Illmatic - Nas

Nas
Illmatic (R: Crucial)
April 14, 1994
Columbia Records
Production: Large Professor, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S.

"This rhythmatic explosion is what your frame of mind has chosen."

Nasir Jones comes in hot on the final verse of his monumental first album as if the twenty year old native of the Queensbridge Projects could read minds. Illmatic is his poetic recreation of a young man's life growing up in the "Rotten Apple," using precise lyricism that leaves the listener ogling over Nas' incredible wordplay rather than searching for the meaning of abtruse metaphors.

Nas represents his background with great eloquence and expertise, demonstrating his unusual wisdom of word above violence. Nas anecdotally contrasts the ideologies of hood lifestyle, its cyclical nature and the force with which it abuses those involved, and the toll that it has taken on his young life, rapping that "life is parallel to hell but I must maintain," with his seemingly superior knowledge that there is a way out. In his case this escape comes in his mastery of the English language.

Ill [il]
-adjective

1. Hostile; unkindly; evil; wicked; bad
2. Having great skill or skills with respect to a particular endeavor

Matic [mat-ik]

1. Suffix referring to the operation of mechanical devices with little to no human intervention
2. Mechanically repetitive and unchanging

The use of the "word" Illmatic for the title of the album can be understood in two ways. In one instance, the use of the word "ill," in this case using the positive connotation referring to Nas' own lingual ability as something excellent. When combined with "matic" to create the album title, Nas' swagger and ego come through as he already knows that his first album is a sure thing (automatic) to be def, dumb, dope, hot, phat, stupid and bitchin'.

The second definition would use the word "ill" in the classical sense as a negative word that demonstrates the hardships of project living. In this case "matic" takes the definition of repition and the title does well to describe the curiously unchanging and ever dangerous lifestyle that the Queensbridge inhabitants deal with daily. Nas hits on this topic most notably over Q-Tip's infectious xylophone beat in "One Love" while trying to educate a youngster about the facts of life during a blunt session.

I would be lying if I told you that I have not listened to this album upwards of thirty times in the last two months. Illmatic is a ten song masterpiece that features head rocking beats and lyrical genius from start to finish. With this landmark debut, Nas resurrected the East Coast hip-hop scene and cemented a name for himself among the greats. Illmatic receives my highest accolade as a Crucial Groove.

www.myspace.com/nas
Nas at Defjam.com

Other Illmatic Reviews
Rolling Stone
Hip-Hop.net