By Esther Callens
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the release of Illmatic, one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time that made Nas a household name. To celebrate this event, a special 20th Anniversary Edition, justly titled Illmatic (Sony Legacy) XX will be in retail on April 15th. In conjunction, Nas will be touring the U. S. with a special concert this spring at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where he will perform all the titles on Illmatic.
The all-inclusive Illmatic XX will feature unreleased demos, rare remixes and a number of freestyles. Also coinciding with this release, is a feature length documentary titled Time Is Illmatic that will be available this year. It offers a never before seen look at Nas beginning, the making of Illmatic and the impact that it had. The exclusive collection and film makes a most fitting tribute to Nas’ debut project that first portrayed his phenomenal, unique rap style in 1994.
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones aka Nas is an American rapper, songwriter and actor. He is the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. He has garnered eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums. He has his own record label, retail sneaker store, and magazine publishing. A philanthropist, Nas is a spokesperson/mentor for P’Tones Records, a not-for-profit after school music program that creates opportunities for urban youth through music.
Track listing – Disc 1 Remastered original album: The Genesis; N.Y. State of Mind, Life’s A B—-, The World Is Yours, Halftime, Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park); One Love; One Time 4 Your Mind; Represent; It Ain’t Hard To Tell.
Disc 2 Demos, Remixes & Live Radio: I’m A Villian; The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR October 28, 1993 feat. Nas, 6’9”, Jungle & Grand Wizard; Halftime (Butcher Remix); It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Remix); One Love (LG Main Mix); Life’s A B—- (Arsenal Mix); One Love (One L Main Mix); the World Is Yours (Tip Mix); It Ain’t Hard To Tell (The Stink Mix); It Ain’t Hard To Tell (The Laidback Remix).
