Contradiction, the yin and the yang, the simultaneous existence of two competing realities, and the larger than life persona that depicts populist realism are at the core of Nas's Illmatic. Yet Nas's identity - as an inner-city youth, a child of hip hop, and a Black American - predicts those philosophical quandaries as much as it does its brazen ambition. Partly because of that recklessly broad scope, the artistic impact of Illmatic was massive. The record finds its place in the greatest transition in hip hop up to that point, the spot where the streets and the charts collided.
Matthew Gasteier has written for various publications, including the Boston Phoenix and Prefix Magazine. He lives in Boston.
The album in question, Illmatic, is an inarguable choice...from the
cover art (the portrait of the artist as a very young man), to the
future-forward evolution of the music form it led, to the timeless
high quality multi-syllabic rhyming, weaving complicated rhythms
around those still-borrowed-from beats — author Matthew Gasteier
hit it square.
*KEXP Seattle*
The on-the-ground reportage is way more compelling than the
awkward. abstract discussion of Nas' lyrics.
*The Wire*
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