Nas’s debut album Illmatic is the king among kings of mid-’90s classic hip hop albums, and thirty years later, the music industry is finally recognizing what made Illmatic a game changer for the rap genre.

Despite this album being the debut album of Nas’s career, it quickly boosted him to the top of the rap game and established Nas as the “Best Rapper Alive” in 1994. Illmatic also pronounced Nas as the “King of New York,” a title that would later be given to the likes of Nortorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Pop Smoke.

Although the rap game has gone through many changes since this album was released, Illmatic is still prevalent to the music being created today, particularly among East Coast rap. Albums such as Ready To Die by The Notorious B.I.G., The Infamous by Mobb Deep, Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z, Friday Night Lights by J. Cole, and “good kid,” “m.A.A.d city” by Kendrick Lamar have all credited Illmatic as a major influence to their projects.

Illmatic became the game-changing album it is known to be today due to a combination of never-before-seen production and lyricism with intense content and a creative passion for storytelling.

Nas’ ability to encapsulate his emotions and thoughts into lyrics made his album easy to listen to yet hard to fully comprehend. The production of the album was also astray from how the typical rap album was made. Illmatic was one of the first rap albums to bring a group of producers together to work on one project instead of the one artist and one producer collaboration. Nas was able to convince talented producers such as DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Q-Tip to put their strengths together and make diverse sounds and beats, an idea typically not used in the rap genre. 

As for the album itself, Nas’s ability to put memories and dreams together into lyrics with his intense voice made the 39 minutes it takes to fully listen to the album flash by in the blink of an eye.

The ten-track masterpiece surrounds itself with the struggles, battles, and triumphs of a young man growing up in the Queensbridge Houses of New York City. In a documentary speaking about the influence and reasoning behind his album, Nas said he wanted listeners to get a sense of “what the streets felt like, or they sounded like, tasted like, smelled like.” 

On the opening track, Genesis, Nas sets the stage for the stories soon to come throughout the album. Although not the most popular song to listen to on its own, Genesis is essential to the concept of the album because it is a prelude of things to come. Listeners can even hear the sound of a subway in the background of the track, giving the album a classic New York City feeling. This is no regular subway, however, as it is actually a sample from Grand Wizard Theodore’s Subway Theme, which was featured in the first major rap movie, “Wild Style.” 

Following Genesis, Nas blesses the listeners’ ears with possibly the greatest rap song of all time, NY State of Mind. Mixing with the incredible production of DJ Premier, Nas displays his true talents as a writer and lyricist. 

Throughout the song, Nas is able to paint the picture of the harsh realities of growing up in the crime and poverty-stricken streets of Queensbridge. In addition, this song is also used as a wake-up call to other artists, with Nas announcing himself as the next great rapper. This song also gives us one of the most popular lyrics created of all time, “I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death,” which has been used by the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Big Pun, Ill Bill, and The Game. NY State of Mind was and still is a testament to the talent Nas has as a writer.

However, track three of Illmatic is equally as impressive as the first two.

Life’s a *****, containing features from AZ and Nas’s father, Olu Dara, is a prime example of Nas’s ability to flow effortlessly on any beat. While Nas once again acknowledges the difficulties with growing up and living in the streets of New York, He also highlights the joys of life, such as finding love and finding success in his music. AZ also delivered an incredible guest verse, as he smoothly flowed over the beat in a similar way to Nas. Together, they created the perfect song to kick back and relax while enjoying the beauties that the world has to offer. As they wrap up the song, you can hear Olu Dara playing a trumpet solo, which is the perfect conclusion that counters the lyrics of Nas and AZ perfectly.

As the trumpet fades, you quickly hear Nas re-enter your ears, the que that The World Is Yours has begun. 

Produced by Pete Rock, the smooth jazz beat becomes the perfect counter to Nas’s intense voice as he declares “the world is yours” to all of his listeners. As Nas once again reflects on the struggles of his upbringing, he also urges listeners to follow their passions and dreams as they battle through the challenges of life. The World Is Yours has also reached ears around the globe, thanks to artists such as Jay-Z, Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan, and Kendrick Lamar, who have all used it as a sample in their own music. In addition, The World Is Yours has also been used in countless movies and TV shows, such as Breaking Bad. Reaching more ears has only helped Illmatic grow over the years, with Nas’s message about following your dreams being heard by the likes of millions.

Nevertheless, track number five on the album, Halftime, is the exact moment Nas put the rest of the music industry on notice that he was the next superstar artist.

Nas’s gritty and hardcore voice is on display from the second the song begins when he raps over the Schoolboy Crush sample by Average White Band. As the song continues, he touches once again on the struggles of poverty and violence before switching his focus. Nas then begins to rap about trying to make a name for himself in the rap community while also trying to create music that will have a lasting impact around the world. Nas uses the title Halftime to mark a turning point in his career, going from the unknown Queensbridge kid living on the streets to one of the most popular artists alive.

Following Halftime, Nas enters track six with a more poetic style than the rest of the album.

On Memory Lane (Sittin’ in da Park), Nas digs deep into his bag of tricks as an artist to give listeners vivid descriptions of his memories as a child growing up in New York. He takes his listeners on a journey through his past as he raps about friends and family he has lost, struggles growing up in Queensbridge, and the music that inspired him to become a rapper. Memory Lane was a way for Nas to display his gratitude to those who helped get him to where he is now, as well as a way to pay homage to those he lost along his journey to stardom. 

Nas was also able to engage his listeners in a way different from his typical style, by showing emotion. A concept that was not the norm in East Coast rap in the 1990s, Nas’s soulful and introspective lyrics were able to not just give his listeners a new style of music but also the entire East Coast rap culture. To add to the masterful storytelling is, once again, DJ Premier’s incredible production that created the perfect marriage for Nas to rap about his past.

Furthermore, Nas once again shows his emotional side on track seven, One Love.

One Love has a very simple yet powerful message, as Nas is writing to a few of his friends who are locked up in jail. Nas uses his ability as a lyricist to paint the picture of life on the outside, capturing both the good and bad of living on the streets instead of behind bars. As Nas offers words of encouragement for his friends locked up, he gives them hope for a brighter future once they are released. Outside of its obvious message of friendship, One Love also paints a picture of a brotherhood-like bond between friends who grew up together in communities such as Queensbridge.

Once again, Nas elevates this song even more by adding incredible production by Q-Tip, a member of A Tribe Called Quest at the time. Q-Tip’s jazzy and soulful beat adds an extra layer of smoothness to One Love, helping capture and emphasize the importance of brotherhood in society. 

Moving on to track number eight, One Time is one of the lesser-known tracks from Illmatic. Nas puts his incredible flow on display throughout the song as he raps effortlessly about the joy and pain found in life daily. In almost a conversation-like flow, Nas is able to use pauses in his rhymes to let each lyric sink in as soon as it hits the listeners’ ears, giving this song a new layer of depth that other tracks on Illmatic do not reach. An important piece to the overall concept of the album, One Time is wildly underrated when it comes to Nas’s catalog.

On track nine, Represent, Nas brings back the gritty style that was displayed earlier on tracks such as NY State Of Mind. As he raps about the intense dangers facing people on the street every day, his masterful lyrics are once again on display when he exclaims, “And any day could be your last in the jungle.” Nas’s flow and intense imagery perfectly match the vibe set by yet another DJ Premier beat. Using a George Clinton drumline and a sample by the organist Lee Erwin, DJ Premier is able to have his banging beat mix perfectly with the hardcore rhymes of Nas.

As the album comes to a conclusion, the final track It Ain’t Hard to Tell solidifies Nas among the best artists of the 1990s. This song is all about Nas, from bragging about reaching the top, to his skill as both an artist and MC, Nas showcases his confidence and skill as a rapper by preaching he is “half-man, half-amazin’.” In addition to Nas’s confident flow, Large Professor crafted the perfect beat to compliment his intense style. Using a smooth jazzy beat with a sample from Human Nature by Michael Jackson, It Ain’t Hard to Tell had greatness written all over it. The perfect conclusion to Nas’s debut album, It Ain’t Hard to Tell, cemented Nas as a dominating talent in the rap community while solidifying his place among the greatest in rap.

Nas’s talents have since been recognized globally, as Illmatic still brings in record numbers. Over the last 30 years, the album has reached households across the world, selling two million CD copies as of 2019 while bringing in nearly 900 million streams on Spotify, including over 500 thousand daily.

Overall, Nas’s Illmatic was a hard-hitting and intense masterpiece that set the standard for future rap albums. His talent has influenced many great artists today, and his abilities as a lyricist portray the raw and unfiltered life of New York in the 1990s.