Yeah its a classic. Lost Tapes are a classic. Nas with Tip Premo and Pete Rock would have been another GOAT album
He hardly performs songs from illmatic, and I've seen Nas in concert like 5+ times. The only time he's really done illmatic was when Rock the Bells was doing iconic albums and shyt, or a couple years ago when he did it with the orchestra Next you'll tell me Jay only does songs from RD.
And what you said was wrong at least from the many times Ive seen him Usually when Nas does a show if its a festival slot its tracks from every album from Illmatic to God Son and then whatever is his latest joint When hes at his own show and a 2 hour set, its usually that plus some Hip Hop is Dead and Life is Good Untitled and Streets Disciple are the usual ones he hasnt done since he did shows to promote them at the time. Jay shows can sometimes be the toughest cause its rare to see him perform his first 2 albums except occassionally, but I guess that because all the others after were the bigger joints
All he has to do is scale it back some behind the scenes(promos, interviews, concerts, press releases). IWW, Lost Tapes, and Stillmatic are all itched into history too. Kind of confused why he said it out loud. The hipsters are the only ones I know who beat it to death, but can't recite a word of Street Dreams or Hate Me Now.
People here need to recognise the difference between impact on fans and impact on rappers and those in the game. Yes Illmatic didn’t hit across the US like Ready to Die or 36 Chambers. But best believe in the circle of hip hop itself, impact was huge. Students of the game, Nas’ peers and even vets were impacted by Illmatic and Nas like perhaps nobody else. You only have to look at the numerous interviews where people basically said rhyme books were ripped up after Illmatic dropped to know its impact It’s like an actor or something. Did Daniel Day Lewis impact the public like Deniro, Pacino or whoever. No. But best believe in the acting world itself amongst peers . His impact was huge. And that’s what Nas and others want more than anything. To be rated highly by a regular fan is cool but what you really desire is that respect and love from your peers
Hes been saying what a few Nas fans here been saying. But I dont think its been going on for as long as people think with him anyway. Meaning that before the 20th anniversary for Illmatic and the Orchestra show/Documentary/World Tour and all the different specials that dropped that year, yes Nas played songs off the album live and yes it was talked and celebrated but that run in 2014 is when he really embraced the anniversary of it. And I think what happened in the past 5 years is, younger rap fans who are into history have embraced it and thei hipster Cac music think tank who always wanted to celebrate have kinda gone on to celebrate it but also have strenghten the narrative that the rest of his discography is weak. And the pushback comes from the people in the early to mid 30s who grew up with every other Nas album also being big and bumping them regardless of what the purists said. That group which is a lot of people here are the ones who remember hearing Nas on the radio, in the club and playng out of cars with every other album (It Was Written, The Firm, I am, Stillmatic, Lost Tapes and Godson especially or remembering the Hip Hop is Dead hysteria or the renaissance comeback of Life is Good or if you're in Europe/Africa Distant Relatives getting some burn) so its kinda weird for us to see people essientally say Illmatic is his only time of relevance, maybe it was written too but thats it. We lived in the 90s and 00s and even at the start of this decade that not true. But because more people coming in are only told about Illmatic, people think thats all he did Even the beats narrative is fueld by this. I've always said prior to 9th Wonder remixing God Son, it wasnt framed as a beats issue with him but more the choice of making commercial records and not be a poet from the street( a real corny narrative to discredit soemone). But when 9th did that album he specifcally wrote that while he thought Nas was on point with the bars he missed him on Pete Rock shyt and missed Primo not being on it. So its the same thing again, every album gets it because of that first one. 5 years goes quick and its the 25th Anniversary and you saw htis year he kinda immediatley dead any celebrations cause it was too soon and overkill last time and they had a few things at the start of this year but he took the focus off that ended it. I'd like to see him celebrate other albums. It was written seems easy, it would be dope if he did a B Side/Lost Tapes/Mixtape era style show at Hammerstein. Yeah I know people would say he forgets lyrics and shyt but he does pull back songs he hasnt done and does do them well from time to time and he'd probably remember just listening and peforming them more. Maybe celebrating an IWW or Lost Tapes or Stillmatic is too transparent now but I'd love it. Not even saying he gotta do the albums in full live but some sort of doc on Mass Appeal or commemoration pieces in some way.
It Was Written is the greatest hip hop album of all time Nas should celebrate that way more than he does
They have Sometimes you get a Life is Good with No ID by his side or you get a Nasir where Kanye doesnt update him on when to work and sends him beats days before the release
Nas has done a 10 year, 20 year, 25 year anniversary for Illmatic. Had like 2 or 3 documentary’s. Constantly touring it, live band performances etc etc. to the point where people literally ignore and are underrating the rest of his 3 decade career. Nas’ greatness doesn’t stop at Illmatic and he needs to give that shyt a break.
