Originally released on April 19 1994, Legacy Recordings will release Nas' seminal debut album as an expanded 20th anniversary edition titled, Illmatic XX. The landmark album has long considered by critics as one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time, Illmatic is a densely textured, deeply lyrical portrait of life in the US's largest public housing project, Queensbridge. Upon release, the record signalled the resurgence of the moribund New York hip-hop scene and helped pave the way for Biggie Smalls, Jay Z and a new generation of New York rappers. Illmatic XX is the ultimate fan experience and features several rare remixes, unreleased demos and freestyles.
With the release of Illmatic, Nas quickly established himself as a hip hop icon and has become one of the hottest artists on the music scene today. Illmatic has been consistently ranked near the top of many “best album” lists. Today, the collection remains one of the most widely celebrated and influential albums in history with Rolling Stone proclaiming, “a portrait of an artist as a hood, loner, tortured soul, juvenile delinquent, and fledgling social critic… [the album] still stands as one of rap's crowning achievements.” NPR Music called the collection “[a] masterwork of story-telling, lyricism and beat-making,” while upon the album's release, The Village Voice gave Nas the title of, “one of the most important writers of the 20th century.”
“With Illmatic, I didn't think about it. I just did it. I believe everybody has good instincts. Now I'm a man from that past and I'm supremely grateful. There's a Nigerian proverb ‘What is past is prologue’. I'm here today because of Illmatic.” – Nas