Art and Culture # 101: The Joy and Decisive Beauty of Nas’s Illmatic
-For the Uncensored!
In the world of hip hop and rap music, the confirmation of a classic sometimes has to be understood as a born classic within the moment and how time perceives a classic. Nas’s Illmatic, released on April 19th 1994, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, Nas, Nasty Nas, Escobar, had a definite voice that can still charm the world and it wasn’t through industry clout, either. If the condition of being a rapper is to always figure out what makes a beat accessible, the lyrics must guide the listener’s ears into a journey beyond the simple plastic melted CD that shaped so many of my generation. The test of being a sufficient classic is that Nas did have the respect of his peers. The question is bearing the industry’s standards and how the next generation would be able to listen to that classic without finding weakness or flaws that could put the new listener at a disadvantage.
It would be hard to match Nas’s Illmatic to the guttural wasteland of music in 2022. Nothing could be compared to Nas’s lyrics, but in its own right, the lyrics neither wither or age with each listen. It’s like comparing Shakespeare to David Baldacci, both are incomparable and that comparison itself wouldn’t cut the mustard, either. The continual enjoyment of Illmatic comes with the persistence of being called “commercial”[1] but in the 90’s, rap had no bar to set for Nas and his generation. They had only to look at the 1980’s and see that Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, and even NWA paid the way for them to take their music whever they wanted.
What makes Illmatic a classic is that no matter what song Nas’s raspy voice rapping away, reaches beyond time and contemporary ears taste. When the listener turns on Illmatic, even in my own reintroduction, the sounds of subways, he says on “NY State of Mind,” “Run like a cheetah, thoughts like an assassin” and “sleep is the cousin of death” and “I’m just a nigga, walking with his finger on the trigger, make enough money until his pockets get bigger,” and “give me a Smith and Wesson, and I’ll have niggas undressing” and “life is parallel to hell, so I remain prosperous” this reminds the listener knows, Nas is not playing around. The gift of being talented is the way rappers put words together.
It’s so hard to dissect every song, but Nas, in his career, has never had to make another album better than Illmatic, because it would be like a sharpshooter always having to shoot straight, but never have a goal beyond hitting a moving target. Nas, in all actuality, made an equally wonderful sequel to Illamatic, called It was Written, which is itself the true sequel to Illmatic. Because the point is: Nas was crafting a work of art that no matter what time or place can help old and young understand the passion of being an artist that no matter time, a listener could hear the decisive youthful spirit of artistry that no other could achieve or even master.
. “Vinnie Paz on Mainstream Rap, Melody, 50 Cent” Vinnie Paz. Found 12.27.2022.
-Louis Bruno is the author of more than 20 books, including, The Michael Project, The Michael Project: Book 2: The Lost Children of Eve, Thy Kingdom Come, The Disintegrating Bloodline Part 2: Chaos, The Data Chase, The Disintegrating Bloodline part 3: Solvè, The Disintegrating Bloodline (and the original text re-released in 2019), Apocalypse Soldier, The Data Chase, Selection: The First Book of the Life and Death Saga, and Blinking Eyes: The Second Book of the Life and Death Saga, Hierarchy of Dwindling Sheep, The City of Sand, The God of Curiosity, To the Moon and Back, The Villain Lives and The Villain Lives: The Divided Pinpoint, Come Home, Young One. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Phoenix. His books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Lulu. He can be found on Gab, https://gab.com/thereallouistbruno, Minds https://www.minds.com/lbruno8063/. Instagram @lbrruno8063 and @louisbrunoofficialbook. Twitter: https://twitter.com/LouisBr88881650. He has written for the Intellectual Conservative and Ephemere. His newest book, The Voices Are Alive is out now: https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/louis-bruno/the-voices-are-alive/hardcover/product-mvggdg.html?page=1&pageSize=4. Also, if you can’t subscribe so that you can get members only content, please be sure to share the articles, as well. If you do Subscribe, you have long term access to the paid articles that some readers won’t get to see or access after the articles/books go private. If that doesn’t tickle your pickle, I am also selling merch from t spring, if you want to help support me in other ways. I sell hoodies, shirts, phone cases, and trying to find something there loved ones would like. Links here: https://thereallouistbruno.creator-spring.com/listing/too-many-strings-not-enough. https://thereallouistbruno.creator-spring.com/listing/duck-fuckery. https://thereallouistbruno.creator-spring.com/listing/headless-corpo. Every little like, subscribe share, helps. Thanks for reading.