Bleep

It’s impossible to overstate the influence of Nas’ Illmatic, despite the years of hype and praise assigned to its legacy since its 1994 release. The young MC's debut, unmatched in its tough-as-nails beats and hard-knock life wisdom, may as well have risen fully formed from the smoggy streets of Queens, New York.

Not only did Illmatic cement Nas’ status as one of the all-time greats of hip-hop, it also gave east coast hip-hop the shot in the arm it sorely needed. Some 30 years on from its release and the hip hop world is still reeling from Illmatic’s power. The synergy between Nas’ singular flows and the expertly crafted beats from legends like DJ Premiere, Pete Rock, Q Tip, and Nas himself was a true meeting of the moment at a critical inflection point for the artform. As much a celebration of the New York scene as it was a coming out moment for its breakout star, Illmatic is a true event album in every respect, and untouchable in its glory. An album this beloved needs little fanfare, so here’s Columbia simply dusting off the legend and getting it back out on wax for the 30th anniversary.

illmatic is largely spoken of in hushed terms like a historical document more than a collection of stellar hip hop tracks, but there’s so much to grab onto here musically. A verifiable blueprint for any classicist-leaning rap in its wake, tricks like the snappy, almost elastic drums and chiming string and percussion samples on tracks like ‘Halftime’ and ‘Represent’ are like DNA strands at this point. Smash singles like ‘The World Is Yours’ and ‘N.Y. State of Mind’ still stun, but it's the laidback storytelling of ‘Memory Lane’ that may bear the most influence on New York rap today.