It’s on many a short list of the greatest rap albums ever produced for a very good reason. 20 plus years later, ‘Illmatic’ stands as a lyrically tight, deftly spit, jazz- infused chronicle of a post Regan-Era, New Jack City that doesn’t romanticize the lasting impact of the drug game, the legacy of black families destroyed by Rockefeller mandatory minimums or a “War on Drugs” that was a War on The Poor.
Robert De Niro, introduced Time Is Illmatic, the documentary on Nas’ 1994 landmark debut Illmatic, to kick off the Tribeca Film Festival. “Twenty years ago, I would’ve been 20 years too old for this music,” to a full house packed with Media, Nas fans and hip hop royalty.
Time Is Illmatic explored the classic album from inception. It captures Nas’ first time in a recording studio to his debut verse on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque” to the album’s release.
“There are lots of great artists and writers vocalists, musicians that never make it to a stage like this. So when you see one of them that do? You gotta say this guy is doing it for everybody who didn’t make it there..”- Nas
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‘Illmatic’ certified Gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 17, 1996 after shipping 500,000 copies; the RIAA later certified Illmatic Platinum on December 11, 2001, following shipments in excess of a million copies.
“It’s crazy, you know, I wrote this in the projects in New York City. Here we are in the capital of America, Washington, DC, and, you know, a bunch of white people with strings and all that, playing this album, and they feeling it,” Nas says of the collaboration in the trailer.
Nas wears a tux for the occasion but his performance isn’t dumbed down or diluted one bit. All the original lyrics are included and no subtitles are provided. He drives his trademark blazing lyricism, flamboyant boasts, dis tracks, astute political musings, Black Nationalism, painful loss, poverty, and hopeful self affirmation to an older whiter audience who may have never heard a complete rap album.
Nas’ father, Olu Dara, was a jazz cornetist his mother was a postal worker Fannie Ann Jones. The couple moved to the Queensbridge Housing projects where Nasir (Nas) & his brother Jabari grew up.
Growing up fast in Queensbridge projects, Nas mom encouraged her clever precocious son to read everyday, and was influenced by his jazz musician father. He was no angel, got into trouble after his parents separated but his father was still an important part of his life. His astute allegories and musical gifts shine throughout Illmatics ten taught tracks. He credits music for saving his life.
“I had a passion for creating,” the rapper says at one point. “And that was going to be my way out.”
The new live concert film, recorded in March 2014 while the rapper celebrated Illmatic’s 20th anniversary, charted Nas’ Queensbridge upbringing and career, the impact of Illmatic as well as the rehearsals and preparations to bring the album to the Kennedy Center.
Nas approached PBS with the “Classical Hip Hop” premise to showcase his belief that all music is universal. Nas said on a Tuesday NPR Interview “Classical was the Hip Hop of it’s day”.
“This was the first time me as a classical orchestra conductor was going to branch out into the realm of doing hip-hop music and rap music. And the idea of finally tackling this genre was something I was really looking forward to do,” National Symphony Orchestra Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke said in a statement.
Young Nas watched a lot of Public Television and now in his forty’s enjoys the idea of exposing others to something new with his performance on PBS –
“I grew up watching and learning from PBS, now I’m teaching on PBS.”
Great Performances — Nas Live From the Kennedy Center: Classical Hip-Hop airs February 2nd on PBS, after which it will be available for streaming via PBS’ website.
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All images courtesy of Mass Appeal/PBS/Columbia Records/Tribeca Films.