Column | Nas’s ‘Illmatic’ is a timeless example of rap’s greatness, authenticity

The Daily Illini

Column | Nas’s ‘Illmatic’ is a timeless example of rap’s greatness, authenticity

Nasir Jones is a storyteller. He makes that clear on “Illmatic,” an introspective and poetic album that set the foundation for rap music.  With a smooth flow and contemplative lyrics over jazz-heavy samples and guttural piano lines, Nas vividly portrays growing up as a young black man in New York. He captures the feeling of growing up struggling in the hood surrounded by drugs, crime and violence. At only 20 years old, Nas created one of the mos…