Illmatic

August 9, 2012
by Oliver Layco

Illmatic is a classic album by one of the last ‘old school’ rappers Nas. I first listened to it back in freshman year of high school and didn’t fully understand or appreciate what a classic this was. Listening to it again 7 years later, I was able to fully appreciate what he did on the album. His appreciation for his home of Queensbridge and the city of New York is evident throughout. It’s really a darker story of where he grew up and the city he knew vs. the glitz and glam that New York is often associated with. He even mentions the oft forgotten borough of Staten Island! This is in part due to the rise of the Wu Tang Clan at the time. There’s no auto-tune or synthesizers or anything today’s rappers use. It’s just pure beats and raw lyricism. Almost 20 years after this album was first released, I can guarantee it will hold up better than Lil Wayne and other modern rappers 20 years from now in 2032.

9 out of 10 Bigbluebullfrog Leaps!

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Nutshell Reviews is a collection of very short reviews of the most significant movies, books, music, and video games, from both the present day and days gone passed.