Nas - Illmatic LP xx1979 continuing his lifelong exploration of

continuing his lifelong exploration of the possibilities of recombination and musical gene-splicing

and guest instrumentation from an ensemble of friends

like some kind of leper in the musical wilderness

and recorded material from Vacant Valley boss

rather than a soundtrack album

Nas - Illmatic LP xx1979 continuing his lifelong exploration ofNas burst right out of the box with a classic: his 1994 Columbia debut, which teamed him with Q Tip, DJ Premier, Large Professor and Pete Rock. The absolutely killer beats they contributed back Nas's swaggering, street tough rhymes; this album was the epicenter of NYC rap in '94 and it sounds every bit as raw and powerful today: "N. Y. State of Mind," "Halftime," "It Ain't Hard to Tell," "Represent," "One Time 4 Your Mind," "One Love," "Life's a