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Nas Illmatic

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marquee moon

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I have been holding out for reasons that are my own, but mostly because I like to have a stable of classics in the wing. Is this the greatest rap album ever? I don't know. I haven't gotten past song 3. song 3.
 
It might be. I think MBDTF is my favorite, but I wouldn't argue with anyone who put Illmatic number one. "New York State of Mind" and "Memory Lane" are my favorite tracks.
 
Semi-related: Stillmatic is a great album in its own right.
 
Marquee Moon said:
I have been holding out for reasons that are my own, but mostly because I like to have a stable of classics in the wing. Is this the greatest rap album ever? I don't know. I haven't gotten past song 3. song 3.
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It's close, IMO. I think The Blueprint, ATLiens, and Enter the Wu Tang are pretty damn good, too.
 
There is no case to be made for any album over Illmatic.
 
If you forget about Endtroducing....., The Low End Theory, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Ready to Die, and 3 Feet High and Rising, then yeah maybe.
 
It's for more introspective and poetic than any album of that era, and its relentlessly steady flow keeps it on top, IMO.

I think it's hilarious how Nas knows it, too. He'll never stop bringing that album up any chance he can get.
 
I think an argument can be made for a select few albums. Illmatic, Follow the Leader, Chronic, and Ready to Die come to mind.
 
JuiceCrewAllStar said:
A lot of it was ghostwritten by other rappers. Nas is nice, but definitely overrated.
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I don't know about the writing but I was under the impression that Nas' first album had no famous guest appearances. The outcome? He's crowned the best lyricist.
 
The sad part is how many amazing non-Illmatic songs he put out both before and after Illmatic. Deja Vu, Understanding, Nas Will Prevail, etc. But then he went the massively overrated It Was Written way and had a woefully disappointing career post-Illmatic.
 
Just 4-5 listens in, this is my favorite.

Everyone stole off of this.

 
I'll go so far as to say halftime is the greatest rap song I've ever heard.

It has everything.

 
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