Reviews
Highly Recommended - "...ILLMATIC pays serious mind to uncertain sources, to abstract anxiety, spiritual and otherwise....These are powerfully stressed-out images, but Nas hints that he's after something more personally revealing...", Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's.", Ranked #4 in Vibe's "Top 10 Rap Albums"-"...As Perfect As 39 Hip Hop Minutes Get...", Ranked #33 in Nme's List of the `Top 50 Albums of 1994.', 5 stars out of 5 - "Concise, focused and lyrically dazzling, ILLMATIC remains one of hip hop's must-buys...", "...the musical backdrops are razor sharp; hard bears but with melodic hooks and loops, atmospheric background piano, strings or muted trumpet, and samples...A potent treat.", "...ILLMATIC could be one of the finest conventional hip-hop albums ever made...Nas is a dark, compelling lyricist who enunciates cleanly and quickly, leaving the listener able to hear everything he says, but racing to follow the meaning...", 5 Mics - Classic - "...I must maintain that this is one of the best hip-hop albums I have ever heard...No cliched metaphors, no gimmicks...Never too abstract, never superficial. Even the skit-intros are meaningful...", 9 - Excellent Plus - "...Nas' upbringing oozes from every pore of the music. This is the true voice of where Nas comes from, set to 40 minutes of rhythmic perfection. A stunner...", 4 Stars - Excellent - "...Nas' no-nonsense urban tales pair ILL's every beautiful moment with its harsh antithesis...", 5 Stars - Classic - "...I must maintain that this is one of the best hip-hop albums I have ever heard...No cliched metaphors, no gimmicks...Never too abstract, never superficial. Even the skit-intros are meaningful..."
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