mathers LP, To Pimp A Butterfly, and Good Kid Maad City. But I would say you could listen to Illmatic in way more situations as something to put on. I like the beats on I Am... more but Illmatic has better flow and better lyrics.

Excellent example of linking thematic narratives throughout an album. Good flow, interesting lyrics, limited repetition or filler.

No gimmick, just talent.