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September 13, 2006
Retrohump: The hunger
Nasty Nas: one of rap's most promising superstars (and, ultimately, most disappointing) to rise out of Queens. His landmark and epic (in scope) Illmatic showed truly how an MC could be a street poet. Unfortunately, he spent the later part of his years trying to out-thug, out-boast, and out-guest-producer-invite Jay-Z; doing so, he fell victim to conflated hubris and poor choices. But before all that, there was Illmatic, a 1994 masterpiece.
It Ain't Hard to Tell
Riding a sax freak-out and the rhythm from Michael Jackson's Human Nature gives backdrop to one of rap's greatest songs dropped.
New York State of Mind
This song seemingly lasts longer and stays bolder and strong than the city it canonizes. If you ever wanted an audio map of the grit of the city, here it is.
Bonus: Illmatic promotional video
Tags: Nas, Illmatic, Retrohump
Posted by Keith O'Brien at September 13, 2006 11:34 AM
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