Album Review: Nas- Illmatic XX

Straight out the motherfucking dungeons of rap…

Where fake ni**as don’t make it back…

At twenty years, what else is there to say about Illmatic? It’s nothing short of a masterpiece, and an amazing accomplishment. Nas, not even 21 when he recorded it, literally peaked right out of the gate with this album. A love letter of sorts to his beloved Queensbridge, it’s concise—nine songs, one intro track—with production from Pete Rock, Q-Tip, and DJ Premier, among others. Even the “weaker” songs are great—but I mean come on? “The World is Yours?” “N.Y. State of Mind?” “It Ain’t Hard to Tell?” They’re all legendary.

Over the course of the last two decades, unlike countless numbers of his peers, Nas has remained in the public eye, continually releasing albums every couple of years—some more well received than others, but none of them can match the regard and respect that people hold for Illmatic.

Because nostalgia, Columbia Records has released a twentieth anniversary set—Illmatic XX boasts a remastered copy of the original LP, along with an additional ten bonus tracks. But also, because nostalgia, and because limited edition, in 2012, purveyors of all things nostalgic, Get on Down, released a special “Gold” CD reissue in a giant collector’s box, complete with hardbound comprehensive liner notes, along with pressing Illmatic on vinyl again for the first time in ages—both of which I purchased without even batting an eyelash.

So, do I really need three copies of Illmatic?

The collector and aficionado in me says OF COURSE. But my wife, and our long overfilled CD and record shelves say NO.

But I am going to need to take a look at those bonus tracks…

How many different versions of “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” do you need? Illmatic XX would have you believe you need three additional versions, including the “Laidback” remix, something called “The Stink Mix,” and then finally, the simply titled “Remix.” Proving to be structured as awkwardly and strangely as possible, the bonus disc of supplemental ephemera also features two versions of “One Love,” an early outtake recorded somewhere between 1991 and 94 entitled “I’m a Villain,” and a seven-minute radio interview from “The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show.”

The second disc opens with the aforementioned “I’m a Villain.” It certainly isn’t a bad song, but when compared to the material that made the final cut, it feels a little rough, with Nas still trying to find his voice as a performer. The beat of “I’m a Villain” also seems to be a little out of place—nothing even remotely similar sounding ended up on Illmatic.

Sequentially, this is then followed up with the radio show interview and freestyle performance. Recorded in October of 1993, Nas says his record is due out in January—it ended up coming out in April, proving that hip-hop release delays were not just a modern event. About two minutes in, he begins his freestyle, joined by 69, Jungle, and the Grand Wizard. Aside from the rough mixing job, it’s a surprisingly fun piece to listen to, and an interesting artifact to include in the set; it just seems odd to included it second in the track list—first, or last, seems like the better place to house something so self-contained.

The other eight tracks on the second disc of Illmatic XX are all of the various remixes to the songs you already know and love. Some of them are successful: both the “Butcher” remix to “Halftime” and the “Stink Mix” to “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” don’t necessarily breathe new life into the songs—they don’t need any rescue breaths, but they are also not horrible in their reimagining of the source material.

The same can actually be said for much of the additional remixes. The mysterious “Remix” to “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” is the only true misfire of the bunch. It, again, is just the incredibly questionable sequencing that leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth—track five and track seven are both different takes on “One Love,” while the last two tracks are both different version of “It Ain’t Hard to Tell.” It’s worth noting that nearly all of these appeared as b-sides on 12” singles released in promotion of the album, so it seems like a small amount of effort to gather what could be deemed a worthwhile amount of bonus features for this reissue was put forth, but the variety is certainly lacking.

With regards to the original LP, as with many reissues and remasters, true audiophiles may be able to pick out the subtle differences between this 2014 edition and the Get on Down 2012 pressing. To my ears, there is little noticeable difference—this one primarily sounds louder.

Which is, you know, what most remasters end up sounding like.

If you don’t already have a copy of Illmatic, then shame on you. No. Just kidding. If you don’t already own a copy of this album, and missed the boat on the 10^th anniversary reissue, or the Get on Down “Gold” CD (that is long out of print), then this is a fine time to add Illmatic to your collection, and at the same time, get some nifty extras that your life probably would go on just fine without.

Reissues often come off as a cash grab. Like, if you bought this album 20 years ago, you should buy it again anyway because it comes with a few additional songs. I think the heart of a reissue is in the right place though. It’s meant as a celebration of something great. Nas may be remembered for his beef with Jay Z, the time he tried to release an album called Ni**er and subsequently upset Bill O’Reilly, that time he married and later divorced Kelis, his turn as an actor in Hype Williams’ cult favorite Belly, or the Christ-like depictions he took flack for in the 1999 video for “Hate Me Now”—but above all those things, Nasir Jones will be remembered as the young man who released Illmatic, and album responsible for changing the landscape of hip-hop music forever.

Illmatic XX is available today on 2XCD and LP via Columbia/Legacy.

And, for a bit of fun, if you give all your Facebook info to Legacy, you can access this Illmatic cover generator thing online.  It's pretty neat. For fun, here's the covers I made using photos of my rabbits.