You completely missed the point. People went back and checked/copped Illmatic because of Stillmatic. It isn't a coincidence that Illmatic went platinum a week before Stillmatic dropped. There was renewed interest in the album, which possibly prompted the label to ship more units.
doggystyle is better than illmatic
- Thread starter GetRichOrDieTryin
- Start date
You completely missed the point. People went back and checked/copped Illmatic because of Stillmatic. It isn't a coincidence that Illmatic went platinum a week before Stillmatic dropped. There was renewed interest in the album, which possibly prompted the label to ship more units.
bigbadbossup2012
Biggest baddest boss
No, I got exactly what you were saying. I'M SAYING, the east coast bias promotional train never slowed down, so calling Stillmatic that, wasn't as big of a jolt to the illmatic brand as you're giving it credit for. It has remained an east coast media darling the whole time.
Smoke hard white, brehs
T.he I.nformant
1st Ballot HOF Teller
Man, what’s cap is you trying to act like it was just some run of the mill album. There’s a reason a lot of people, not just the media, mention it as the hip-hop bible or that they measure other great albums by bringing up illmatic. There are people from all around the world from all walks of life who love that album and it ain’t because they were brainwashed by the media. Don’t take my word for it, though, listen to Snoop and some of those artists who aren’t from the east coast. Most of them hold illmatic in high regard.
Don’t get me wrong, though, doggystyle was special too. It had immediate and broad appeal. I think some of that had to do what was going on outside of the music but the music itself was undeniable. Do you give the media any credit for how doggystyle is viewed like you do for illmatic?
bigbadbossup2012
Biggest baddest boss
It was a run of the mill album. Stop reading white magazines with Asian hooker rating albums
Wow youse a hata
T.he I.nformant
1st Ballot HOF Teller
bigbadbossup2012
Biggest baddest boss
Not at all, just telling the truth.Wow youse a hata
Forget Illmatic's press, what's Illmatic's legacy according to Nas peers/other rappers:
Jay Z: "I had the Illmatic on bootleg, that shyt was so ahead, thought we all dead", "Its like 93, 94, about the year Big and Mack dropped and Illmatic rocked"
Biggie: "And I definitely didn't think I was gonna win lyricist with Nas on it"
Pac: *showed up to his court case playing Illmatic so loud the bailiff told him to lower it*
G. Rap: *put Nas on his album cover.*
Wu: *put Nas as the first-non Wu member to be on a Wu album*
Mobb Deep: *inspired Hav and P to up their game for The Infamous*
Fat Joe: *names his son Nas*
Jay, Big L, a million other rappers: *sampled Nas voice for their hooks*
Dogg Pound: *West Coast artists who collaborate with Nas*
Kanye, Drake, Kendrick, Cole, Eminem, Lupe, etc: *idolize Nas*
Every big name producer in the game: *wants to work with Nas*
Their opinion on Illmatic and Nas > yours
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94 wasn’t the most successful era of rap. But your overall point, on a surface level, is accurate. I’ve been trying to go deeper and have a nuanced discussion on this, but you just want toon the surface, so carry on.
When has one year ever been considered an "era?"
bigbadbossup2012
Biggest baddest boss
This is why I love documented reports of how the fans acted. And according to financial supporters, it was just another album, in real time. Naming a bunch of peers born on the east or younger rappers whom were born into east coast bias influence media brain washing, doesn't mean much.
Stop it. I named some of the greatest, most influential rappers of all time (Pac, Big, Jay, G Rap, etc) and many of the biggest rappers of today. These are Nas peers for a reason - they are great just like him. And when they aren't peers but influences on Nas, old school pioneers like G. Rap and others like Slick Rick or LL or whoever, they also acknowledge Illmatic as a masterpiece. Why you think Dre worked with him on IWW, East Coast/West Coast Killaz and The Firm? Does the biggest west coast producer of all time have an east coast bias too? Lmao. As far as the newer rappers I named - most of them aren't NY'ers. They are from the Midwest (Kanye, Eminem), the West (Kendrick, plus Nipsey who I just remembered was also such a big Nas fan that he wanted to make a documentary on the original I Am...), the South (Cole) and even Canada (Drake).
As far as the financial aspect, sometimes it takes some time for some great shyt to catch up to the mainstream (if it does at all). Not just in rap - in other genres of music, in movies, in TV shows, etc. It happens. On the flipside there's also a bunch of bullshyt that sells millions. From Milli Vanilli to Vanilla Ice to Cardi B.
MurderToCassette
Sa Da Tay
Reginald Dennis (who ran The Source’s editorial department) admitted he fukked up not giving The Chronic 5 Mics and that it set the stage for people to think there was a bias against the west. Funny enough, the only album to get 5 mics under his watch between 90-94 was Illmatic and he said he didn’t even like it 
From: The Source Magazine (Early 90's) Part 1: The Greatest Story Never Told
“I set the ceiling at 4.5; it happened on my watch and I take full responsibility for the error.
Not giving The Chronic 5 mics did two things. One, it increased the level of background talk that The Source was biased against the West Coast. And two, it made getting 5 mics in The Source all the more desirable. In 1992, The Source was still the law of the land and people tended to go along with it. So, if The Chronic wasn’t worthy of 5 mics, then what was? It also elevated the historic status and overall value of the half dozen or so records that had received 5s in the past. By not getting 5 mics, The Chronic did more to elevate the status of the 5 mic club than any record that had previously received the award. It was the event that cemented the mics as Hip Hop’s governing standard.”
From: The Source Magazine (Early 90's) Part 1: The Greatest Story Never Told
“I set the ceiling at 4.5; it happened on my watch and I take full responsibility for the error.
Not giving The Chronic 5 mics did two things. One, it increased the level of background talk that The Source was biased against the West Coast. And two, it made getting 5 mics in The Source all the more desirable. In 1992, The Source was still the law of the land and people tended to go along with it. So, if The Chronic wasn’t worthy of 5 mics, then what was? It also elevated the historic status and overall value of the half dozen or so records that had received 5s in the past. By not getting 5 mics, The Chronic did more to elevate the status of the 5 mic club than any record that had previously received the award. It was the event that cemented the mics as Hip Hop’s governing standard.”
bigbadbossup2012
Biggest baddest boss
His peers you named were born on the east and the younger folks you named were influenced by the ever powerful bias media. As far as Dre, despite being the goat, he was lost and confused after Death Row, thank God he found some direction with Eminem.