(Grantland‘s amazing Illmatic infographic. Click here to enlarge)
Tomorrow officially marks the 20th anniversary of Nas’ classic/iconic/timeless (insert every synonym here) debut album, but really, April as a whole has been a celebration of Illmatic — and rightly so. The Queensbridge poet has dropped the Illmatic XX reissue, debuted his Time Is Illmatic documentary and performed his album in full at Coachella alongside fellow New York legends Jay Z and Diddy.
The rap internets have been pretty busy, too, and on the eve of this very special occasion, we decided to compile the best features, interviews and even infographics (see above) from around the web to help you celebrate 20 years of Illmatic right.
Continue after the jump…
MISS INFO REFLECTS ON HER 5-MIC REVIEW OF ILLMATIC
There’s no denying the impact The Source‘s 5-mic review had on helping Illmatic become the hip-hop holy grail it is today. The review, as you should already know, was penned by our very own Miss Info (fka Shortie), who was an intern at The Source back in 1994. Miss Info revisited her review right here on MissInfo.TV, but she also spoke to Complex News about the very special piece and the internal (and external) battle she faced with giving Nas’ debut album the perfect score. It’s safe to say she got that one right.
FUSE TV’S “ILLMATIC AT 20″ THREE-PART SPECIAL
Fuse sits down with Nas, Large Professor, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Faith Newman, Miss Info and many more involved for a comprehensive reflection on Illmatic. The three-part special looks back at Nas’ breakout verse on Main Sources “Live at the Barbeque” in 1991, the album’s all-star production team, the impact of the death of Nas’ close friend Ill Will, and the importance of The Source‘s 5-mic review, as penned by Miss Info (fka Shortie). Also be sure to read Chairman Mao’s brilliant retrospective.
A TOUR THROUGH QUEENSBRIDGE PROJECTS WITH NAS’ BROTHER JUNGLE
VIBE and MissInfo.TV’s own Mikey Fresh traveled into the heart of Illmatic as Nas’ brother Jungle took him on a tour of Queensbridge Projects. Jungle shows us the old Jones family apartment, the exact spot where the Illmatic cover was shot and recalled plenty of great stories about a young Nas and where he would write his rhymes.
MEMORY LANE: NAS AND FAITH NEWMAN REMEMBER ILLMATIC MOMENTS
20 years later, Nas and Faith Newman, the Columbia Records A&R who signed him and worked on his debut album, sit side-by-side to reflect on moments from the Illmatic-era for Complex‘s Memory Lane series. The pair remember the first time they met each other, how Nas almost got dropped by Columbia, working with legendary producers like DJ Premier and Pete Rock, old NYC club stories and much more.
NAH RIGHT’S ILLMATIC VIDEOS LIST
For all the young bucks out there, the homie Stan Ipcus at Nah Right took a trip down memory lane and revisited all the music videos from Illmatic. There’s also a couple of bonus clips including the Illmatic press kit and Nas’ first ever interview on Video Music Box. Check it out here.
When I picked up the April 1994 issue of The Source and read Shorties review of Illmatic, my anticipation reached parts unknown (I would meet Shortie, who you know today as Miss Info, during my tenure at BET and, to this day, she doesnt know that I worship the ground she walks on). A 5-mic review was unheard of back then when The Source actually meant something (I have since had the pleasure of conversing for hours with Jonathan Shecter in person about Illmatic and his time running the mag). Hell, it was the hip-hop Bible and I took Shorties words like the gospel.
Related: #IllmaticXX: Miss Info Revisits Her 5-Mic Review of Nas Illmatic
