Nas - "Illmatic"

[DroppinScience]

Just listened to this album today. And it is a CLASSIC, to be sure! (y)

Just wondering, how is Nas' career post-"Illmatic." If AllMusic.com is to be believed, his output has been spotty in some areas afterwards.

In your opinions, how are his albums after this seminal debut? Any of them I should avoid. Which are the essential ones?

[The Notorious LOL]

none are essential aside from illmatic. Stillmatic is decent, Gods Son isnt bad. For the most part you could fit nas entire catalog of really good songs on two cds

[Extra Cheese]

In your opinions, how are his albums after this seminal debut? Any of them I should avoid. Which are the essential ones?

"it was written" was ok

"i am" really sucks except for 2 songs.

"nastradamus" sucks

i only heard the singles off of "stillmatic' and dont care to listen to the rest of it, but i did like the singles.

[roosta]

they all have their moments, but id say "god's son" is the best post-illmatic.

[adam_f]

Street's Disciple was the worst in my mind. The Blueprint 2 shits on Street's Disciple when it comes to double discs.

[Rip Round'n Roc]

'it was written' is real dope, "if i ruled the world" "street dreams" "the message"

i liked "streets disciple" fuckin, "nazarath savage", "suicide bounce", "sekou story", "streets disciple" "virgo" "thiefs theme"

but "made you look" is my shit... that shit gets me pumped up

[mickill]

they all have their moments, but id say "god's son" is the best post-illmatic.

Illmatic *****
It Was Written ***1/2
I Am **
Nastradamus *
Stillmatic ***
God's Son ****
Street's Disciple **1/2

[The Notorious LOL]

Nastradamus gets a whole star? thats generous.

[Tzar]

so Nas is fairly hit and miss?
so i should only get Illmatic and leave it there?
maybe download a few other good tracks?

[minton]

It Was Written, I Am and Nastradamus should stay on the shelf. Illmatic, Stillmatic and God's Son are tight. As for Street's Disciple...it would have been a whole lot tighter if it was one disc. I'm not sure what he was thinking there, but it had potential if he cut the crap and compressed it into one disc.

So yeah, I guess you could say Nas is fairly hit and miss.

[cj hood]

i remember readin an article in '94 that said yauch liked illmatic...

[mickill]

i remember readin an article in '94 that said yauch liked illmatic...
Well in that case, so do I, man!

Nastradamus gets a whole star? thats generous.
Yeah, Come Get Me and Shoot Em' Up are aiiiiiight.

[Kid Presentable]

You could get 'Lost Tapes'.

That's a good listening collection of various rarities..

[The Notorious LOL]

Well in that case, so do I, man!





you say that jokingly but I guarantee someone reading this thread will listen to or buy this album based solely off that.

[Kid Presentable]

you say that jokingly but I guarantee someone reading this thread will listen to or buy this album based solely off that.
Making me want a third copy here...

[mickill]

Yeah well, I remember when Illmatic dropped, I read an interview where Mike D said that it was a good album, but that Nas made a few too many references to guns.

I nearly burned my copy after I read that.

[Kid Presentable]

hood's all good....

[cj hood]

Yeah well, I remember when Illmatic dropped, I read an interview where Mike D said that it was a good album, but that Nas made a few too many references to guns.

I nearly burned my copy after I read that.

was it mike, i thought it was yauch.......it was like "what hiphop are you listening to at the moment" type question......

[DroppinScience]

you say that jokingly but I guarantee someone reading this thread will listen to or buy this album based solely off that.

Bad Brains' debut album has a sticker with the critical raves from the likes of... Adam Horovitz, I think? Right now, some 14 year old from Beastie-General has just entered a record store desperately searching through the Bad Brains albums. ;)

[Sandinista!]

You don't need any of this new oaf's output. None of it all.

Take your copy of "illmatic" back to the store and trade it for some Generation X instead. You know you want to.

[beastiedan]

Illmatic *****
It Was Written ***1/2
I Am **
Nastradamus *
Stillmatic ***
God's Son ****
Street's Disciple **1/2


word.
streets disciple could use another star, maybe.


made you look is my all time favorite nas track, followed by Ny state of Mind, and Destroy and Rebuild.

[tdot04]

Nas needs a Best Of... CD already, damn it.

1. NY State of Mind
2. Life's a Bitch
3. The World Is Yours
4. Halftime
5. One Love
6. Represent
7. The Message
8. Street Dreams
9. Affirmative Action
10. If I Ruled The World
11. NY State of Mind Pt. 2
12. Nas Is Like...
13. Come Get Me
14. Ether
15. Got Your Self A...
16. Rewind
17. One Mic
18. 2nd Childhood
19. The Cross
20. Made You Look
21. Book Of Rhymes
22. Nazareth Savage
23. Just a Moment
24. U.B.R.
25. Bridging The Gap
26. Thief's Theme

Split it all up into a two-disc set and you've got a dope collection. See how good Nas is when his best material isn't surrounded by filler?

[Breakaway]

Ugh, so gay man. This was released ten years before any good music came out. His new one is good though, it came out on the day music became good. So don't pay attention to this Illmatic garbage.

[Auton]

lame alias

[TurdBerglar]

am i the only one haveing a hard time imagineing droppinscience listening to nas?

[Auton]

i can imagine him listening to it, but he's wearing one of those single-piece pajamas that little kids wear, and he's having a pillow fight with himself

[Tzar]

i can imagine him listening to it, but he's wearing one of those single-piece pajamas that little kids wear, and he's having a pillow fight with himself
pahahaha!! good one.

[DroppinScience]

am i the only one haveing a hard time imagineing droppinscience listening to nas?

Not my regular listening, but I can appreciate it. (y)

[Sandinista!]

am i the only one haveing a hard time imagineing droppinscience listening to nas?

I have a hard time imagining anyone listening to new music.

[TurdBerglar]

we know

[Sandinista!]

we know

Good.

Say "No" to new music.

[Medellia]

i can imagine him listening to it, but he's wearing one of those single-piece pajamas that little kids wear, and he's having a pillow fight with himself
Brett, I'm sorry but this is really funny.

[cubsfirstplace]

is stillmatic worth buying? :confused:

i have illmatic (amazing) and street disciples (pretty good)

[DroppinScience]

Brett, I'm sorry but this is really funny.

I laughed too. :D

[Mr_Complex]

DroppinScience, do you base all your musical listening through what AllMusic say?

[mickill]

DroppinScience, do you base all your musical listening through what AllMusic say?
No they're based on the lists in Spin, Rolling Stone and Blender.

[PaddyBoy]

I think Streets Disciple is underrated.

[Auton]

bridging the gap was garbage, but i love thief's theme, virgo, war, etc.

[rahntl]

I think Street's Disciple is underrated too. Yeah, I think there is a lot of filler, but the track "Sekou Story" is enough for me to say Nas can do whatever he wants. If you didn't know "Scarlett" the chick who raps on that track is really Nas himself, just tweaked in the studio to sound like a chick. Brilliant. Creative. I give him an A.
PS- Never owned Illmatic, but will now, thanks Droppin'.

[DroppinScience]

DroppinScience, do you base all your musical listening through what AllMusic say?

No they're based on the lists in Spin, Rolling Stone and Blender.

Sure, they play their roles (much less emphasis on RS, though), but it's not the only thing. Why?

[The Notorious LOL]

you put less emphasis on rolling stone, which is like the only semi reputable music publication widely available, and more on spin and blender? The fuck is wrong with you?

[DroppinScience]

you put less emphasis on rolling stone, which is like the only semi reputable music publication widely available, and more on spin and blender? The fuck is wrong with you?

RS, once upon a time, was reputable. But anyone can see they've certainly gone downhill today.

[Auton]

rolling stone is awful

[SobaViolence]

i can't bring myself to like 'ether'


i just don't like it...bitch.

[Jurassic]

Good thing it isn't on Illmatic then ;)

But seriously, Illmatic is by far the best record Nas ever released, and probably the best he ever will release.

[g-mile7]

Lost Tapes is good as well lyrically and in terms of the production (the overal feel is very reminisce of illatice/it was written). I, as well as many other hip-hop "heads", think its good

[laidback93]

Yeah I have to say he has been pretty hit and miss lately. Stillmatic is my favorite album since Illmatic. God's Son was OK, but there is only a couple tracks that I like. I haven't heard Street Disciple yet because I kind of lost interest after God's Son.

One thing I don't understand is why It Is Written always gets bashed. I think its a great album. Obviously its not up there Illmatic(what is), but the production was top notch in my opinion.

Oh and My Way from the Lost Tapes CD is the shit.

[Sandinista!]

you put less emphasis on rolling stone, which is like the only semi reputable music publication widely available, and more on spin and blender? The fuck is wrong with you?

I'm the most reputable source.

Now, put down the hipitty-hop and snag some Roxy Music. Now.

[Emperor Bohe]

your all mad "It Was Written" was dope go re-listen to it

[mickill]

I'm the most reputable source.

Now, put down the hipitty-hop and snag some Roxy Music. Now.

Some people think outside the box and can actually listen to both. Crazy idea, I know!

[Gareth]

In your opinions, how are his albums after this seminal debut?

no offence but in spoken conversation, it makes my skin crawl when people say 'seminal' in reference to an album. i'm immune to it in writing though.

[DandyFop]

I OWN THIS LOLZ

but i haven't listened to it yet.

my friend gave me the new backstreet boys CD for my bday.

yeah that's right.

[DroppinScience]

no offence but in spoken conversation, it makes my skin crawl when people say 'seminal' in reference to an album. i'm immune to it in writing though.

Okay.

[Buck Buck]

Illmatic is my favorite non-beastie album. Key track: ALL

It Was Written. Not as good, but definitely pretty cool. Key tracks: The Message, Black Girl Lost, If I ruled the World.

I am. Not that great Key Tracks: Nas is Like, I Wanna Talk to You

Nastradamus. Better than I am. Key Tracks: Life We Chose, Family, New World, Big Girl

Stillmatic: VERY GOOD. I like every song besides Rule and My Country

God's Son: Check out Get Down, Made you Look and Book of Rhymes. Book of Rhymes is real tight.

Streets Disciple: Lots of good songs that are scattered throughout the album. Some filler of course, but I think it's worth the $$$.

Just my opinions anyway.

[Sandinista!]

Some people think outside the box and can actually listen to both. Crazy idea, I know!

Beasties and Roxy Music is all I'll say; we needeth not post-89 dinguses mucking up the audible bliss.

[tpk]

just skimmed through all the replies but my say is

illmatic - flawless and also the best of all his records obviously

stillmatic - my personal 2nd fav. all tracks are great the only unfortunate thing is that the songs don't have that unique/original sound. just great tracks but they don't manage to hit that top level.

god's son - this album on the other hand have those already-classics like book of rhymes, made you look, heaven etc. the bad thing about this album personally is that some of the songs are just bad which brings down the general rating.

i haven't had time to listen to streets diciple for real yet so i can't really comment on that. other than that it was written is a good one.. but yeah those 3 albums mentioned above are definitely the three important albums in his career, and i'm sure streets diciple is too.

[IronicAllure]

Illmatic was definately his best rap album and one of the best rap albums ever made and it was definately under-praised (n)