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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Maybe they'll get it right for the 20 year anniversary, April 2, 2004
Let me preface my review by saying that the original Illmatic album (Disc One of this edition) is an undeniable classic, five stars, without a doubt. But as a whole, this 10 Year Anniversary Edition only gets three stars (I really wanted to give it two), and the primary reason is Disc Two.The bottom line: this is so much LESS than it could have been. I love remixes, but the four remixes included here...they just don't work. I don't want to hear Illmatic-era lyrics over 2004-radio-rapper beats. The best of the four is the "It Ain't Hard To Tell" remix, which does have a hardcore, yet updated feel to it. Nas spits some different lyrics (perhaps he re-recorded them for this edition), which is cool. The worst is the "One Love" remix; it inexplicably features censored lyrics, which completely ruins the song, especially when they edit words like "nine" and "L's." Come on. What a waste. Perhaps the biggest problem I have with including these subpar remixes is the fact that there are already some great remixes of these songs THAT WEREN'T INCLUDED! I'm referring to the remixes done back in '94 and '95 when these songs were released as singles. The Q-Tip remix of "The World Is Yours" and the Arsenal Mix of "Life's a B****" are outstanding. "One Love," "It Ain't Hard To Tell," and "Halftime" were all remixed back in the day, and quite well too. I would argue that these remixes make up a large part of the Illmatic mystique, and they should have been included in this celebratory anniversary collection. I mean, why not? OPEN UP THE VAULTS! Another thought: if you are going to create some new remixes of these songs, why not bring in the original producers to do the job? Get Primo, Extra P, Tip, Pete Rock and Big LES and have them either remix their own songs or let them swap. It would be pretty cool to get those legends to give us an updated version of their classic tracks. The two new songs on Disc Two (produced by Marley Marl and Extra P) are pretty good, worthy of inclusion here. Although, again, I would have liked to hear something from 10 years ago...weren't there any unreleased tracks that were scrapped when the 10-song Illmatic sequencing was finalized? My other complaint about this collection is the lack of liner notes. A small thing, perhaps, but when I buy a greatest hits disc, anthology, or anniversary edition, I expect to get liner notes--and I am disappointed when I don't. It basically all boils down to this: this collection doesn't live up to the greatness of the very album it was created to celebrate. Quite a disappointment.
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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nas Keeps His Ear To The Streets., September 20, 2004
Nas' street appeal has never been deniable, and that is his heart on every album he has ever made, from Illmatic, to Stillmatic, to God's Son. Illmatic was released again for its 10th anniversary, and never having owned the album, I bought it. Saying that this is one of the best hip-hop albums ever is a lie. It IS the best hip-hop album ever! Know why? Nas keeps it real for the streets. He doesn't use fancy production, he isn't flashy, and he has a limited vocab but a big heart for rapping. Illmatic has street written all over it. You can FEEL the streets of New York sweep over you as you listen to this album, and the experience is unmatched. Nas has always competed with Jay-Z for king of NYC, except on this album. While I listen to Jay-Z a lot more, and like him better, he doesn't have a heart quite like Nas does. Jay-Z is at his heart, a gentleman, obsessed with cars, girls, and cash by the bags. Nas isn't. He's authentic. I'm not saying Jay-Z is fake, but Nas only cares about rap, and sending messages straight from the projects. Listen to this album for a definition of what rap is. It will send a rush through you unlike any other. And with only 10 tracks, every one is a classic. The best rap album ever. period.
Bonus Cuts: They are very good, but they should be saved for another album. Definitely draw away the classic feel from the original Illmatic album. Still worth a listen. *If you already own the original Illmatic, there is little to no point in getting the anniversary edition.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Revolutionary, Beautiful...Perfect, April 9, 2006
"Illmatic" is the perfect rap album. This is the one album ever made that bridged the old school to the new school, the best producers to the greatest MC, real world lyrics to straight fun. Nas introduced himself as the world's greatest rapper here, and although he would defend this title for years to come, he would never match the quality of "Illmatic". He paints stories of life in Queensbridge, his beloved project, makes philosophies on the state of the world, reminisces over his younger days, and obviously has a lot of fun. What's so beautiful about "Illmatic", however, is that Nas could never have done it alone. It's totally a group effort, because Nas recruited only the greatest producers of 1994 for this album. Put it in the CD player and treat yourself to the productions of Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and DJ Premier. "Illmatic" is probably the only hip hop album ever to have immortal lyrics matched by such immortal production, which is why it is widely considered hip hop's bible.
The album starts with an intro, where Nas and his friend AZ have a conversation about the state of current rap and life over a dope beat. If it weren't for "The Genesis", I doubt that albums would have intros like they always do today. "NY State of Mind", Primo's first track, is the first song that Nas paints a ghetto portrait for the listener. "Life's a B**ch" is one of the greatest hip hop collaborations of all time. AZ leads in with one of my favorite verses ("Visualizin' the realism...") and they give their young philosophies on life. Large Professor produced that excellent beat. "The World Is Yours" was revolutionary, and is the reason Nas is regarded as a ghetto prophet. The piano and bass beat is done by the one and only Pete Rock, and Nas is still recycling lyrics from this song to this day. "Halftime"'s technique changed hip hop for good, and it's jazzy beat only enhanced it. "Memory Lane" might be my favorite song on "Illmatic". Primo's toned down beat with keyboard and vocals is perfect, and Nas takes time to reminisce and think. "One Love" is Nas's classic talk to a friend in jail, produced by Q-Tip. "One Time 4 Your Mind" and "Represent" are both legendary storytellers with great beats and hooks. "It Ain't Hard to Tell" is one of my favorite songs ever, with it's ultra-jazzy and souled-out beat, it's the most purely old school track here. The 10th anniversary edition is definitely worth the extra $2 because it provides a second disc of remixes which complement the originals nicely, plus a newer classic, "Star Wars".
"Illmatic" was successful in melding the quickly progressing hip hop world to its early nineties styles, and in so revolutionized rap in itself. There aren't too many albums that I would call perfect, but "Illmatic" is an unduplicated legend in itself.
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