Image Unavailable
Color:
-
-
-
- Sorry, this item is not available in
- Image not available
- To view this video download Flash Player
Illmatic Explicit Lyrics
Parental Advisory ed.
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Listen Now with Amazon Music |
Illmatic [Explicit]
"Please retry" | Amazon Music Unlimited |
Price | New from | Used from |
MP3 Music, April 19, 1994
"Please retry" | $8.99 | — |
Vinyl, Import, April 15, 1994
"Please retry" |
—
| $24.97 | $19.75 |
Frequently bought together
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
- Enter The Wu-TangVinylFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
- Only Built 4 Cuban LinxAudio CDFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
- The Black AlbumVinylFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
From the brand
Track Listings
1 | The Genesis |
2 | N.Y. State of Mind |
3 | Life's a Bitch - Nas feat. AZ & Olu Dara |
4 | The World Is Yours |
5 | Halftime |
6 | Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park) |
7 | One Love - Nas feat. Q-Tip |
8 | One Time 4 Your Mind |
9 | Represent |
10 | It Ain't Hard to Tell |
Editorial Reviews
Product description
No Description Available.
Genre: Rap, Hip-Hop
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating: PA
Release Date: 19-APR-1994
Amazon.com
Nasir Jones made this debut album at the age of 20, already armed with the calm perceptiveness and been-there-done-that attitude of a much older ghetto vet, though sometimes his inner callow youth shows itself. Illmatic is a look back at a life spent in the culture of the projects, acknowledging joy as much as pain and taking note of violence as a fact of his environment rather than a focus of his life. It's enlivened by Nas's kicky, deep-threaded multiple rhymes--you can tell he grew up listening to Mr. Magic's rap show and internalizing the secrets of everybody's flow--and by tracks from a bunch of all-stars, including the Large Professor, DJ Premier, and, most memorably, Q-Tip ("One Love"). --Douglas Wolk
Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Language : English
- Product Dimensions : 5.03 x 5.62 x 1.76 inches; 4.48 ounces
- Manufacturer : Sony Legacy
- Item model number : SNY57684.2
- Original Release Date : 1994
- Run time : 40 minutes
- Date First Available : December 7, 2006
- Label : Sony Legacy
- ASIN : B0000029GA
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,052 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #21 in East Coast Rap
- #32 in Gangsta & Hardcore Rap & Hip-Hop
- #63 in Pop Rap (CDs & Vinyl)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonReviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
The album starts off with a short intro called "The Genesis". Then it proceeds into "NY State of Mind". This song in my opinion, is lyrically Nas' best song ever. Just check out the first couple of bars of the first verse. Nas' internal rhyme scheme rivals that of Rakim himself. DJ Premier provides a rugged beat that goes perfectly with Nas' lyrics. Next is "Life's a B***h" featuring AZ. The production on this track is just marvelous. AZ and Nas also come correct. AZ's flow and lyrics are just perfect on this song, Nas' are good too but AZ ends up stealing the show. This song is followed by "The World is Yours". Production by my favorite producer of all time Pete Rock. Nas' lyrics on this song are meant to inspire young and poor people in the NY area. One of my favorite songs on the LP. "Halftime" is just amazing. The beat is addictive and Nas' lyrics come off strong as usual. "Memory Lane" is my favorite song on the entire album. The production on this song is flawless and it's just a track you can vibe to. This is one that you could put on repeat and just relax. On "One Love" Nas raps about those who are in prison. He gives a shout out to many, including future arch rival Cormega. Q-Tip does the hook for this song. The next song, "One Time 4 Your Mind" is my least favorite on the album. The production is kind of on the weak side and Nas' lyrics are good but his flow is off a bit. This is the track that I sometimes skip. "Represent" was a street anthem. The uptempo beat by DJ Premier makes this one a favorite of those who need to get hyped. "It Ain't Hard to Tell" is the final track on the album. Lyrically, this song is only surpassed by "NY State of Mind". You can hear the sample of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" built into the song. Lines like "From the spliff that I lift and inhale" makes this one a true gem. I remember seeing this video on TV back when BET used to play good music.
Illmatic is a true classic and a must have for any hip-hop fan. Even if you don't like Nas you should have this album. There are only a few shortcomings on the LP. It's on the short side, only about 40 minutes total. I personally like longer albums better just so long as they don't have any filler tracks. You won't find any truly wack songs on Illmatic. One Time 4 Your Mind isn't as strong as the other songs but it's not completely wack either. Everyone, I recommend you buy this album.
I love the musical elements too. Nas comes on the scene with what was at the time a new rap style...unpredictable, dancing around the beat, often coming in early. It reminds me a little of how Thelonious Monk plays piano. I love the dry, simple musical structure of the songs, centering around drums, a bassline, and a piano loop. These minimal elements are utilized to excellent dramatic effect...seamlessly integrated with the rhyming and storytelling, like the moment when Nas wakes up from his dreams of being a gangsta and the piano loop comes back in just when he says "But just a n***a, walking with his finger on the trigger", It's like the song is slapping me awake when I listen to it but I just want to keep listening to it over and over again.
I find something really deep and powerful in this music...you can hear Nas discovering his own talent and self-worth, moving from hopelessness and despair at the social conditions he was living in, to a sense of empowerment, transcending it and packging his wisdom and experiences into an art form to broadcast to others.
This work I think was revolutionary, a lot like 36 Chambers by Wu-Tang. But this was executed by a single rapper...an impressive feat.
My only complaint is that Nas never seemed to achieve this same level...I still see this as his pinnacle work. I wonder how his career would have been different had he stepped down like Lauryn Hill did after dropping this album. I'm not sure much would have been lost, as there is little in Nas' later work that seems to achieve this same level.
This is not only one of my favorite albums, I think it is one of my favorite human creations.
There's just something about this album, whether you're a rap fan or not. Everything about it is so catchy, so slick, so musically and lyrically tasteful that you can't help but enjoy it. When I put this album on for the first time, I sat there listening through the whole thing struggling to understand where my enjoyment was coming from. That moment of struggle started a new interest in rap music and that shift has made an incredible impact on my musical tastes. I don't just enjoy this album, I'm thankful for it. I'm thankful that it forced me to change the way I looked at music and the genres I didn't understand. It taught me that there's always something to look forward to in any artistic endeavor and that if you keep your mind open to it, and keep your nose from pointing at the sky, you just might find something that speaks to you.
The vinyl is a must have for all collectors!
Top reviews from other countries
El tema de halftime tiene ligeramente un volumen más bajo pero fuera de eso el disco está perfecto.