Nas "Illmatic" 30th Ann. Mix (Side B, DJ Filthy Rich)

As promised, when Side B was released by DJ Filthy Rich, that mix would be posted ASAPually! Here it is, Side B aka 41st Side South; the 30th Anniversary Mix for the Nas classic, Illmatic. Like his previous mixes, Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich digs in the crates and blesses us with original samples, unique and original blends and remixes. Joints like "It Ain't Hard To Tell," "Nas Will Prevail," "Life's a Bitch," "Memory Lane," "The World Is Yours," and "One Time 4 Your Mind" are heard in original, remixed or blended form here on this mix. What else you wanna know? Click through and enjoy + hit the tags for more mixes and posts in tribute to the single greatest hip-hop album of all time. Dig in!

Nas "Illmatic" 30th Ann. Mix (Side A, DJ Filthy Rich)

A tribute to the classic Illmatic? Sure you right. Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich has blessed us with another fine mix; this is Side A in honor of the 30th Anniversary of the debut opus from Nas, Illmatic. Side A aka 40 Side North, includes a mix of original samples, original blends and remixes including early gems like "Live at the BBQ," "Back To The Grill," a freestyle from '93 on Stretch and Bobbito; blends to "Genesis," "Represent" and "Halftime," as well as the remix to "One Love" and more. Y'all already know, this is the single greatest hip-hop LP of all-time, to me... always has been. When Side B comes out, you bet it'll be posted here as well. Meanwhile, listen below and hit the tags for a dozen posts in honor of Illmatic over the years (press kits, publicity photos, mixes, reviews + more).

Nas "Illmatic" (Spin Magazine, 1994)

On "The World Is Yours," from his debut album Illmatic, Nasir "Nas" Jones says twice in a sly, Zen tenor, "I'm out for Presidents to represent me," and both times a stunned peanut gallery answers, "Say what?" But as producer Pete Rock sets the moody-mood with jazz-piano chords, the 20-year old rapper from New York's Queensbridge housing project drops the sneaky-deep punch line: "I'm out for dead Presidents to represent me." In other words, nobody represents him, and he's dead set on getting paid and figuring out why. Awaited as intently as the debuts of more cocksure virtuosos Big Daddy Kane and Snoop Doggy Dogg, Illmatic pays serious mind to uncertain sources, to abstract anxiety, spiritual and otherwise. Unlike the West Coast gangsta cartoonists (and their reactionary New York progeny, Wu-Tang Clan, Black Moon, and Onyx), Nas searches for an inner-calm to break down his left-field-corner crazy streak. And don't doubt that he's got one. In part incarnations--cameos on Main Source's "Live at the BBQ" and MC Serch's "Back to the Grill"--"Nasty" Nas impulsively swiped the spotlights with talk of "snuffin' Jesus" and "waving automatic guns at nuns." But Illmatic's guest producers--Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Large Professor, Q-Tip--don't exploit Nas's shock-jock tendencies. Instead, nudging him toward Rakim-like rumination, they offer subdued, slightly downcast beats, which in hip hop today means jazz, primarily of the '70s keyboard-vibe variety (samples here include Joe Chambers, Gary Burton, the Heath Brothers). Cont'd below...

For early-20s hip hoppers, jazz represents childhood background music, overheard from their parents' living rooms, and usually signifies the hazy, bittersweet sentimentality of growing up. In Nas's case, this is implicit: His dad, the jazz trumpeter Olu Dara (sideman with David Murray, Don Pullen, and others), let his son hang out in recording studios, but then, according to Nas, shrugged at his interest in hip hop. Dara's contributes a muted, vexing solo at the close of Illmatic's "Life's a Bitch," and one wonders how he feels about his son's remorseful-resentful, coming-of-age depictions. One of the positives about hardcore gangsta rap was its site-specific narratives. After a Too $hort, Ice-T, or Ice Cube song, you felt as if you'd been on a sunrise-to-sundown drive from one dead end of the 'hood to the other. Dr. Dre codified all that, meticulously recycling the same scenes ad nauseam, but Nas breathes life into the approach. Illmatic may be the most extensive tour of a housing project ever committed to CD, replete with sleeve photos of deceased friends, and housing police atop mountain bikes. On the Premier-produced "N.Y. State of Mind" and "Represent," Nas plays sleight-of-hand with syllables, taking us on an almost anti-narrative through lobbies where wide-eyed kids watch crack fiends scrap, and down stairways where teenage boys roll dice and laugh at baseheads. These are powerfully stressed-out images, but Nas hints that he's after something more personally revealing. In "The World Is Yours," he muses about writing "All the words past the margins," and it's there, past where most rappers bother to peek, that he may eventually find his truth. And when that search is as vivid as his tour of the projects, the comparisons to Rakim will be more deserved. - Spin (August, 1994). The album was reviewed as "Go directly to your local record store. Buy this album. Immediately. Kill if you must." The G.O.A.T. album.

DJ Premier "So Wassup?" ("Represent" Episode, Video)

The Greatest of All-Time, DJ Premier keeps on keepin' on with his phenomenal new series, So Wassup?, a tribute to the floppy disk! In this sixth episode, Premo breaks down "Represent" off Nas' debut album, Illmatic. At the time, Nas was "Nasty Nas." The track was originally called "Representin'" and the version on the album is actually the remix he made when he went back to remake the track (after hearing "One Love" from Q-Tip). We already know this, but hearing Premo break it down is always gonna be legendary. Props to Large Professor, who Premo credits as the sound of Nas, and who recruited him to come produce three tracks on the LP. The original beat for "Represent" was the first beat he made for Illmatic. It was a jazzy sample and fit the sound at the time. While "NY State of Mind" is arguably the best track on the album, "Represent" has always been one of my favorite Nas tracks in his whole catalog. The full video is below + the Art above is by Torre.Pentel.

Nas "Illmatic" (Daily News, 5/1/94)

"Little gets in the way of the words on the debut album from Nas. In an age when hip hop regularly distracts listeners from the rhymes with pop melodies, pungent horns and conventional R&B beats, New York rapper Nas strips this form back to its verbal roots. 'I make music for the crowd that keeps rap alive, not people who just found out about it yesterday,' he says. Small wonder the 20-year-old mike master from Queens has earned such juice in the rap underground. Among the jeep-and-beeper set, the anticipation surrounding the release of Nas' first album rivals the treatment the mainstream media built around Snoop Doggy Dogg before his debut. Which explains why Nas' "Illmatic" album is the highest-ranking debut on this week's Billboard Top 200 charts, arriving at No. 12 after moving nearly 60,000 copies in the last seven days. Not bad for a guy virtually unknown to the pop audience. Arch hip-hop fans first clued into the performer after he put in a guest rap on the track "Live at the BBQ" on the respected Main Source LP "Breaking Atoms." Nas, who says he has been writing raps since he was 9, got his break by tracking down Source member the Large Professor at his studio in Queens. The exposure earned him an audience with MC Serch (late of 3rd Bass), who cleared a spot on the "Zebrahead" soundtrack for the Nas track "Half Time." Nas' connections helped with his debut album. At the Large Professor's urging, some of hip-hop's hottest producers oversaw various tracks, including Q-Tip (from A Tribe Called Quest) and DJ Premier (from Gang Starr). 'They put me with the right [musical] material,' says the wordsmith. 'I found out you can't just rhyme to any beat.' As insistent as the album's beats may be, it's the words that make the record move. The album basically tells Nas' life story growing up in the Queensbridge Houses filled with journalistic detail and cinematic plots." Revisit Nas classic, Illmatic, cont'd below...

'In the projects we always say, 'I wished they made a movie here 'cuz they wouldn't need no story line, just show what happens,'' Nas explains. 'My album is like a movie. I just made my s--- verbal instead of visual.' His descriptions can be ugly and blood-soaked, but Nas avoids cheap shocks by always giving the violence human consequence. Whether writing a letter to a friend in prison ("One Love") or explaining why he likes to get high ("Life's A Bitch"), Nas has a knack for fleshing out his grit with wit and pathos. The sheer credibility of his writing could help swing some attention back on East Coast rap after years of media focus on West Coast gangstas like Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. In contrast to the pop-funk-driven sound of those performers, Nas aims for a more spacey, jazzy feel. Combined with his harsh words, that may keep him off radio, but Nas doesn't mind. 'I never made a record for radio,' he says. 'I rap to brighten my mind.'" - Daily News, 5/1/94.

Nas "Illmatic" (26th Anniversary + Billboard 4/2/94)

"The BUZZ on Nas, the newest rapper on Columbia's roster, is big and growing bigger.... "Illmatic" is the name of Nas' debut album, which is starting to ripple through Planet Rap. It's a colorful blend of events and experiences ("life, death, triumph, woe") as seen through his eyes. Its honesty and passion are palpable through and through. The title, says Nas, "is the sound of the type o' shit I'm on." Nas' introduction to the world came via "Live At The BBQ," an acknowledged classic from Main Source's 1990 album "Breaking Atoms." He rhymed chorus-line style along Akinyele, Large Professor, and Joe Fatal. Next, in 1992, he dropped "Halftime," which was featured on the Zebrahead motion picture soundtrack. The same year, Nas recorded several songs with Large Professor, including "It Ain't Hard To Tell," the first single from "Illmatic," wherein he declares his status as da muhfuggin' man. He got signed to Columbia based on the strength of a demo. To complete the album, Nas collaborated with other production scientists. They are Pete Rock, L.E.S., DJ Premier, and Q-Tip." As they say, the rest is history! Illmatic is the single greatest solo album in Hip-Hop history, and it deserves all the praise it gets - especially on it's (26th) Anniversary. More below in the article from Havelock Nelson in Billboard (April 2, 1994), specifically about their fax campaigns, securing press and the original Nas t-shirts that were designed to attract the attention of tastemakers. Happy 26th!

In addition to references to Illmatic, the story below about the Bloody Week on Staten Island makes mention of U-God's son being shot in a crossfire, Guy Routte's brother being shot, and an associate of Shyheim and the Wu-Tang being shot and killed. Guy was Shyheim's manager at the time and has been managing Pharoahe Monch for many years - he's also one of the nicest guys in the whole industry. Shyheim's "AKA The Rugged Child" was released on this day in 1994 as well, and "Speaking of homicides as they relate to his hometown, Shyheim rhymes in "On And On," his debut single, "This happens everyday around my way, so I pray that I could live another day." Amen."

Happy Born Day, Nas! (The World Is Yours)

Nas was born just 20 46 years ago in the Queensbridge Houses, a project in New York City, but his spirit is somewhat older. "My soul's been rapping since the first man walked in Africa," he says. "At night, my spirit still goes hunting down there." With the release of his debut album, Illmatic, Nas is being hailed as a savior of sorts, a man who can return hip-hop to its hardscrabble roots. "For a while, rap was into this black-power sh!t," he says. "Then it was that gangsta shi!t. But here we are, just talking about a young black man in Manhattan." Growing up in the projects, Nas listened to the Jackson 5 ("ABC" all the time," he says) and began perfecting his rap style in high school. He had become interested in writing and saw rap as the most direct way to get it all down, the good and bad and funny things that happen in the street. "Music is what I invent," he says. "It's what I write in the down low. So I want everyone to hear it. Jews, whites, blacks, Asians. Even if they don't like it, they need to hear it. If I can go to class and learn Hebrew or Spanish, if I can go to church and learn religion, they can learn rap." To fans, Nas is a sort of hip-hop Proust, getting down all the detail that creates an emotion. For his part, Nas attributes his effect to a certain solemnity. "I sit down and write my sh!t like Clinton is about to call me to the mike," he says. "Like I could tell Mr. Rudy Giuliani, 'Yo, bitch, f#cking b!tch-ass n!@@-r.' Know what I mean? Like when I rap, everyone can hear me." - Rolling Stone, 1994. Happy Born Day, Nas - this felt like a nice article to share today.

Nas "Illmatic" (25th Anniversary Mix by Chris Read)

April 19, 1994, saw the release of one of what would go on to be recognized as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, Nas‘s seminal debut, Illmatic. Following much-talked-about appearances on Main Source‘s “Live at the Barbecue,” MC Serch‘s “Back to the Grill,” and the release of the now classic soundtrack cut “Halftime,” Illmatic delivered on the hype with a compact ten-track offering helmed by the cream of mid-’90s hip-hop production talent: DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, and L.E.S.. Pairing crisp head-nod drums with an eclectic palate of jazz, funk, and soul samples, the all-star lineup of producers prepared a musical backdrop over which Nas delivers a no-holds-barred guided tour of life growing up in New York’s Queensbridge projects. Sampled cuts range from the timeless jazz of Ahmad Jamal and jazz-funk of Donald Byrd to the pop of Michael Jackson via well-sampled staples by the likes of Kool & the Gang. In celebration of the album’s twenty-fifth year, WhoSampled presents an exclusive mix of album cuts, remixes, interview snippets, and of course tracks sampled in the album’s making. Mixed by Chris Read, definitely check out his dope mix below...

Wax Poetics · Nas 'Illmatic' 25th Anniversary Mixtape mixed by Chris Read

Some Promo Pieces of Nas From My IG

Even when I go long patches of time without updating this site, I still post rather consistently onto my IG page, so if you're not following ... you should remedy that, lol. Perhaps not as much obscure stuff, but I do dig into publicity photos, promos, stickers and pieces of hip-hop nostalgia as often as I can. Above is a publicity photo for Nas, and an original logo sticker. Below is the press kit sent out for Illmatic XX, which I may or may not have posted here before. Just some little artiFACTS here and there + a plug for the IG. Hit me in the comments if you'd like to see more posts (or less posts) about certain things, maybe it'll inspire some new content or ideas for the site moving forward.

DJ Tiger "The Illmatic Guru" (Blend Mix)

Another fresh blend tape from DJ Tiger of Full Blast Radio... Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal (R.I.P.) over the classic beats of Nas' "Illmatic" album. A refreshing way of revisiting the ill concepts and messages of Guru over classic beats from DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, L.E.S., and Q-Tip. For more mixes and content, check out Full Blast Radio's Mixcloud page HERE. Enjoy the mix...

DJ Premier x Mass Appeal "Off The Record" (Videos)

Of all the artists he laced with his signature beats, Premo always had a special musical kinship with Nasty Nas. Premier reminisced on the session in the first installment of MASS APPEAL's new series, "Off The Record," where we get the stories behind the sessions that birthed classics. Premier also spoke about recording "Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)" with Nas, recalling the Queensbridge rapper's initial approach to attacking the beat and how the title was a compromise between the two musical geniuses. Take a look back at the making of two DJ Premier and Nas bangers below...

The next piece I'll also share is DJ Premier discussing the Gang Starr classic, "Mass Appeal." Premo shares the familiar tale, “We were really making fun of radio, and it became one of our biggest radio records ... We were just saying radio was watering down our stuff, so we were like, ‘You know what? It always sounds like the music in the elevator.” They knocked this one out the park, watch below...

Nas Breaks Down Lyrics to 'It Ain't Hard To Tell' (Video)

Nas recently sat down with Professor Elisa New to discuss the lyrics to his track “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” off his classic debut album, 'Illmatic.' With production by Large Professor, 'It Ain't Hard To Tell' was the second single, released in January of 1994. Nas' Illmatic was one of the first albums selected for the Hip-Hop Archive at Harvard University, and the University is also home to the Nasir Jones Fellowship. In the conversation, Nas breaks down lines like “Wisdom leaks from my grapefruit, troop” and “I dominate break loops," as well as going more in-depth on his "criminal slang." It's important to acknowledge that rap lyrics are poetry and should be recognized for the layers of complexity and sophistication embedded in each bar. In the words of Killer Mike, "If the record you open doesn't give you all that, then f#ck your favorite rapper." Watch the full conversation below.

AZ the Visualiza "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (Nov, 1995)

Back again with another 'Next' feature in Vibe, this one from November 1995 and featuring AZ (The Visualiza). By this time, AZ had already released his classic, life-changing verse on 'Life's A Bitch' off Nas' classic, 'Illmatic.' Off the strength of that, the Brooklyn-born MC was signed to EMI in a bidding war and released his debut album, 'Doe or Die,' on October 10, 1995. Speaking from his perspective at the time, AZ shares: “I just gather my thoughts and let my mind drift, ‘cause overall, all we got is memories and dreams… Thinking about my peoples that I lost in the world — and those that’s incarcerated — helps me feel like I gotta carry on the dream for those who never made it.” Those thoughts were a reflection of his original bars on 'Life's a Bitch,' and a mindstate that resonated with fans then ... and now. I sat with 'Doe or Die' for a long time, and remixes by Erick Sermon, the RZA, and Buckwild that weren't included on the album make it all the more official. And, let's not forget that 'Rather Unique' may be one of the best B-Sides to a lead single ('Sugar Hill') ... ever. AZ's sophisticated bars and unique voice set the tone for an album that is now part of Hip-Hop history, especially to those of us who came up in New York in '94-96. Underrated for 20+ years. 

Nas "Still ILL" (XXL, 2009)

Let me be clear, 'Illmatic' is my favorite hip-hop album of all-time. I've purchased the original 10-track masterpiece in every format, then every limited, special, anniversary, deluxe, you-name-it edition that has been released since. If you've read the argument that 14 is a 'magic age' in our development of musical taste and identity, then you can dig my mindstate during the year build up to the release of 'Illmatic' as a H.S. freshman in Queens. It was also Gang Starr and A Tribe Called Quest, as well as Pete Rock & CL, Jeru, etc ... but with Nas, I was still able to get DJ Premier, Q-Tip, and Pete Rock, as well as Large Pro & L.E.S. Today, I am going to share a few different posts on the album, so let's start with the feature above from XXL in 2009: a track by track breakdown with commentary from Serch, Jungle, Faith Newman, Large Pro, Busta, Q-Tip, Premo and more. Over the years, I think this was one of the best articles about the album. Happy 23rd to the classic: 'Illmatic!'

Elzhi "ELmatic" + "One Love Remix" (2011)

ELmatic (2011) is easily one of the best releases of the last decade! No question, Elzhi captured the essence of Illmatic, over-delivered lyrically, and Will Sessions recreated the production masterfully. I'd been anticipating Elmatic's release for two years ahead of its release. I believe the original idea was spawned by Houseshoes, but it didn't include reworking the production. Am I right on that? Fashawn put out Ode to Illmatic in 2010, and maybe Elzhi went back to the drawing board and a greater concept was birthed, because there were a few snippets over original Illmatic instrumentals released by Elzhi in 2009. I'm just speculating, but either way, what was created was better than anything I could have imagined. Today isn't its anniversary or anything, there's just never a bad time to put on ELmatic, and celebrate a masterpiece that celebrates the masterpiece...

So ... after listening to the album back to back to back in 2011, I sent a text to my artist, Eternia, and said to check out the project - specifically "One Love," as there was room at the end of that track for a verse. It was a subtle hint, but she was receptive, and days later, her "One Love Remix" was born. I think her verse at the end expertly complements the storyline and vibe of the track. We later met up with Elzhi at SOBs (NYC) - he showed love and it was dope to catch up with him and Jae Barber. Hear Eternia's remix to "One Love" below and cop El's project + instrumentals HERE. "Coulda been food for a tree, or a baby moms, a crack fiend, instead I am free! / Able to be / Not just a story, humble testimony from me / Now feel the glory that's comin' from up above... One Love."

Props to Elzhi for the official co-sign on the Remix, that still means a lot.

Nas "Next" Feature In Vibe Magazine (April, 1994)

"As vultures, rapists, and savages from major corporations worldwide swarm around the mentally dead sea of would-be studio-invented rappers, greedily searching for a raw morsel to tame their perverted taste buds, a genuine lyrical B-boy by the name of Nas (formerly Nasty Nas) has emerged from behind the intellectual clouds left by weak artists, faked funk, and wasted radio airtime. Illmatic, his debut album is sending shock waves throughout the hip hop world, while pretenders stand still, trying to catch the beat and wondering which step they missed." - Nas, Vibe (April, 1994). Welp, that says it all, I have nothing more to add that you don't already know lol 

Nas x Pete Rock "Time Is Illmatic" (Mix)

What more can you ask for: a Nas mixtape done by the legendary Pete Rock! In Pete Rock's words: "I was motivated to produce this mixtape because "Time is Illmatic is a part of hip-hop history that everyone should know about, and have in both their music and now film collection." If you haven't seen the 'Time Is Illmatic' documentary, I agree that it's a must-own for its insight into Nas' vision as a teenager; making 'Illmatic' to his growth as a man and an emcee. His brother, Jungle, is also one of the most colorful personalities, stealing every moment he's featured in on the documentary. I found it a bit difficult to connect with Nas' father, Olu Dara, but I would never judge their relationship and it gave me a greater appreciation for the strength of Nas' mother, who made great sacrifices and raised a resilient family. Lastly, a P.S.A. from DJ Premier, "If Illmatic ain't in your stash, you can never, ever call yourself a hip-hop motherf#cker!" Talk to 'em, Preem! Listen to this great mix below...

Nas "Illmatic: Most Overlooked Album" (The Source, 1/98)

"We hate to say it, but The Source told you so. It's time to recognize and realize that Illmatic is a classic, kiko. Before the pop crowd jumped on Nas' "If I Ruled The World," steez, real hip-hop heads knew the hidden jew-elz to be found on this propitious opus. With DJ Premier, Large Professor, L.E.S., Pete Rock and Q-Tip providing a subtle but engaging production framework, Nas' luminous lyrics and brilliant narratives remain cemented in the minds of many listeners. This record is hip-hop in its purest form. Subtly dynamic, songs like the jailhouse dedication "One Love," the freestyle bravado of "Represent" and the vivid "New York State of Mind," helped bring Nas' politics acclaim to the point where people were quick to compare him to the god Rakim. Along with the work of fellow soloists The Notorious B.I.G. and Jeru The Damaja, Illmatic also helped bring respect back to the New York rap scene and implanted a foundation that would allow Nas to later reap the benefits of his indubitable artistry." - The Source, "The Most Overlooked Album." (January, 1998). Look back...

Nas Interview (Hip-Hop Connection, 1993)

At 19-years old, a young Nasty Nas spoke with Hip-Hop Connection, check it out: "Large Professor, that was my man before he made a record," Nas explains. "He was just out here in Queens, my man introduced me to him 'cause he knew I could rhyme. I was about to stop till I met him. He had some beats for me and shit back in '89. Me and him was working together trying to come out and then he got a record deal and since me and him was cool he just put me on that record ("Live At The BBQ") to give me some light." In the music biz, it's often said that it's who you know that gets your foot in the door, but in Nas' case this wasn't so. "It was difficult getting a deal," says Nas. "Like nobody wanted to hear what I was saying they wanted to hear them other records like "OPP," when that type of shit was big... record labels didn't really know what time it was. I thought that was strong enough to get me a deal but it wasn't." He admits that "Back To The Grill" wasn't exactly his flavor at the time, "I didn't really wanna do it, but that's what got me my real light y'know." Moving on to "Halftime," Nas says "It means like intermission, when I be hearing a lot of bullshit or when the breaks come, that was like half time of the song" and that numbers and accolades didn't much to him, "I'm only concerned with the street vibe..." To close out the interview, Nas proclaims "I want to be President Of The United States." - HHC, 1993... I wonder if he still feels that way today?!

DJ Moneyshot "Half Man Half Amazing" (Mixtape, 2014)

20 years ago, Nas released his legendary Illmatic album! DJ Moneyshot has put together an outstanding tribute mix, Nas: Half-Man Half-Amazing as an audio documentary threading together sample sources, interview footage and remixes, alongside the original Illmatic tracks. Hear the vocabulary, the flow and the rhythm expertly delivered by Nas, backed up by the sublime production of Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Large Professor and Q-Tip, plus original samples from Lee Erwin, The Heath Brothers, Ahmad Jamal and Reuben Wilson. Don't put this in your box if your sh!t eats tapes!