Illmatic 20th anniversary today, your reaction to 5 mics in Source?

[mobbinfms]

I was like they gave this 5 but Doggystyle 4 mics?

They fukked up the rating for Doggystyle. Doesn't mean Illmatic wasn't five. Doesn't mean a lot of 5 mic east coast albums didn't get 4.5.

 

[zerozero]

brehs remember the old usenet posts? I looked up a couple

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.rap/SHAE1nysAvg/J8pli6HEyG4J

Nas-Illmatic

***Look, this is NOT the second coming...please get off the Source's
jock!!!***

Highs:
-The hype about Nas is all that...a gifted lyricist if there ever
was one...can turn a flat track into a hype one...
-Large Professor, Q-Tip, Premier...'nuff said
-It's finally out.

Lows:
-Album of the year? In April? Please...ya'll are trippin'
-The beats are nice but I think they're ill matched at times.
-The quality vs. quantity doesn't make sense considering how
skilled Nas is...it's not like anybody ever complained about
Rakim running out of fat tracks in his early days.

This is a good album. This is a great album. This is probably
the best debut to come out of New York since Black Moon's "Enta Da Stage."
BUT, this is not the classic everybody's been calling...for sure, everyone
will be hypin' this album and 12" of the singles will get mad play. But a
classic? A classic debut? Like "People's Instinctive Travels..." or "3
Feet High and Rising?" Naw man. Like "Criminal Minded" or "Paid In Full?"
C'mon.
The real gem of this LP is Nas. All the hype about his lyricism
is dead on. His flow is tight and he can switch styles, from story
telling to straight braggadocio, on a dime.
The production is tight, thanks to three of THE best producers
out there: DJ Premier (GangStarr), Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest), Large
Professor (on a self mission).
The problems with the album start with the length. I don't what
you say, but there are only 7 tracks on this baby that anyone into hip
hop hasn't heard. Genesis isn't a real track...Halftime and It Ain't
Hard to Tell have been released already. 7 tracks? If it was an EP,
that'd be cool, but a full length LP? That sh*t's half what other people
are putting out.
Musically, the tracks were smooth, jazzy and nice depending, but
Nas needs to roll off the smoother sh*t and get with some harder beats.
I'm not talking gangsta, but just something rougher. I'd like to see him
hook up with Diamond D. or Showbiz. For the most part, the tracks were
well produced, but few tracks nailed me to the wall, screaming in my ear,
"I'm dope! I'm hella DOPE!!!" A classic needs to have jams like that,
lyrics ain't gonna cut it alone. Plus, Life's a Bit*h had me reaching
for the fast forward button on Nas got his flow on.

The Genesis-Nice, rough drum track sets the album off on a good note.
Nas drops the 411 on what his sh*t is all about.

N.Y. State of Mind (Premier)-Dark track...set by a moody bass and
sinister piano trinkle tinkle. Definitely not your bouncey, danceable
sh*t here. Nas rocks the lyrics in perfect synch, drawing the listener
into the NY he knows... Powerful track...

Life's a bytch (LES)-Weakest production...waaaaay too smooth for Nas to
be flowing over. But the lyrics are fat...I can't front. And the chorus
is surprisingly good considering the weak ass choruses I've been hearing
lately. Basically, forget the music and just listen to the lyrics.

The World Is Yours (Pete Rock)-Surprise, surprise, Pete Rock manages NOT
to play himself out. I didn't find the chorus that bad...and as someone
else pointed out, it would've a hell of a lot easier for Pete Rock to
have sample Slick Rick instead. The piano has a way funky quality to it
mainly because it trips back and forth. Lyrics are ok...I like Nas' flow
here as he shuttles back and forth, just like the track.

Halftime-Classic. 'Nuff said.

Memory Lane (Premier)-My own nomination for favorite track on the album.
Very unPremier like considering his last couple of contributions to his
own album as well as KRS-One. But enjoyable nonetheless...funky and
playful.

One Love (0-Tip)-So this is the track that everyone calls their
favorite. Lyrically, I can't front...Nas puts together a powerful
message to his brothers locked down...I couldn't help but to think of Yo
Yo's Letter to the Pen which is on the same tip and as fat as Yo Yo's
sh*t was, Nas breaks it down better. As for the track, the xylophone is
increadible as you follow it scale up and down. Q-Tip gets 'nuff props.
It's jazzy without sounding hip hop/jazzy and subtle enough to set the
tone without f-in up Nas' flow.

One Time 4 Your Mind (Large Professor)-Extra P finally gets to do a track
which we haven't heard already. As a tangent, I think Large Professor is
the East Coast producer who has the best idea of basslines and how to use
them, though Beatnuts give him a run for his money. This track is no
difference...the bassline is fat.

Represent (Premier)-Props to Premier for this haunting music box sample.
Nas flows as usual...

It Ain't Hard to Tell-Peep the remix for some real fat sh*t.

Last Notes: Like I said, this is a great album...it just isn't ALL that
and a bag of chips. Honestly, I think the production should've been
better match with Nas' flow...he just isn't on the smooth tip and even
his jazzier tracks don't quite capture Nas' genius. That plus he needs
to give us more, more, more. I hate to think how long it's gonna take
for his sophomore effort to drop... That album has classic potential...

Peace to ya'll,

O-D.U.B.
no APAthy

 

[ISO]

I was reading those man nikkas on the net in 94

The only complain is length from this guy, and he wanted Nas to rap over harder beats and less smooth shyt. The guy was just mad and felt Nas was being crowned too soon. Dude probably doesn't think the same way today.

Isn't Oliver Wang some sort of journalist now.

 

[Don Dada Barbosa]

There's nothing wrong with the album being short. Better than a 70 minute album where 20-30 minutes of it are shyt.

 

[zerozero]

I was reading those man nikkas on the net in 94

The only complain is length from this guy, and he wanted Nas to rap over harder beats and less smooth shyt. The guy was just mad and felt Nas was being crowned too soon. Dude probably doesn't think the same way today.

Isn't Oliver Wang some sort of journalist now.

breh called Life's a bytch "weak production"

But at least he likes NYSOM and One Love. And "Halftime-Classic. 'Nuff said."

You're right he basically wanted that hard hitting, bass driven production west-coast sound that Nas was not going for

 

[Foxmulder]

yeah man as far as the sales goes that shyt was a flop

not everybody thought it was the best shyt in the world even though new york did well news flash there is more to the world then new york lmao.

that cacca is a fakket, ignore em...

Back then no one gave a fukk about illmatic, thats why it took a high profile beef with Jay for it to finally reach plat. My reaction to 5 mics was one of not caring. Back then the mags had no credibility thats why the East Coast/West Coast thing happened because the EC centric mags wasnt really talkin about shyt. After they gave illmatic 5 mics they proceeded to give Lil Kim 5 mics. Classics like Bone's 1st two, MATW, AEOM, etc did not get 5 mics... that should give you an idea of what was really going on at those mags.

illmatics effect on hip hop was non-existent. If you look at nikkaz like Naughty By Nature they were spittin better than naS in 94. Twista spittin better than naS in 94. Pac spittin better than naS in 94. Snoop spittin better than naS in 94. Cube spittin better than naS in 94. Common spittin better than naS in 94. Face spittin better than naS in 94. Outkast spittin better than naS in 94. Kris Kross spittin better than naS in 94. Da Brat spittin better than naS in 94. I could really go on for days.

Hope that helps...

These two short bus fakkits co-signing each other the whole thread.

 

[H.I.M.]

It tells me these Israelis/cacs in the media & industry were mighty desperate to push him down the throats of the consumer... and failed miserably in doing so (initially) Illmatic came and went and barely even registered nationwide the year it was released, despite all the Israeli/cac media hype, support & promotion. People didn't even start checking for Nas (outside of NY) until he dropped that single with Lauryn Hill. Lauryn Hill basically MADE Nas. And if he hadn't changed up his style and progressed as an MC (as he did on It Was Written) And stuck to the Illmatic formula... He would still be an obscure underground NY MC.

 

[intilectual recipricol]

Lupe Fiasco Talks About Nas On OK Player ~ LUPEND

"While in the midst of listening to "It Was Written" as a teen I was completely unaware of the existence of "Illmatic"...I remember some dudes beating a song in a car that sounded like a Nas song and I asked my homey what was that and he was like "Its from Nas 1st album"...then on a trip to my sisters college I was in her boyfriends dorm room and he had a poster of the "Illmatic" cover and I was like what is that and he was like "that's Nas 1st album"

 

[Blackout]

Lupe Fiasco Talks About Nas On OK Player ~ LUPEND

"While in the midst of listening to "It Was Written" as a teen I was completely unaware of the existence of "Illmatic"...I remember some dudes beating a song in a car that sounded like a Nas song and I asked my homey what was that and he was like "Its from Nas 1st album"...then on a trip to my sisters college I was in her boyfriends dorm room and he had a poster of the "Illmatic" cover and I was like what is that and he was like "that's Nas 1st album"

So I puts "Illmatic" inside the CD Walkman, strap on the headphones and proceeded to have my life changed forever...

Nas saved his life.

 

[blazn101]

"Lupe)...So I puts "Illmatic" inside the CD Walkman, strap on the headphones and proceeded to have my life changed forever..."

 

[ISO]

breh called Life's a bytch "weak production"

But at least he likes NYSOM and One Love. And "Halftime-Classic. 'Nuff said."

You're right he basically wanted that hard hitting, bass driven production west-coast sound that Nas was not going for

He fukked with the whole album, just thought Nas didn't make a Paid In Full caliber album. And yeah the dude that wrote that went on to become a hip hop writer.

It tells me these Israelis/cacs in the media & industry were mighty desperate to push him down the throats of the consumer... and failed miserably in doing so (initially) Illmatic came and went and barely even registered nationwide the year it was released, despite all the Israeli/cac media hype, support & promotion. People didn't even start checking for Nas (outside of NY) until he dropped that single with Lauryn Hill. Lauryn Hill basically MADE Nas. And if he hadn't changed up his style and progressed as an MC (as he did on It Was Written) And stuck to the Illmatic formula... He would still be an obscure underground NY MC.

Illmatic did not have great promotion and was not made to sell not even remotely close to a mainstream sound idiot, stop rewriting history. Lauryn Hill did not make Nas. Stop exposing yourself you didn't live it.

Lupe Fiasco Talks About Nas On OK Player ~ LUPEND
"While in the midst of listening to "It Was Written" as a teen I was completely unaware of the existence of "Illmatic"...I remember some dudes beating a song in a car that sounded like a Nas song and I asked my homey what was that and he was like "Its from Nas 1st album"...then on a trip to my sisters college I was in her boyfriends dorm room and he had a poster of the "Illmatic" cover and I was like what is that and he was like "that's Nas 1st album"

"So I puts "Illmatic" inside the CD Walkman, strap on the headphones and proceeded to have my life changed forever...It became my soundtrack for a time...all day everyday, everywhere.."
-Lupe Fiasco

 

[Liquid]

illmatic is a timeless classic

I still remember going to school and listening to it on my walkman

 

[Mike Otherz]

brehs remember the old usenet posts? I looked up a couple

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.rap/SHAE1nysAvg/J8pli6HEyG4J

o dub? lol is that oliver wang?

 

[LandryFieldsDad]

Was naS or was not smaller when Illmatic dropped than the acts I listed earlier? Simple yes or no question.

You hate nas and are unable to discuss him objectively

 

[intilectual recipricol]

You hate nas and are unable to discuss him objectively

Im the only one discussing him objectively, thats the damn problem. You wont answer a simple question which proves my point.