It Was Written >>> Illmatic; Nas Best Album

[ManBearPig]

Illmatic had better beats.

 

[Hurricane Starang]

IWW was ducktales but the complexity of the lyricism

Illmatic was more raw and truthful and poetic, less polished than IWW but better because it was relatable, raw, beautiful and fresh.

 

[notorious8562]

It confuses me why this topic is created every other month. IWW is a very good album (hell, I'll even go to classic status), but Illmatic is a fukking masterpiece. No other hip-hop album that I've heard has come close to capturing the same feel; shyt makes me nostalgic and I'm not even from New York. Damn near every track is a classic, and it has by far the most replay value.

 

[BUSINESS AS USUAL]

illmatic is goat album..i love iww to death and its prob 3rd on my list but it isnt better

 

[dBoyFresh*212]

agree 100%

#1 album of all time IMO


the message, take it in blood, street dreams, nas is coming, if i ruled the world, shootouts, the setup, man every fukin track is 5* classic material.


The message >>> rap

 

[Illeye buckmatic]

Both are five mic classics and top ten all time. Im going with illmatic because of his hunger,rawness,and production.
Having said that iww was more cohecive and lyrically polished. His flow was flawless and at its peak. The only reason iww isnt ranked higher on most peoples list is because everyone expected another illmatic and he changed his style with the quickness. Had iww came out first it would be looked upon the same way illmatic is.
As for iww not being real enough,NaS never claimed it to be real. Hes always maintained its a creative lp. But he didnt have to say it because you could tell escobar was a fictional character. I just enjoyed the music.
If were judging it on realness,then we'd have to throw all those 90's mafioso lps like wu's,jays,mobb deeps etc out the window. Wouldnt make much sense now would it.

 

[TMillzy]

Both albums are classic though

 

[L. Deezy]

Illmatic had better beats.

no the fukk it didnt..

say what y'all want... but Trackmasters gave Nas his best music from released to unreleased shyt.

 

[Danie84]

IWW is my GOAT Nas album, but I overstand Illmatic's impact.

 

[prettyprincess]

God's Son and Stillmatic are better than IWW

 

[surv2syn]

It confuses me why this topic is created every other month. IWW is a very good album (hell, I'll even go to classic status), but Illmatic is a fukking masterpiece. No other hip-hop album that I've heard has come close to capturing the same feel; shyt makes me nostalgic and I'm not even from New York. Damn near every track is a classic, and it has by far the most replay value.

yeah, I have no problem if you like IWW better. Illmatic was an example of what an album should be, rap or otherwise. Every track had a purpose. No bull*** skits. 10 bangers. Not a whole bunch of features. Today that album would be considered an EP, just because it has less than 15 songs. Illmatic is a blueprint to how an album should be made in any genre. Meticulous, precise, and focused. Not to mention the order of the way the tracks were positioned. The album flow was a work of art in itself.

 

[FlyGuy]

If u don't give a FVCK about realness in Rap then u are prolly a CAC or a fake Hip Hop fan

glad you told me I must have been white and not a hip-hop fan my whole life. Dumbass....Run DMC really met Santa back in Hollis right?

 

[Eternal Tecate]

IWW>I AM>ILLMATIC

 

[Adidastar]

I prefer IWW also......as for the Escobar persona, he introduced that chamber on The Infamous and Cuban Linx----why would he go away from it on his own album?? Some of his most retarded bars came from that era.

 

[Urbanmiracle]

glad you told me I must have been white and not a hip-hop fan my whole life. Dumbass....Run DMC really met Santa back in Hollis right?

don't mind him. He just a product of this DVD showing rappers with guns era of rap.


It's hard to choose. I mean Illmatic reps a certain time and era. It marks the time when rap had to step its game up. When mc had to come from the gut and soul with their music. You couldn't be a follower or corny. The beats paint a picture of where Nas was coming from: NYC in the 80s and 90s straight after crack came out. Nas was a poet who witness the ills and beauty of his surroundings in Queensbridge.


IWW takes that same poet and places him in the realms of success. Now he doesn't talk about the poverty and the ghetto drama. It's Armani and taking over the world. It's those same people I repped on my first joint mad I made it out. Take It In Blood, Watch Dem nikkas, Street Dreams, The Message and Suspect all touch on it.

I go with Illmatic.