Nas's seminal 1994 album Illmatic is frequently ranked as one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever, and the New York rapper will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with an expanded reissue, a documentary film and even a tour.
The reissue is called Illmatic XX and it's due out on April 15 through Sony Legacy. The double-disc set features the remastered original album on the first CD and an assortment of unreleased demos, freestyles and remixes on the second.
The tracklist is below, and a remix of "It Ain't Hard To Tell" is streaming at RapGenius.com.
Also this year, Nas's classic album will be examined with the film Time Is Illmatic. This feature-length doc was made by director One9 and writer Erik Parker. According to a press release, "Time Is Illmatic tracks the musical legacy of the Jones family, handed down to Nas from his jazz musician father, Olu Dara. It also examines the social conditions and environmental influences that contributed to Nas's worldview."
Details surrounding the flick's release will be confirmed in the coming months.
Nas also has a tour planned, but he only has a few U.S. shows booked so far. See the schedule here, and expect more dates to be announced.
Nas said in a statement, "With Illmatic, I didn't think about it. I just did it. I believe everybody has good instincts. Now I'm a man from that past and I'm supremely grateful. There's a Nigerian proverb 'What is past is prologue.' I'm here today because of Illmatic."
Illmatic XX:
CD 1:
1. The Genesis
2. N.Y. State of Mind
3. Life's a Bitch
4. The World Is Yours
5. Halftime
6. Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)
7. One Love
8. One Time 4 Your Mind
9. Represent
10. It Ain't Hard to Tell
CD 2 - Demos, Remixes & Live Radio
1. I'm a Villain (previously unreleased)
2. The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR October 28, 1993 (previously unreleased freestyle)
3. Halftime (Butcher Remix)
4. It Ain't Hard To Tell (Remix) (promo single)
5. One Love (LG Main Mix)
6. Life's a Bitch (Arsenal Mix) (promo single)
7. One Love (One L Main Mix)
8. The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)
9. It Ain't Hard to Tell (The Stink Mix) (UK single)
10. It Ain't Hard to Tell (The Laidback Remix) (UK single)
The reissue is called Illmatic XX and it's due out on April 15 through Sony Legacy. The double-disc set features the remastered original album on the first CD and an assortment of unreleased demos, freestyles and remixes on the second.
The tracklist is below, and a remix of "It Ain't Hard To Tell" is streaming at RapGenius.com.
Also this year, Nas's classic album will be examined with the film Time Is Illmatic. This feature-length doc was made by director One9 and writer Erik Parker. According to a press release, "Time Is Illmatic tracks the musical legacy of the Jones family, handed down to Nas from his jazz musician father, Olu Dara. It also examines the social conditions and environmental influences that contributed to Nas's worldview."
Details surrounding the flick's release will be confirmed in the coming months.
Nas also has a tour planned, but he only has a few U.S. shows booked so far. See the schedule here, and expect more dates to be announced.
Nas said in a statement, "With Illmatic, I didn't think about it. I just did it. I believe everybody has good instincts. Now I'm a man from that past and I'm supremely grateful. There's a Nigerian proverb 'What is past is prologue.' I'm here today because of Illmatic."
Illmatic XX:
CD 1:
1. The Genesis
2. N.Y. State of Mind
3. Life's a Bitch
4. The World Is Yours
5. Halftime
6. Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)
7. One Love
8. One Time 4 Your Mind
9. Represent
10. It Ain't Hard to Tell
CD 2 - Demos, Remixes & Live Radio
1. I'm a Villain (previously unreleased)
2. The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR October 28, 1993 (previously unreleased freestyle)
3. Halftime (Butcher Remix)
4. It Ain't Hard To Tell (Remix) (promo single)
5. One Love (LG Main Mix)
6. Life's a Bitch (Arsenal Mix) (promo single)
7. One Love (One L Main Mix)
8. The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)
9. It Ain't Hard to Tell (The Stink Mix) (UK single)
10. It Ain't Hard to Tell (The Laidback Remix) (UK single)
