<p>When one is given the unenviable task of naming the greatest hip-hop album of all time, it&#8217;s not entirely uncommon to see <a href="/profile/Nas" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Nas</a>&#8217; <em>Illmatic </em>named as one of the go-to picks. Originally released on this day, twenty-seven years ago in 1994, it&#8217;s fair to say that the rap landscape has shifted rather drastically. Even in Nas&#8217; own home city of New York, where the current crop of rising stars is exploring the rising drill movement to great effect.</p>
<p>At the time of <em>Illmatic&#8217;s </em>release, however, the era was strictly golden in nature. Production, which was handled by names like Pete Rock, <a href="/profile/DJPremier" class="text-word" target="_blank" >DJ Premier</a>, <a href="/profile/ErickSermon" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Erick Sermon</a>, <a href="/profile/therza" class="text-word" target="_blank" >RZA</a>, <a href="/profile/Havoc" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Havoc</a>, Large Professor, and more, featured heavy use of sampling. The aesthetic was, more often than not, rugged and raw &#8212; qualities that reflected the lifestyle and surroundings of the emcees. When Nas ultimately stepped up to deliver his own debut album, he was only twenty years old. <em>Illmatic&#8217;s </em>release was only two years removed from the death of Nas&#8217; friend and collaborator Ill Will, who was murdered in a Queensbridge shooting.</p>
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<p>Having lived through tragedy and experienced a rise on the competitive and cutthroat rap scene, Nas entered the game with wisdom beyond his years. His reflections remain poignant to this day, his penmanship a key element behind the album&#8217;s infinite replay value. In fact, <em>Illmatic </em>was recently inducted into the <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/nas-illmatic-inducted-into-library-of-congress-recording-registry-news.128983.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Library of Congress&#8217; National Recording Registry,</a> a testament to its role in shaping American musical culture as we know it.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/userfiles/63/14/611463_92a8c73856cfe782cf58d6bc82188322.jpg" alt="Nas' &quot;Illmatic&quot; Turns 27 Today"></figure>
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<p>Though <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/nas-on-illmatic-anniversaries-im-tired-of-celebrating-it-news.93588.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"><em>Illmatic&#8217;s </em>reputation casts a large shadow</a>, occasionally shrouding some of Nas&#8217; other excellent bodies of work from the spotlight, it remains impressive to see an album that remains so revered twenty-seven years removed from its release. In honor of the album&#8217;s birthday, consider sharing your favorite songs from <em>Illmatic </em>in the comments below. Congratulations, Nas &#8212; and many thanks for delivering a timeless project to the game. </p>
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