Illmatic [Explicit Lyrics]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Nasir Jones made this debut album at the age of 20, already armed with the calm perceptiveness and been-there-done-that attitude of a much older ghetto vet, though sometimes his inner callow youth shows itself. Illmatic is a look back at a life spent in the culture of the projects, acknowledging joy as much as pain and taking note of violence as a fact of his environment rather than a focus of his life. It's enlivened by Nas's kicky, deep-threaded multiple rhymes--you can tell he grew up listening to Mr. Magic's rap show and internalizing the secrets of everybody's flow--and by tracks from a bunch of all-stars, including the Large Professor, DJ Premier, and, most memorably, Q-Tip ("One Love"). --Douglas Wolk

Illmatic,Nas,Sony,East Coast Rap,Gangsta Rap,Hardcore Rap,Hip-Hop,Pop,Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop

Illmatic [Explicit Lyrics]

Tracks:

The Genesis
N.Y. State Of Mind
Life's A Bitch
The World Is Yours
Halftime
Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park)
One Love
One Time 4 Your Mind
Represent
It Ain't Hard To Tell

Amazon.com

Nasir Jones made this debut album at the age of 20, already armed with the calm perceptiveness and been-there-done-that attitude of a much older ghetto vet, though sometimes his inner callow youth shows itself. Illmatic is a look back at a life spent in the culture of the projects, acknowledging joy as much as pain and taking note of violence as a fact of his environment rather than a focus of his life. It's enlivened by Nas's kicky, deep-threaded multiple rhymes--you can tell he grew up listening to Mr. Magic's rap show and internalizing the secrets of everybody's flow--and by tracks from a bunch of all-stars, including the Large Professor, DJ Premier, and, most memorably, Q-Tip ("One Love"). --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

A Classic!!!.......2007-06-13

This is one the best hip-hop albums ever made!!!

Perfection.......2007-05-30

If only these puzzies that listing that dat mall/commercial rap knew about albums like 36 chambers, krs one,return of the funky man/ the awakening,Don't Sweat the Techniq,Paid in Full,Follow the Leader, the master, and other classic albums by kool g rap,tribe called quest, de la soul, organized confussion, blackmoon,Keith murray,redman,epmd,killarmy,oc,supernatural and the list goes on & on... Then im sure they would stop supporting trash like gay unit,dipset, lil john, bowwow, t.i.,Mike jones, Paul wall,feminem, etc...Anyways back to Nas's "illmatic"? What can be said, that already haven't, on most reviews? Its a classic album, sadly we dont hear alot of stuff like this no more.

Best Rap Album Period........2007-05-13

Btw im 19, just dont wanna make an account 2 write 1 review. This album is sik from beginning 2 d end. Beats give u dat old skool feel like back n da day, plus his lyrics are top notch, spittin those street rhymes growin up wit. Dis should have the rating "best hip hop album ever" because it truly is. 4 Me all the tracks are the best but if i had 2 choose 3, for all new listeners it'd be "Represent", "NY State Of Mind", and "The World Is Yours", but you know all of them are flawless.

I Wish All Hip-Hop Was Like This.......2007-05-11

Nas' debut album, "Illmatic", will basically dethrone your favorite hip-hop album and wish it never existed. Nas is a one of a kind rapper that actually focuses on the true style of hip hop. The beats are excellent and memorable, especially the addicting piano bits in "The World Is Yours" and "N.Y. State of Mind". The trait I admire the most on this album, though, is Nas's lyrical content. It focuses on the hardships of life and how people can easily relate to his style. I don't have much more to say, as the majority of the reviewers basically took the words out of my mouth, but this is an album with zero filler material and only solid, well performed rap songs. Highly recommended.

whats up amazon??.......2007-05-10

This isn't a review. Because this album doesn't need another one. It's 2007, and by now everybody knows that Illmatic is like hip hop's religious text: this album is the essence of hip hop. There isn't a single critic who's got anything bad to say about Illmatic...except, maybe, for how it sent Nas into a career slump afterwards. So I'm just wondering why Amazon hasn't marked this "essential", like it's done for other classic albums. Maybe there's some beauracracy behind giving an album that title on this site, I don't know. But "Life After Death" over "Illmatic"??? I'm a huge fan of Big, but nooo way.

Average customer rating:

I rap for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners..........
The illest album
One of the best Hip Hop albums ever
Must have for your album collection!!
the only album better than illmatic is this

Illmatic
Nas
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

It Was Written
Stillmatic
I Am...
God's Son
Lost Tapes

ASIN: B0001MDPV8
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Tracks:

The Genesis
N.Y. State Of Mind
Life's A B****
The World Is Yours
Halftime
Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park)
One Love
One Time 4 Your Mind
Represent
It Ain't Hard To Tell

Tracks:

Life's A B**** (Remix)
The World Is Yours (Remix)
One Love (Remix)
It Ain't Hard To Tell (Remix)
On The Real
Star Wars

Customer Reviews:

I rap for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners.................2007-05-01

Vintage Nas + Instant Classic. What more can be said about Illmatic?
Here's my 2 cents. I think what separates Illmatic from a lot of the other great classics is that the album flows seamlessly together, very cohesive as if it's one well written movie or book. It's very identical to Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full" in that respect. My favorites are Memory Lane, World is Yours, Represent, It aint hard to tell, One Love, New York State of Mind, Life's a B. Nas set a precedent for himself with Illmatic. Face it- He will have more hit singles, but he has yet been able to recapture fully the glory of Illmatic's cohesive-ness. I hope so because that's what the world wants to hear from him. Tell us how the little boy from the Queensbridge projects sees the world now that he's in his early 30's and capture that. Talk about life's past hurdles and future foreseen ones as it relates to the 70/80's kids. Trim the fat and filler tracks and then we will have the real sequel to Illmatic.

The illest album.......2007-03-26

This is definitely the purest, most genre defining album ever released in hip hop. The MC work of Nas is unbelievable. His songs are well written and his clever flow and rhyming skill as well as the superb content of the songs make you emotionally connect to the tunes. Every song is ridiculously good. One of the greatest albums ever released in music bar none!

One of the best Hip Hop albums ever.......2007-01-16

Illmatic is a classic that should be in everyone's collection. It's in my opinion one of the best hip hop albums out there. The vibe is very similar to A Tribe Called Quests's Low End Theory, using clean samples from old jazz and blues tracks. A definite keeper.

Must have for your album collection!!.......2006-10-27

Great music on here, the 10th anniversary addition of "Illmatic" displays a nice glimpse of the mc Nas was, is, and always will be, we already know how great he was on "Illmatic" but he shows on "On The Real" and "Star Wars" that he's still the top poet of hip-hop today, a must have for all hip-hop fans, I got this in a clearance bid and I'm sure happy about that

the only album better than illmatic is this.......2006-08-09

why? because it has a bonus disk that has filthy remixes and the other cd contains the original illmatic songs.

buy this version if you dont have illmatic yet.
trust me you won't be dissapointed.
none of the songs here are wack.

Average customer rating:

AMAZING!!!!
Good refresher course...
the best cd of the 90's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sweet album
Classic

Illmatic
Nas
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0001MDPVS
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Tracks:

The Genesis
N.Y. State Of Mind
Life's A B****
The World Is Yours
Halftime
Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park)
One Love
One Time 4 Your Mind
Represent
It Ain't Hard To Tell

Tracks:

Life's A B**** (Remix)
The World Is Yours (Remix)
One Love (Remix)
It Ain't Hard To Tell (Remix)
On The Real
Star Wars

Customer Reviews:

AMAZING!!!!.......2005-08-07

This album just blows your mind...Its easily one of the best 3 rap albums ever realesed..My personal ranking is at 3 behind "Ready To Die" and "It takes a nation of millions to hold us back" but u can argue any of the 3 in any order..heres my review
1.Genesis 10/10 nice intro..I like how it leads into the 1st song

2.N.Y. State of Mind 10/10 This aint a billy joel song people.. this track will blow your mind lyrically he spits it all like its one verse..and the hook is all said twice and the lyrics change for that too

3. Life's a B**** 10/10 one of the best tracks on the album.. the only track with a guest..the hook is sick as hell and AZ and the piano loops make it sound amazing

4.The World is Yours 10/10 My favorite track on here..The hook is bangin..the beats crazy..one of the lines in this song was sampled in Jay-z's song "dead presidents"

5.Halftime 10/10 my favorite metaphor on this album= "with more kicks than a baby in a mother's stomach"

6.Memory Lane(sittin in da park) 9.5/10 its a masterpiece but it just feels a little depressing when u listen to it

7.One Love 9.5/10 this aint bob marley but Nas tears it up here

8.One time 4 your Mind 10/10 my second favorite track here..sooo gooood
9.Represent 9/10 again he tears it up
10.It ain't hard to tell 9.5/10 great way to end it

Again theres too many classics on this album to ignore it... easily one of the 3 best albums ever..its hip hop in its truest form w/o the bling bling and materialistic things on T.V. that give the genre a negative image..U know hip hop is an art form after listening to this..Its groundbreaking in a different way then "Ready To Die" or "It takes a nation of millions to hold us back" but its still original and does not dissapoint.. a masterpiece

Good refresher course..........2005-07-18

...If you've only recently become a Nas fan, and you don't own Illmatic, this album is a must-buy. After 10 years, Illmatic is still the blueprint of east-coast rap. Nas has been, and still remains one of the best lyricists in the game. It's true this album is very short, but in most cases, long doesn't always mean GOOD, and Nas keeps it short and sweet here. If you haven't heard classics like 'Life's a B****' (featuring AZ), and 'The World is Yours', you haven't listened to real east-coast hip-hop.

Like I mentioned earlier, this album is perfect if you don't already own Illmatic for some reason, because it's the original album, with upgraded sound quality. The remixes and unreleased tracks could have been better though, but they are still a nice addition. So spend a few extra bucks and pick this one up instead of the original, it IS worth it.

the best cd of the 90's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-07-10

Nas is one of the best rappers ever!!!!!!!! get this Cd!!!!!!!!!!

Sweet album.......2005-03-20

This is a really good album, I'm happy to have bought it! The only problem is the edits, and it makes me dizzy and frustrated listening to it, but you get used to it after a while. But the point is about the music, which is really awesome!

Classic.......2004-06-06

This cd is the best. If you are a rap fan you should get this cd right away. This cd is a must have!

Average customer rating:

Nas' Finest Part 5
Nas , Jay-Z , AZ , The Game , Papoose , and Mary J. Blige
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Binding: Audio CD

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01. Nas - Chisel 07 (Produced By J-Love) 04:14 02. Nas Feat. Jay-Z - Black Republican 03:36 03. Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead 03:45 04. Nas - Where Are They Now 02:42 05. Nas Feat. Az - Serious 02:12 06. Nas - Where Yall At 03:08 07. Nas - Nazareth Savage 02:40 08. Nas - Lifes Gone Done 02:22 09. Nas - Talk Of Ny 03:09 10. Nas - Honeymoon Is Over 01:51 11. Nas - Take It Slow 04:16 12. Nas - Death Anniversay 02:48 13. Nas Feat. The Game - Hustlers 03:14 14. Nas - Cant Forget About You 03:38 15. Nas Feat. Snoop Dogg - Thats That 03:00 16. Nas - The N 02:02 17. Nas - Blood Diamond 02:13 18. Nas - Secret Agent Man 02:09 19. Nas - Image 00:55 20. Nas Feat. The Game - Why You Hate The Game 02:56 21. Nas Feat. Notorious B.I.G. Tupac And Mary J. Blidge - House Of Pa 03:38 22. Nas - I Already Know 03:11 23. Nas Feat. Lauryn Hill - It Wasnt Me 02:35 24. Nas Feat. Blitz - Hush 02:46 25. Nas Feat. Papoose - Across The Track 02:00 26. Nas - Streets Disciple Pt.2 03:14 27. Nas - Gotta Love It 02:36 28. Nas - Shootouts 03:06

Average customer rating:

Executive Decision
Nas , and AZ
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Product Description

THIS PAGE AND LISTING CREATED BY FERERROBOOKS. 1 - Mick Boogie Intro 2 - AZ - Intro 3 - On The Real 2006 (Mick Boogie Mix) 4 - Dont Hate Me Now (Mick Boogie Mix) (produced by Statik Selektah) 5 - Hope (produced by The Are) 6 - AZ Interlude 7 - The City (produced by Hasan Insane) 8 - The Format Part 2 (Mick Boogie Mix) 9 - Everything Is Everything 10 - Get The Money (produced by The Kickdrums) 11 - Nas Interlude 12 - Lifes A Bitch (Delay Remix) 13 - Music For Life (Mick Boogie Mix) 14 - Word Play (Terry Urban Mix) 15 - The Essence 16 - AZ Interlude 17 - Serious 18 - How Ya Livin? 19 - Carry On Tradition (Mick Boogie Mix) 20 - Lifes A Bitch (Demo Freestyle Version) 21 - AZ Interlude 22 - Executive Decisions 23 - La Familia 24 - Mo Money, Mo Murda 25 - Phone Tap 26 - Nas Interlude 27 - Livin Thugs 28 - Requiem Of A Street Dream (produced by AC) 29 - Brooklyn Queens Sh*t (Lil Raskal Mix) 30 - We The Flyest (Mick Boogie Mix) 31 - Gimme Yours 32 - Time 33 - AZ Outro 34 - Sprite Commercial (Bonus Track)

From Illmatic to Stillmatic: This Is Remix

Average customer rating:

NaS - From Illmatic To Stillmatic: The Remixes
For die hard Nas fans only! (2.5/5)
weak...
NOT EVEN 30 MINUTES LONG-BUT HARD HITTING BASS
one of the best remix cds I have heard

From Illmatic to Stillmatic: This Is Remix
Nas
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

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QB Finest
I Am...
Nastradamus
Lost Tapes
Stillmatic

ASIN: B000068TLI
Release Date: 2002-07-02

Tracks:

Life's A Bitch (arsenal mix) (feat. AZ)
One Love (LG Main mix)
It Ain't Hard To Tell (remix)
Sweet Dreams (remix; feat. R. Kelly)
Affirmative Action (remix edited version; feat. Foxy Brown & AZ)
One Mic (remix)

Customer Reviews:

NaS - From Illmatic To Stillmatic: The Remixes.......2007-03-06

This EP is actually filled with suprisingly good remixes, they only messed up part is they're edited.

01. Life's A Bitch (Arsenal Mix) (Featuring AZ) - 5/5
02. One Love (LG Main Mix) - 5/5
03. It Ain't Hard To Tell (Remix) - 5/5
04. Street Dreams (Remix) (Featuring R. Kelly) - 5/5
05. Affirmative Action (Remix Edited Version) (Featuring Foxy Brown & AZ) - 5/5
06. One Mic (Remix) - 5/5

Get this EP it's definizzie worth your money.

For die hard Nas fans only! (2.5/5).......2006-03-27

This remix album was released at the busiest point of Nas's career, where he had been releasing so much relevant and mainstream music that a remix album was almost inevitable, especially during 2002, when almost every big rapper was putting out one of these. The remixes here are new takes on some of his most classic songs, and most of them don't really improve on them any. The only people considering buying this probably know the originals anyway, so they wouldn't buy it to hear Nas's lyrical power, and they would most likely be disappointed. Another thing that will deter many listeners is that the tracks are all edited, and the censorship is done poorly. "From Illmatic to Stillmatic: The Remixes" does well for what it is, but don't be expecting anything too much.

The only remix here that really significantly improves over the original is the "Life's a B**ch" Arsenal mix on this EP. Nas and AZ's verses are left unchanged, and instead of the toned down, slow beat on the original, there is a faster, saxophone laced beat. The "One Love" mix has a more defined bassline and vocals during the chorus, it's actually nice to hear. "It Ain't Hard to Tell" sounds very different than the original and is not worth listening to because it's not even close to as good. The "Street Dreams" remix is a little better than the original, but I didn't like the original that much anyway, and it still reflects that awkward period of Nas's career. The "Affirmative Action" remix is very unimpressive, replacing the original beat with a very tired and played-out old school piano line that we've all heard before. The "One Mic" remix isn't good either because except for the slightly sped-up drum pattern, it's virtually indistinguishable from the original.

The bottom line is that if you're a die hard Nas fan, you might find value to having these remixes in your collection, but otherwise I would not recommend it. That said, Nas is maybe the greatest hip hop lyricist ever and any music that is graced with his verses is worth listening to at least once. Newer fans should buy any one of his classic LPs before this.

weak..........2005-11-03

these remixes dont even compare to the original. if you haven't heard the songs from the og version of illmatic yet then you better wake up, 'cuz illmatic is still one of the best hiphop albums to date.

NOT EVEN 30 MINUTES LONG-BUT HARD HITTING BASS.......2005-07-03

OUT OF ALL THE CD I HAVE BOUGHT SINCE 2000.THIS HAS TO BE THE WORST.WITH ALL THE HIT'S NAS HAS; HE REALLY CAN ONLY MAKE 6 REMIX'S.
THERE IS ONLY AN EDITED VERSION MADE.SO YOU ARE DRIVEING DOWN THE STREET LISTENING TO THE SONGS.AND EVERY 12 SECONDS A SWEAR WORD IS BEING SCRATCHED OUT.
AT LEAST HE COULD OF MADE A REAL CLEAN ONE.SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HEAR A COVERED UP PA VERSION.
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THERE IS NOT A PA VERSION MADE.
IF PEOPLE LIKE JENNIFER LOPEZ CAN MAKE A FULL REMIX CD.AND SOMEONE LIKE MARIAH CAREY CAN MAKE A 2 DISC ONE.I DON'T THINK NAS EVEN TRYED.
BUT AT LEAST THE CD HAS HARD HITTING BASS.BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM IN YOUR CAR THAT IS EVEN WORTHLESS.{NO SYSTEM~NO BASS}
IF YOU WANT THE REAL NAS BUY HIS VIDEO COLLECTION DVD!
NOW THAT IS THE NAS WE ALL KNOW. HIS DVD IS PERFECTION.SO DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS.AND BUY HIS DVD. (SYRACUSE,NY)

one of the best remix cds I have heard.......2005-02-06

I was casually browsing the used cd bin at my local cd store. I pick this up and see that it is Nas'remix cd. I said, hmm, I have to get this because I have only one of his cds(God's Son). So I picked it up and put it on in my car, and I heard Life is a Bitch remix, and I went "WHOA!" and started bobbing and weaving to it. I was thinking this is a great song, then I heard One Love remix, and I went, man, he is a good rapper, and they do not kill his songs with the remixes. The most pointless remix is the One Mic remix. That one sucked, I have never liked that song. It is just ok.

Can You Flow? Instrumental Renditions of Nas's Illmatic

Average customer rating:

Can You Flow? Instrumental Renditions of Nas's Illmatic
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Re Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000GY72II
Release Date: 2006-09-19

Tracks:

The Genesis
N.Y. State of Mind
Lifes A Bitch
The World is Yours
Halftime
Memory Lane (Sittin in da Park)
One Love
One Time 4 Your Mind
Represent
It Aint Hard to Tell

Product Description

1. THE GENESIS
2. N.Y. STATE OF MIND
3. LIFE’S A BITCH
4. THE WORLD IS YOURS
5. HALFTIME
6. MEMORY LANE (SITTIN’ IN DA PARK)
7. ONE LOVE
8. ONE TIME 4 YOUR MIND
9. REPRESENT
10. IT AIN’T HARD TO TELL

Format: CD

Shall We Dance ?
Average customer rating:
Shall We Dance ?

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000QUCYGM
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Ride on the Music
Average customer rating:
Ride on the Music

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000MQ5048
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Illmatic
Average customer rating:

A Classic!!!

Perfection

Best Rap Album Period.

I Wish All Hip-Hop Was Like This

whats up amazon??

Illmatic
Nas
Manufacturer: Columbia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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