19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not A 5 Mic Book, April 17, 2010
This review is from: Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic (Paperback)
I try to write reviews that I would have found helpful when I was shopping.
The following info has already been mentioned in other reviews, but is important:
This is a collection of essays connected to the tracks off of Nas' classic album "Illmatic." There is an essay for every song, including the intro, plus bonus commentary, interviews, and the original 5 Mic review from the Source. If one wants a "making of" version of Illmatic, then definately buy the 33 1/3 book for Illmatic.
Nas' Illmatic (33 1/3 series)
If you are thinking of buying this book, answer these two questions:
1. Do you think a fair interpretation of the second line in "The World Is Yours" ("writin in my book of rhymes, all the words pass the margin") could be "The margins also serve as a metaphor for urban youth relegated to the margins by being forced to work within clearly defined legal, economic, social, and political parameters (i.e., margins)."?
2. Would you agree that "N.Y. State of Mind" is "a bird's-eye view, a series of close-ups and cutaways that not only allows us to imagine the land-mine littered landscape of the globe under American power - but also to see the connections between the forces that have devastated urban centers in the United States and those that are destroying lives throughout the Third World"?
If the answer is "Yes," definitely buy the book. If you answered, "No" or "I'm not sure" then this book might not be for you. Personally, I found these connections very clever, but I kept thinking, "I don't think this was on Nas' mind when he wrote this." My recommendation, look at the library first or borrow from a friend. The additional essays and interviews are very good. Nas' interviews are insightful, dream hampton writes about sharing Illmatic with Tupac, and Jon Caramanica writes an excellent essay putting Illmatic in historical context. He also includes a line that pops out in contrast to other writers: "(Illmatic) became what the listener wanted it to be as much as, if not more than, what Nas intended it to be."
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Quite what I expected, August 23, 2010
This review is from: Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic (Paperback)
I thought the Book was more a comprehensive review of each song on Illmatic but it borders between that, and a essay "on what this song means to me" type of book in some chapters.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
ok, October 18, 2011
This review is from: Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic (Paperback)
Not real impressed with this one. Still a huge nas fan but didn't really feel the commentary. And the sister that obsessed over the mysogony in the "I Can" video is really reaching.
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