Illmatic (Clear Vinyl)

Description

In 1994, hip-hop was going through an at-times painful growth spurt. Since N.W.A.’s and Ice-T’s ascent in the late ’80s, the rap game was no longer owned by the East Coast. After the worldwide popularity of Dr. Dre’sThe Chronicin 1992, things were looking even worse for hip-hop’s hometown. The East Coast / West Coast feud that would later indirectly claim the lives of Biggie and 2Pac was still in its infancy, but New York needed a shot in the arm.The hype behind young Queensbridge nativeNasir “Nas” Joneshad been in full swing months before his smash debut albumIllmatic, thanks to Columbia Records’ promo machine. From his earliest appearance on Main Source’s “Live at the BBQ,” to his own accomplished debut “Half Time” (as Nasty Nas, on theZebraheadsoundtrack in late 1992), it was clear that this kid was something special.

In fact, the pressure on him must have been overwhelming at times. April 19, 1994 couldn’t have come soon enough.And as soon as the first lines of “N.Y. State of Mind” kick in, bolstered by perhapsDJ Premier’sdarkest beat of all time, the entire East Coast breathed a collective sigh of relief. God’s Son had arrived. Backed by an absolute all-star cast of New York’s top-shelf producers Premier,Pete Rock,Large Professor,Q-Tipand a youngster namedL.E.S. the album never lets up. Serious to a fault, and lyrically dense to an extent that has possibly never been matched, the 20-year oldNasstood on the shoulders of his predecessors and proudly proclaimed, “Don’t fuck with the East…we are back.”

Illmaticwas actually a slow-burn, which might surprise fans that have come to its genius more recently. Despite an unheard-of “5 Mics” inThe Source despite an unwritten rule of never awarding classic status to debuts it didn’t go gold until early 1996, and didn’t hit platinum status until late 2001. But when you dive deeper that shouldn’t be a shock: like Black Moon and Wu-Tang’s debuts, it was a dark, hard record, tailor-made for heads in New York. There were no dance beats, no crossover love songs. Just boom-bap and rhymes, skills and heart.

Tracks

1. The Genesis
2. N.Y. State of Mind
3. Life’s A Bitch
4. The World Is Yours
5. Halftime
6. Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park)
7. One Love
8. One Time 4 Your Mind
9. Represent
10. It Ain’t Hard To Tell