What makes Illmatic that great?

[MeachTheMonster]

Because it set the blueprint for all modern rap albums that have come after it. If you listen to the lyrics on illmatic nas touched on almost all subjects that are prevelant within the hiphop community today. From drugs to bytches partying, fashion, stuntin,weed, hood stories, introspective shyt, personal shyt. Almost anything anybody raps about today nas already talked about it on illmatic. And he did it with a lyrical style that has still not been matched to this day.

 

[Yoda]

theres a fukking book about this album.
lyrically nothing was close to it back then...maybe not even now.

 

[Juliano Soprano]

Because a thread similar to this is made every month.

 

[yesiambowling]

I like it, but rarely go back to it. I listen to Stillmatic and IWW more.

 

[Yagirlcheatinonus]

My thing is there are other albums that are better.. Nas didn't set the tone for modern day MC's either. People hype this album because when it dropped they was calling him the golden child and Rakims heir but their were more lyrical mcs before him.

 

[Alexander Wiggin]

more lyrical before and after for sure but none as complete and as perfecty balanced as him, and none dropped an album with that amount of incredible songs put together in a row like that

 

[MeachTheMonster]

My thing is there are other albums that are better.. Nas didn't set the tone for modern day MC's either. People hype this album because when it dropped they was calling him the golden child and Rakims heir but their were more lyrical mcs before him.

Which album set the tone for modern hiphop?

 

[up in here]

My thing is there are other albums that are better.. Nas didn't set the tone for modern day MC's either. People hype this album because when it dropped they was calling him the golden child and Rakims heir but their were more lyrical mcs before him.

cool story bro

 

[Lil Bape the PostGod]

shyt was overated as hell, b...thats why it took 7 years to go platinum

 

[Mr. Pink]

For me Illmatic's greatness goes beyond its technical flawlessness. Illmatic is greater than the sum of its parts. If you think of it just in terms of hot beats and hot lyrics then yes, I suppose it can be matched by a few other albums. But what sets it apart in my eyes is just the....I don't know, the mood it creates when you're listening to it. It's what sets it apart from IWW, who was technically perhaps even better than Illmatic. But Illmatic has that X factor about it. It goes beyond just entertainment.

The core purpose of art is to sensitize, to provoke thought and emotion. And no album does that as good or better than Illmatic. Illmatic is the only album I’d praise for reaching the artistic and philosophic heights of literature.

The dude Nas caught lightning in a bottle with Illmatic. I don't think what he did will ever be achieved again.

Yeah, I'm a stan. What?

 

[zerozero]

dude was really young too.. these kids out there don't even know what "medusa" means anymore

 

[Yagirlcheatinonus]

Which album set the tone for modern hiphop?

Well to me you could pick The Chronic, Doggystyle, or RTD. Mainly because those albums were more versatile than Illmatic.

 

[Pool_Shark]

Well to me you could pick The Chronic, Doggystyle, or RTD. Mainly because those albums were more versatile than Illmatic.

 

[Mike Statik]

cuz Nas is the god

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Well to me you could pick The Chronic, Doggystyle, or RTD. Mainly because those albums were more versatile than Illmatic.

In my opinion those albums where less versatile as far as subject matter goes. And ready to die came out after illmatic and shows some influence from it.