Illmatic

"Illmatic" is the debut studio album by American rapper Nas, released on April 19, 1994, through Columbia Records. Nas signed with the label with the assistance of MC Serch and recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Production was handled by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and Nas himself. The album is characterized as a hardcore hip-hop record, featuring multi-syllabic internal rhymes and narratives inspired by Nas’ upbringing in the Queensbridge Houses in Queens, New York. Nas began writing lyrics for the album at the age of 16. "Illmatic" debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200, selling 59,000 copies in its first week. While initial sales and the performance of its five singles were modest, the album received widespread critical acclaim for its production and Nas’ lyricism. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on January 17, 1996, and platinum on December 11, 2001, after shipping one million copies in the United States. As of February 6, 2019, the album had sold two million copies in the US. Over time, "Illmatic" has been recognized as a landmark in East Coast hip-hop. Its influence on subsequent artists has been attributed to both its production and Nas’ lyrical approach, contributing to a revival of the New York City rap scene and introducing stylistic trends to the region. The album is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop albums of all time, appearing on numerous best-of lists by critics and publications. Billboard stated in 2015 that "Illmatic is widely seen as the best hip-hop album ever." In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 44 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and in 2021 it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.