Nas – Illmatic (CD)

 

Sound: B+     Music: A

 

 

In the summer of 2004, Nas is going to release a double-album, provisionally titled Street's Disciple. That can't be good news.  Seems like every major rap star short of Kwame has released a double-album, losing that all important quality-control button in the process.  Everyone from Jay-Z to Bone Thugs 'N Harmony and in between has put us through twice the album with half the goodies.  Street's Disciple will probably not deviate from that in the sense that it will contain (if we're lucky) one CD worth of good music.  Don't get me wrong.  Nas is certainly someone who is capable of high-quality stuff, but if he indulges his every creative whim on Street's Disciple, he runs the risk of tapping himself out creatively.  After all, what do you do to top a 2CD set?  It wasn't always like this, though.  Ten years ago, a

Queensbridge MC named Nasty Nas only needed nine tracks and an intro to get his point across.  The album was called Illmatic, and for once, all agreed that these tidings were good.

 

Illmatic has been re-released in time for its' ten year anniversary.  Bad career move.  Just as the excellent odds 'n sods collection The Lost Tapes came before the tepid half-n-half of God's Son, this re-released will remind the streets of what was instead of what could be.  But if you don't have Illmatic now, get it.  Don't believe me?  Read the reviews.  Practically everybody on Earth agrees that Illmatic is a righteously good listen.  The praise is well-deserved.

 

Illmatic has been re-released as a 2-CD set with four remixes and two new tracks to get us ready for Street's Disciple. The remixes are more musical than the originals were, if only because songs like "One Love" and "Represent" weren't songs so much as they were anthropological sound portraits.  The PCM Stereo is solid for a reissue of material this old.  The new songs, "Star Wars" and "On The Real", don't impress as much and have nothing to do with Illmatic. Other than that, this tenth anniversary re-release is worth its' weight in ducats.

 

 

-   Michael J. Farmer