|
'''Carol Yager''' ([[1960]]-[[1994]]) holds the distinction of having been the [[obesity|most obese]] person ever to live. When she died in 1994 at the age of 34, she weighed about 1200 [[pound (mass)|pounds]]. Some estimates place her weight at as much as 1600 pounds at her peak, but these are unverified. At death, she was 5'7" tall, and able to fit through her custom-built 48" wide front door, although some sources claim she was more than 5 feet wide.
{{Album infobox |
Name = Illmatic |
Type = [[vinyl record|LP]] |
Artist = [[Nas (rapper)|Nas]] |
Cover = NasIllmatic.jpg |
Background = Orange |
Released = [[April 19]], [[1994]] <small>([[United States|US]])</small> |
Recorded = 1992-1993|
Genre = [[East Coast hip hop]]<br>[[Alternative hip hop]],<br>[[Jazz rap]], <br>[[Gangsta rap#Mafioso rap|Mafioso Rap]] |
Length = 39:43 |
Label = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]] |
Producer = [[Pete Rock]], Nas, L.E.S., [[Q-Tip (rapper)|Q-Tip]], [[DJ Premier]], [[Large Professor]] |
Reviews = <ul><li>[[All Music Guide|AMG]] [[Image:5 out of 5.png]][http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:y690s33ua3vg link]</li>
<li> [[Rolling Stone]] [[Image:4 out of 5.png]] [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/214920 link] </li>
<li>''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]'' [[Image:5 out of 5.png]]</li>
<li>[[NME]] (9 - Excellent Plus)</li>
Like others in the 900+ pound weight class, Yager was not able to stand or walk, as her [[muscle]]s were not strong enough to lift her due to [[atrophy]].
|
Last album = |
This album = '''''Illmatic'''''<br />(1994) |
Next album = ''[[It Was Written]]''<br />(1996) |}}
She lived in Mt Morris Township, near [[Flint, Michigan]], and was cared for by health care professionals, friends, her daughter Heather, and other family members, many of whom visited daily.
'''''Illmatic''''' is the debut [[hip hop music|hip hop]] album by [[Nas (rapper)|Nas]], released on [[April 19]], [[1994]] (see [[1994 in music]]) on [[Columbia Records]]. Featuring production from [[Large Professor]] (of The [[Main Source]]), [[Pete Rock]] (of [[Pete Rock & CL Smooth]]), [[Q-Tip (rapper)|Q-Tip]] (of [[A Tribe Called Quest]]) and [[DJ Premier]] (of [[Gang Starr]]), as well as a [[Hip hop collaborations|guest appearance]] from [[AZ (rapper)|AZ]], ''Illmatic'' was immediately hailed as a [[magnum opus | masterpiece]] by critics<ref name="nas">{{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.hiponline.com/artist/music/n/nas/ | title = Biography: Nas | format = | work = http://www.ugo.com/ | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>, and is today regarded as one of the most celebrated and [[seminal work|most influential]] albums in [[hip hop history]]. However, due in part to extensive [[bootlegging]], the record sales fell below expectations.
Yager claimed to have started her massive weight gain deliberately as a child to discourage the sexual attacks of a "close family member," although in later interviews, she indicated that there were other contributing factors, or "skeletons in my closet", and "monsters" as she was quoted.
==Overview==
With songs such as "Memory Lane" and "N.Y. State of Mind" (both of which were produced by DJ Premier), "The World Is Yours" (produced by Pete Rock), and "It Ain't Hard To Tell" (which samples [[Michael Jackson]]'s "[[Human Nature (Michael Jackson song)|Human Nature]]"), ''Illmatic''
attracted a significant amount of attention within the hip hop community and caused an instant sensation within hip hop's [[Alternative hip hop|underground circuit]]. The assembly of producers DJ Premier, Q-Tip, Pete Rock, and Large Professor on one single project was unprecedented in hip hop music, since most rap albums were primarily the work of one dedicated [[hip hop production]] team<ref name="cowie">{{cite web | last = Cowie | first = Del | url = http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid=1&csid1=3163 | title = Nas: Battle Ready | format = | work = [[Exclaim!]] Magazine | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>.
In January, 1993, she was admitted to Hurley Medical Center, weighing-in at 1189 lbs. She suffered from [[cellulitis]] (her skin was breaking down due to the stress of holding in her mass). She stayed in the hospital for three months, where she was restricted to a 1200 [[calorie]] diet, and while there, lost 519 pounds, though most of this was fluid. (Massively obese people often suffer from [[edema]], and their weight can fluctuate with astonishing speed as fluid is taken up or released.) Yager sufferred from many other obesity-related health problems as well, including breathing difficulty, a dangerously high sugar level, and stress on her heart and other organs. Yager's death certificate lists kidney failure as the cause of death, with obesity and multiple organ failure as contributing causes.
"We used to always hear it chillin' with Nas," claimed fellow rapper [[Havoc]] (of [[Mobb Deep]]), recalling ''Illmatic'' while it was still in production, "...I would listen to it and the songs were so ill, it made you wanna cry...We was hearing it piece by piece, so when it came out, it wasn't surprising to hear everybody's reaction. Everybody was going crazy. You could not walk through the [[ghetto|hood]] without hearing ''Illmatic''. It was on your brain" <ref name="reid">{{cite web | last = Reid | first = Shaheem | url = http://www.mtv.com/bands/123/1994/news_feature_010504/?_requestidH868 | title = The Year Hip Hop Was Reborn: A Look Back At 1994 | format = | work = [[MTV]] | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>. In addition, Nas was hailed as the second coming of [[Rakim]] (the influential trendsetter of the [[golden age of hip hop]] during the late-1980s)<ref name="cowie">{{cite web | last = Cowie | first = Del | url = http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid=1&csid1=3163 | title = Nas: Battle Ready | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>. In spite of all this, the album's relatively modest record sales fell below expectations, due to extensive [[bootlegging]]<ref name="cowie">{{cite web | last = Cowie | first = Del | url = http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid=1&csid1=3163 | title = Nas: Battle Ready | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>. A remastered commemorative edition of ''Illmatic'' was issued by [[Columbia Records|Columbia]] for the album's tenth anniversary in 2004, with a bonus disc of [[remix]]es and previously unreleased tracks.
It took a lot of teamwork among as many as 15 - 20 fire fighters and ambulance workers to convey Yager to the [[ambulance]], in relay fashion. One team inside the house would pass her through the doorway to another team on the outside, who would in turn pass her off to another team inside the ambulance, where she would ride on the floor, for her many trips to the hospital (13 times in two years). Eventually, she was moved into the [[nursing home]] where she lived after leaving the hospital. She appeared on the [[Jerry Springer Show]], and was the subject of attention from several [[dieting]] gurus.
==The music==
Part of the reason for ''Illmatic'''s acclaim was the diversity of its subject matter that revolved around [[Nihilism|nihilistic]] descriptions of [[gang warfare]], desolation, and the ravages of urban [[poverty]]. Throughout the album, Nas creates highly detailed [[first person]] narratives that deconstruct the troubling lives of [[inner city]] teenagers. For instance, on the song entitled ''"One Love"'', Nas assumes the role of a man who writes a series of passionate letters to a friend in prison, which recount several people both men knew and the events that have occured since the receiver's imprisonment. Furthermore, Nas celebrates life’s pleasures and achievements —acknowledging violence as a feature of his socio-economic conditions rather than the focus of his life. While certain songs such as ''"N.Y. State of Mind"'' depict the misfortunes and perils that accompany street life, others such as ''"Life's a Bitch"'', celebrate the plethora of life's opportunities and accomplishments:
A short time before her death, Yager's latest boyfriend, Larry Maxwell, who was characterized by her family as being 'an opportunist who courted media attention for money-making possibilities', married her friend, Felicia White. Maxwell had claimed that the only donation in Yager's name he ever received was for $20.00, although numerous talk shows, newspapers, radio stations, and other national and international media are reported to have offered her cash and other gifts in exchange for interviews, pictures, etc. Diet maven [[Richard Simmons]] is said to have been 'angry that Yager's story was actively peddled to tabloid and television media by Maxwell and others'.
:''I woke up early on my born day, I'm twenty years of blessing''
:''The essence of adolescent leaves my body now I'm fresh in''
:''My physical frame is celebrated cause I made it''
:''One quarter through life some God-ly like thing created''
Yager was buried privately, with about 90 friends and family members attending memorial services.
The ''[[New York Times]]'', for instance, noted that Nas "imbues his chronicle with humanity and humor, not just hardness...[He] reports violence without celebrating it, dwelling on the way life triumphs over grim circumstances rather than the other way around." ''[[Time Magazine]]'' praised the "submerged emotion" on ''Illmatic'' calling it a "wake-up call to his listeners."
== See also ==
In addition to its powerful narratives, ''Illmatic'' gained acclaim for its [[rapping|lyrical substance]]. As Marc L. Hill of ''[[PopMatters]]'' writes, "Nas's complex rhyme patterns, clever [[wordplay]], and impressive vocab took the art to previously unprecedented heights. Building on the pioneering work of [[Kool G Rap]], [[Big Daddy Kane]], and [[Rakim]], tracks like 'Halftime' and the laid back 'One Time 4 Your Mind' demonstrated a level of technical precision and rhetorical dexterity..." Hill cites "Memory Lane" as an exemplar of Nas' "flawless lyricism":
* [[List of the most obese humans]]
== Sources ==
:''...Sentence begins indented, with formality''
* [http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/dimtext/kjn/people/heaviest.htm Dimensions Magazine, people known to have weighed more than 900 pounds]
:''My duration's infinite, money-wise or physiology''
* ''Bizarre'' magazine 64, p. 81
:''Poetry, that's a part of me, retardedly bop''
* [http://www.mlive.com/fljournal/ The Flint Journal]
:''I drop the ancient manifested hip-hop, straight off the block''
* ''The Flint [Michigan] Journal'', Wednesday, August 18, 1993, page A1, "Weight loss brings star status" by Mike Stobbe (Journal health writer)
:''I reminisce on park jams, my man was shot for his sheep coat''
* ''The Flint Journal'', Tuesday, May 24, 1994, page C1, "Obese woman's losing bid to lose hits TV show"
:''Childhood lesson make me see him drop in my weed smoke''
* ''The Flint Journal'', Friday, June 17, 1994, page A1, "What next for 1,200-pound woman?" by Marcia Mattson (Journal staff writer)
* ''The Flint Journal'', Tuesday, July 19, 1994, page A1, "1,200-lb Woman dies" by Marcia Mattson
* ''The Flint Journal'', Wednesday, July 20, 1994, page B1, "Richard Simmons mourns Yager" by Marcia Mattson
* ''The Flint Journal'', Sunday, July 24, 1994, page B1, "1,200-lb. woman more than curiosity" by Ken Palmer (Journal staff writer)
* ''The Flint Journal'', Monday, July 25, 1994, page A6, "Americans must work harder to overcome weight problems"
[[Category:World record holders|Yager, Carol]]
''Illmatic'' gained equal praise for its production. According to critics, Large Professor, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Q-Tip (each producer retaining his individual, trademark sound) extensively contributed to the cohesive atmospheric aesthetic that permeated the album. ''[[Q Magazine]]'' noted that, "...the musical backdrops [of ''Illmatic''] are razor sharp; hard bears but with melodic hooks and loops, atmospheric background piano, strings or muted trumpet, and samples...A potent treat."
[[Category:Obesity|Yager, Carol]]
[[Category:1960 births|Yager, Carol]]
==Critical recognition==
[[Category:1994 deaths|Yager, Carol]]
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Nas making illmatic.jpg|thumb|180px|Nas in Queensbridge during the making of ''Illmatic'']] -->
''Illmatic'' garnered notable praise from all quarters upon its release. Publications ranging from the ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]'' to ''[[NME]]'' have since recognized it as one of the quintessential hip hop recordings of the 1990s. The album holds the distiction of being one of the few hip hop albums to be included in the ''[[Rolling Stone]]'''s [[List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|list of the 500 greatest albums of all time]]. It was one of just sixteen hip hop albums to be included in ''[[Pitchfork Media]]''’s "Best Albums Of The 90s Redux list" and was listed as one of thirty-three hip hop/[[R&B]] albums included in ''[[Rolling Stone]]''’s "Essential Recordings of the 90s". In addition, ''Illmatic'' was voted #3 in the ''Hip-Hop Connection Magazine''’s Top 100 Readers Poll, and was the highest ranked hip hop album of ''[[Rate Your Music]]''’s "All-Time Top 500 Albums", coming in at #37 after compiling the data base’s user ratings and reviews in [[December 31]], [[2003]] <ref name="rate">{{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=3735&show=50&start=450 | title = All-Time Top 500 Albums: 2003| format = | work = [[Rate Your Music]] | publisher = | accessdate = April 1| accessyear = 2006}}</ref> (in a similar survey conducted in 2005 <ref name="rate2"> {{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://rateyourmusic.com/list/jplenton/rym_all_time_top_500_albums_2005/ | title = All-Time Top 500 Albums: 2005| format = | work = [[Rate Your Music]] | publisher = | accessdate = April 1| accessyear = 2006}}</ref>, the album later rose to #28). ''Illmatic'' also ranked #4 in ''[[Vibe |Vibe Magazine]]''’s "Top 10 Rap Albums" and was ranked #2 in ''[[MTV]]''’s list of
"The Greatest Hip Hop Albums Of All Time" <ref name="mtv">{{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2005/greatest_albums_0505/index10.jhtml | title = The Greatest Hip Hop Albums Of All Time| format = | work = [[MTV]] | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>.
In fact, ''Illmatic'' was among the first rap albums to receive the 5 mics (out of 5) rating from ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]'', a prestigious achievement given the magazine’s influence within the hip hop community at the time<ref name="cowie">{{cite web | last = Cowie | first = Del | url = http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid=1&csid1=3163 | title = Nas: Battle Ready | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>. This was somewhat controversial, since it was unheard of for an debuting artist to receive such a coveted rating. Reginald C. Dennis, former music editor of the magazine and co-founder of ''[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]]'', stated:
:“Awarding records 5 mics – classic status – has always been, on some levels, troubling to me. I mean, we are not only saying that a particular piece of music is superior to everything that is out now, but it will be better than most things released in the future as well...I only gave one 5 under my watch and it went to Nas’s ''Illmatic''. It was the only time I ever broke the 'no 5' rule. Jon Shecter [co-founder of ''The Source''] had gotten his hands on the album like eight months before it was scheduled to drop...Jon didn’t let the tape out of his sight. Not only that, but he constantly raved about it. Everyday. He played it in the office about a million times and very early on began to lobby for this record to receive 5 mics...I told Jon that we’d work all of that stuff out when it was time to review the album. But everyday, Jon was like, 'yo, this album is 5 mics — seriously, Reg, 5 mics!'”<ref name="dennis">{{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.406 | title = The Greatest Story Never Told
| format = Online Interview with Reginald C. Dennis | work = | publisher = | accessdate = April | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>.
==Significance==
===East Coast hip hop===
[[Image:Illmatic 10th anniversary.jpg|thumb|150px|''Illmatic'''s 10th anniversary edition]]
''Illmatic'' represents one of the most influential hip hop albums of the mid-1990s, and is considered by hip hop pundits as one of the [[Archetype|archetypal]] albums of [[East Coast hip hop]].
Adam Heimlich of ''The [[New York Press]]'' claimed:
:"Nas’ heralded debut was an explosive, explicit rejection of the cultural assimilation of most previous hiphop. It foreshadowed rap’s repudiation of all American values other than material. . .This was like [[N.W.A.]]’s mentality with [[De La Soul]]’s imagination and [[Rakim]]’s godly flow, and to Nas’ teenage peers. . .it was a culmination...''Illmatic'' was the first great album...on which credible street stories are told in [[first person]]. Its beats pump invisible, practically intravenous scenery, fleshing out the psychological unmentionables of the narrator’s violent tales. Literary, disciplined [[East Coast hip hop|New York hiphop]] entered a world foreign to [[liberal humanism]] or even [[rationalism]]. Hiphop was never anything but ghetto will-to-power, the thinking went, and Nas’ was pure."<ref name="heimlich">{{cite web| last = Heimlich | first = Adam | url = http://www.nypress.com/15/4/news&columns/feature.cfm | title = 2002, Hiphop’s Year One: Nas, Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang Clan Face 9/11 | format = Online Article Column | work = The [[New York Press]]: Volume 15, Issue 4 | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>
Along with the critical acclaim of The [[Wu-Tang Clan]]’s ''[[Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers]]'' and the commercial success of the [[Notorious B.I.G.]]’s ''[[Ready to Die]]'', ''Illmatic'' was instrumental in restoring interest into the [[East Coast hip hop]] scene, while shifting the emphasis from the melodious, [[Synthesizer|synth]]-driven, and [[funk]]-induced [[West Coast hip hop|West Coast]] [[G-funk]] <ref name="nas">{{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.hiponline.com/artist/music/n/nas/ | title = Biography: Nas | format = | work = http://www.ugo.com/ | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref> (which held a monopoly on the mainstream hip hop audience's attention and dominated the charts for some time following the release of [[Dr. Dre]]'s ''[[The Chronic]]''). As ''[[Allmusic]]'''s Steve Huey writes: "It helped spearhead the [[East Coast hip hop#The East Coast Renaissance|artistic renaissance of New York hip hop]] in the post-''Chronic'' era, leading a return to street aesthetics." David Drake of ''[[Stylus Magazine]]'' wrote, “. . .hip hop was on the come-up in [[1994|'94]]. Everything that had been building in terms of production and rapping came to an apex in '94, the year that brought us both Notorious B.I.G.'s epic debut ''Ready to Die'' and Nas' trenchant street reflections on ''Illmatic''...This was the critical point for the East Coast, a time when rappers from the New York area were releasing bucketloads of thrilling work...”.
===Effects on lyricism===
Despite its disappointing sales figures, ''Illmatic'' made a profound impact on the burgeoning hip hop underground circuit, and marked a major stylistic change in hip hop music by introducing a new standard of [[rapping|lyricism]] <ref name="yew">{{cite web | last = Yew | first = Ben | url = http://www.proudfleshjournal.com/issue3/yew.htm | title = Retrospect for Hip-Hop: A Golden Age on Record? | format = | work = Proudflesh: A New Afrikan Journal of Culture, Politics & Consciousness| publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>. Prior to the album’s release, hip hop lyricism was mostly defined by two popular forms. One was characterized by a fast-paced [[Ragga]]-flow accompanied with a whimsical, often [[nonsensical]] lyrical delivery (a trendy style that was popularized by the [[Brooklyn]]-based groups [[Das EFX]] and The [[Fu-Schnickens]]), while the other was characterized by a slurred “lazy drawl” that sacrificed lyrical complexity for clarity and [[Rhythm|rhythmic]] [[Cadence (music)|cadence]] (a style that was then common among several popular [[West Coast hip hop]] artists, particularly [[Snoop Doggy Dogg]]). However, due to its rhythmically-immaculate verbal pace, as well as its intricately-woven and multi-syllabic [[internal rhyme]] patterns, ''Illmatic'' inspired several rappers to modify their [[rapping]] abilities —bringing a renewed focus on lyricism to hip hop<ref name="cowie">{{cite web | last = Cowie | first = Del | url = http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid=1&csid1=3163 | title = Nas: Battle Ready | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>. According to [[musicologist]] and pianist, Guthrie P. Ramsey, of the [[University of Pennsylvania]], “It set a benchmark for rappers in an artistic field consumed by constantly shifting notions of ‘realness’, authenticity, and artistic credibility”.
===Decline of Alternative hip hop & rise of Mafioso Rap===
''Illmatic'' was one of the earliest phenomena in East Coast hip hop music that distinguished the rising [[hardcore rap]]pers from the popular [[Alternative hip hop]] acts of the early-1990s. Recorded while East Coast hip hop was dominated by the [[jazz rap|jazziness]] of [[A Tribe Called Quest]] and [[De La Soul]], and the [[Afrocentrism|Afro-centric]] stylings of [[Afu Ra]], [[Brand Nubian]], and [[Jeru the Damaja]], the album roughly delineates the border of [[Golden age hip hop]] ([[1986 in music|1986]]–[[1993 in music|1993]]) and the emergence of the [[Gangsta rap#Mafioso rap|Mafioso Rap]] phenomenon (which flourished during the mid-1990s following the release of ''[[Only Built 4 Cuban Linx]]'' and ''[[The Infamous]]''; see [[1995 in music]]). Although the album contains strong elements of [[Jazz rap]] and [[Alternative hip hop]], Steve Huey credits ''Illmatic'' with marking "the beginning of a shift away from [[Native Tongues]]-inspired alternative rap”, towards future hardcore hip hop artists such as [[Raekwon]] and [[Mobb Deep]]. Furthermore, Adam Heimlich writes: "he [Nas] came on the scene as [[hardcore hip hop|hardcore]]’s golden child. Along with Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and Mobb Deep all but invented 90s [[East Coast hip hop|New York rap]], back when the notion of an 'East Coast [[gansta rap|gangsta]]' still meant [[Schoolly D]] or [[Kool G. Rap]]. Those three...designed the manner and style in which New York artists would address what [[Snoop Dogg|Snoop]] and Dre had made rap’s hottest topics: drugs and violence."
===Influence on hip hop artists===
[[Image:Bow-wow-wanted.jpg|right|thumb|150px|The cover of [[Bow Wow]]'s ''[[Wanted (album)|Wanted]]'' (2005), was modeled after that of ''Illmatic''. ''"Oh and the album, cover, and visuals, it's like ''Illmatic'' 2005, just straight up raw and grimy"''- Bow Wow.]]
Today, several respected mainstream and underground rappers within the hip hop community have since acknowledged the huge influence ''Illmatic'' had on them, making numerous references towards it. These wide range of artists include the [[battle rap]]pers, SunN.Y. <ref name="fruchter">{{cite web | last = Fruchter | first = Alex | url = http://www.soundslam.com/articles/interviews/interviews.php?interviews=in050728sunny | title = Soundslam Interviews | format = Interview with SunN.Y. | work = http://www.soundslam.com | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref> and Reef <ref name="lunny">{{cite web | last = Lunny | first = Hugo | url = http://www.mvremix.com/urban/interviews/reef_the_lost_cauze.shtml | title = Reef The Lost Cauze | format = Interview with Reef | work = http://www.mvremix.com | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>, the critically-acclaimed rappers, [[Canibus]], [[Talib Kweli]], and [[Common (rapper)|Common]], the popular producers [[Just Blaze]] and [[The Alchemist (producer)|Alchemist]], as well as the [[platinum album|multi platinum]]-selling [[megastar]]s, [[The Game (rapper)|Game]] (who makes several references to the album on his debut, ''[[The Documentary]]'') and [[Eminem]] (who adopted a similar lyrical approach on his album, ''[[Infinite (album)|Infinite]]''). Lyrics from ''Illmatic'' have also been [[Interpolation (music)|
interpolated]] by other rappers on numerous occasions, including [[Big L (rapper)|Big L]]'s "Ebonics" (which samples "It Ain't Hard to Tell", and is featured on ''[[The Big Picture (album)|The Big Picture]]'') and most notably, [[Jay-Z]]’s "[[Reasonable Doubt|Dead Presidents II]]" (which samples Large Professor's remix of "The World is Yours", and was later referenced in the song "[[Takeover (song)|Takeover]]" during the heated [[hip hop rivalries#Nas vs Jay-Z|Nas vs. Jay-Z feud]]). In fact, [[Common (rapper)|Common]]’s critically acclaimed album, ''[[Be (album)|Be]]'', has said to have been molded after ''Illmatic''.
===Revival of the Queensbridge rap scene===
''Illmatic'' is also credited with reviving the [[Queensbridge]] rap scene<ref name="cowie">{{cite web | last = Cowie | first = Del | url = http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid=1&csid1=3163 | title = Nas: Battle Ready | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>. Once home to prestigious pionners such as [[Marley Marl]], [[MC Shan]], [[Roxanne Shanté]], Queensbridge had been one of the most productive hip hop scenes in the country during the 1980s, yet it was otherwise stagnant during the early-1990s. Following ''Illmatic'''s release however, Queensbridge returned to prominence after years of obscurity, with the ascendancy of the influential [[hardcore rap]] group, [[Mobb Deep]] (who gained credibility due to their affiliation with Nas), and later with the emergence of the trend-setting duo, [[Capone-N-Noreaga]]<ref name="cowie">{{cite web | last = Cowie | first = Del | url = http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid=1&csid1=3163 | title = Nas: Battle Ready | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = April 1 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref>. Furthermore, the album is credited with launching the career of the critically acclaimed rapper, [[AZ (rapper)|AZ]], who gained instant exposure and underground credibility due to his appearance on "Life's A Bitch", and went on to become a frequent collaborator of Nas.
===Future Nas albums===
While the critical success of ''Illmatic'' helped Nas’s infant career immeasurably, hip-hop fans have since cited it as his inextricable "''gift and curse ''". Due to the widespread critical fame of his debut, Nas’s subsequent albums have all been [[sophomore jinx |unduly weighed against]] ''Illmatic'', and thus, deemed as mediocre follow-ups by critics. For instance, while Nas's sophomore album, ''It Was Written'', received favorable reviews, it is generally agreed that it failed to live up to the classic status of ''Illmatic''. In additon, fans of ''Illmatic'' went on to label Nas’s subsequent efforts as '[[selling out]]', due to his crossover sensibilities (i.e. his participation with the hip-hop supergroup, [[The Firm (group)|The Firm]]) and his radio-friendly hits aimed at the pop charts (i.e. "[[If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)]]" and "[[Hate Me Now]]"). By the time Nas released ''[[I Am...]]'' and ''[[Nastradamus]]'' in 1999, many feared he was in the process of falling off, as both albums received further criticism for their commercially-oriented sound (the latter, ''Nastradamus'', was especially maligned by critics). Reflecting this widespread perception in the hip-hop community, [[Jay-Z]] mocked Nas in "[[Takeover (song)|Takeover]]" for having a "...one hot album <nowiki>[</nowiki>''Illmatic''<nowiki>]</nowiki> every ten year average". Nas, however, made a significant comeback with the aptly-titled ''[[Stillmatic]]'', and his subsequent albums received positive reviews as well. Nevertheless, most fans still regard ''Illmatic'' as his definitive album.
==Notes==
<div style="font-size:90%;"><references/></div>
==References==
<div style="font-size: 90%">
#{{cite book
| author = Alan Light
| coauthors = et al.
| year = 1999
| month = October
| title = The Vibe History of Hip Hop
| pages =
| publisher = Three Rivers Press
| id = ISBN 0609805037
}}
#{{cite book
| author = [[Kool Moe Dee]].
| coauthors = [[Chuck D]].
| year = 2003
| month = November
| title = There's a God on the Mic
| pages =
| publisher = Thunder's Mouth Press
| id = ISBN 1560255331
}}
#{{cite book
| author = Sacha Jenkins
| coauthors = et al.
| year = 1999
| month = December
| title = Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists
| pages = 352
| publisher = St. Martin's Griffin
| id = ISBN 0312242980
}}
</div>
==Cultural notes==
* The intro, "Genesis", starts with a audio sample of ''[[Wild Style]]'' ([[1982 in film|1982]]), the first hip hop [[motion picture]]. Nas made another ode to ''Wild Style'', while shooting the music video for his single, "[[It Ain't Hard To Tell]]", on the same stage as the finale scene for the film.
* The album cover features a picture of Nas as a child, taken just after his father had returned home from playing concerts overseas.
* Nas' famous debut appearance, "Live at the Barbeque" (see ''[[Breaking Atoms]]''), is played in the background of "Genesis".
* The original album cover concept was to feature Nas holding [[Jesus Christ]] in a headlock
* On Nas' song "Last Real Nigga Alive" featured on his album, ''[[God's Son]]'', Nas claims that New York rappers [[Raekwon]] and [[Ghostface Killah]] were at odds with [[The Notorious B.I.G.]]. Specifically, he explains that the track "Shark Niggas (Biters)" from ''[[Only Built 4 Cuban Linx]]'' has Ghostface denouncing The Notorious B.I.G. for supposedly stealing Nas' album cover idea. Notorious B.I.G's ''[[Ready to Die]]'', released a few months after ''Illmatic'', features a picture of a baby with an [[afro]].
* The song "The World is Yours" appears in the critically-acclaimed [[motion picture]], ''[[Antwone Fisher]]'', as well as the [[Tony Hawk's Underground#Soundtrack|soundtrack]] to the popular [[video game]], ''[[Tony Hawk's Underground]]''
==Track listing==
<!--this section is for album credits only-->
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!align="center"|#
!align="center"|Title
!align="center" width="120"|Songwriters
!align="center" width="120"|Producer(s)
!align="center" width="300"|Samples/Other notes
|-
|1
|"The Genesis"
|
|
|
* Contains sample from the motion picture ''[[Wild Style]]''
|-
|2
|"N.Y. State of Mind"
|Nasir Jones <br /> Chris Martin
|[[DJ Premier]]
|
* Contains sample from "Mind Rain" as performed and written by J. Chambers
|-
|3
|"Life's a Bitch"
|Anthony Cruz <br /> Olu Dara <br /> Nasir Jones <br /> O. Scott <br /> R. Wilson
|[[L.E.S. (producer)|L.E.S.]]
|
* Additional vocals by [[AZ (rapper)|AZ]], [[trumpet]] by [[Olu Dara]]
* Contains sample from "Yearning For Your Love" as performed by [[The Gap Band]]
|-
|4
|"The World is Yours"
|Nasir Jones <br /> Pete Phillips
|[[Pete Rock]]
|
* Contains sample from "It's Yours" performed by [[T La Rock]]
|-
|5
|"Halftime"
|G. Byrd <br /> Nasir Jones <br /> W.P. Mitchell
|[[Large Professor]]
|
* Contains samples from "Dead End", "Soul Travelin'" & "School Boy Crush"
|-
|6
|"Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)"
|P. Barsella <br /> Nasir Jones <br /> Chris Martin <br /> Reuben Wilson
|DJ Premier
|
* Contains sample from "We're In Love" as performed by [[Reuben Wilson]]
|-
|7
|"One Love"
|Johnathan Davis <br /> Nasir Jones <br /> J. Heath
|[[Q-Tip (rapper)|Q-Tip]]
|
* Contains sample from "Smilin' Billy Suite Pt. II" as performed by the Heath Brothers
|-
|8
|"One Time 4 Your Mind"
|Nasir Jones <br /> W.P. Mitchell
|Large Professor
|
* Contains sample from "Walter L" as written by G. Burton
|-
|9
|"Represent"
|Nasir Jones <br /> Chris Martin
|DJ Premier
|
|-
|10
|"[[It Ain't Hard To Tell]]"
|Nasir Jones <br /> W.P. Mitchell
|Large Professor
|
* Contains samples from "[[Human Nature]]" by [[Michael Jackson]], written by John Bettis and Steve Porcaro, and "N.T." as performed by [[Kool & the Gang]]
|}
==Personnel==
*[[Nas (rapper)|Nas]] - Vocals, Producer
*[[MC Serch]] - Executive Producer
*[[Olu Dara]] - Trumpet
*[[DJ Premier]] - Producer
*Diego Garrido - Engineer, Mixing
*[[Large Professor]] - Producer
*Tim "The Funky Red" Lathem - Engineer
*[[Q-Tip (rapper)|Q-Tip]] - Producer
*Kevin Reynolds - Engineer
*[[Pete Rock]] - Producer
*Eddie Sancho - Engineer
*Jamey Staub - Engineer
*Jason Vogel - Engineer
*Stan Wallace - Engineer
*Louis Tineo - Assistant Engineer
*Aimee MacAuley - Design
*Jack Hersca - Assistant Engineer
*Danny Clinch - Photography
*L.E.S. - Producer
*Anton "Sample This" Pushansky - Engineer
*[[AZ (rapper)|AZ]] - Vocals
==Singles history==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Title
!Information
|-
|''Illmatic''
|<nowiki></nowiki>
*[[The Billboard 200]] #12
*Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums #2
|-
|"Half Time"
|<nowiki></nowiki>
*Columbia single 74777, [[November 12]], [[1992]]
*Originally issued as a single for the ''[[Zebrahead (film)|Zebrahead]]'' soundtrack
*Music video, director unknown
|-
|"It Ain't Hard to Tell"
|<nowiki></nowiki>
*Columbia single 77320, 1994
*Music video directed by Ralph McDaniels
|-
|"The World is Yours"
|<nowiki></nowiki>
*Columbia single 77513, 1994
*Music video directed by Josh Taft
|-
|"One Love"
|<nowiki></nowiki>
*Columbia single 77683, 1995
*Music video directed by [[Fab 5 Freddy]]
|}
==Chart positions==
{|class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Name
!align="left"|Chart (1994-1995)
!align="center"|Peak<br>position
|-
|''Illmatic''
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard 200
|align="center"|12
|-
|''Illmatic''
|align="left"|U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
|align="center"|2
|-
|"Half Time"
|align="left"|U.S. Billlboard Hot Rap Tracks
|align="center"|8
|-
|"It Ain't Hard to Tell"
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|91
|-
|"It Ain't Hard to Tell"
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
|align="center"|57
|-
|"It Ain't Hard to Tell"
|align="left"|U.S. Billlboard Hot Rap Tracks
|align="center"|13
|-
|"The World is Yours"
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
|align="center"|67
|-
|"The World is Yours"
|align="left"|U.S. Billlboard Hot Rap Tracks
|align="center"|13
|-
|"One Love"
|align="left"|U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
|align="center"|6
|-
|"One Love"
|align="left"|U.S. Billlboard Hot Rap Tracks
|align="center"|24
|}
==Accolades==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
|rowspan="2"|'''Publication'''
|rowspan="2"|'''Country'''
|rowspan="2"|'''Accolade'''
|rowspan="2"|'''Year'''
|colspan="2"|'''Rank'''
|-
|
|-
|[[Blender Magazine]]
|[[USA]]
|''500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die''
|
|'''*'''
|-
|[[Ego Trip Magazine]]
|USA
|''Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98''
| 1999
|''' #1'''
|-
|[[Exclaim!]] Magazine
|[[Canada]]
|''[http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid1=386 100 Records That Rocked 100 Issues]''
|
|'''*'''
|-
|[http://www.hiphop.co.uk/ Hip Hop Connection] Magazine
|[[United Kingdom]]
|''Top 100 Readers Poll''
|
|'''#3'''
|-
|[[Ink Blot]]
|USA
|''[http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/Decade.htm Albums of the 90s]''
|2002
|'''#11'''
|-
| [[Juice (magazine)|Juice]]
|[[Australia]]
|''The 100 (+34) Greatest Albums of the 90s''
|1999
|'''#101'''
|-
|Juice
|[[Germany]]
|''The Hundred Most Influential Rap Albums Ever''
|2002
|'''#4'''
|-
|Les Inrockuptibles
|[[France]]
|''50 Years of Rock'n'Roll''
|2004
|'''*'''
|-
|[[MTV]]
|USA
|''[http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2005/greatest_albums_0505/index.jhtml The Greatest Hip Hop Albums Of All Time]''
|2004
|'''#2'''
|-
|[[Music Underwater]]
|USA
|''[http://www.musicunderwater.com/top_100_albums_since_1990.htm Top 100 Albums 1990-2003]''
|2004
|'''#45'''
|-
|[[Pitchfork Media]]
|USA
|''[http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/90s/index7.shtml Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s]''
|2003
|'''#33'''
|-
|Rock de Lux
|[[Spain]]
|''The 150 Best Albums from the 90s''
|2000
|'''#134'''
|-
|[[Rate Your Music]]
|USA
|''[http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=3735&show=50&start=0 All-Time Top 500 Albums]''
|2003
|'''#37'''
|-
|[[Rate Your Music]]
|USA
|''[http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=36606&show=100&start=500 All-Time Top 500 Albums]''
|2005
|'''#28'''
|-
|[[Rolling Stone]]
|USA
|''[[List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]''
|2003
|'''#400'''
|-
|[[Rolling Stone]]
|USA
|''The Essential Recordings of the 90s''
|1999
|'''*'''
|-
|[[Select Magazine]]
|USA
|''The 100 Best Albums of the 90s''
|
|'''*'''
|-
|[[Spin Magazine]]
|USA
|''Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years''
|2005
|'''#17'''
|-
|[[Stylus Magazine]]
|USA
|''[http://www.stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=898&PHPSESSID=b1493e08c6a90e5fe90dde0616f2ae55 Top 101-200 Albums of All time ]''
|2004
|'''#143'''
|-
|[[The Movement (magazine)|The Movement]]
|[[New Zealand]]
|''The 101 Best Albums of the 90s''
|2004
|'''#51'''
|-
| [[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]
|USA
|''[http://www.rocklist.net/source.htm 100 Best Rap Albums]''
|
|'''*'''
|-
|[[Vibe |Vibe Magazine]]
|USA
|''51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement''
|
|'''*'''
|-
|[[Vibe |Vibe Magazine]]
|USA
|''Top 10 Rap Albums''
|
|'''#4'''
|-
|}
'''( * )''' '''designates lists which are unordered
'''
==External links==
* ''[http://www.prefixmag.com/features/N/Nas/167 "Nas' Illmatic: A look at a hip hop masterpiece, ten years removed"]'' By Matthew Gasteier
* ''[http://home.gwu.edu/~noz/nas1.html "The Second Coming"]'' By Jon Shecter
* ''[http://sohh.com/article_print.php?content_ID=5405 Retro "QB" Classic: Nas - Illmatic]'' By George Hagan
* ''[http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/editorial/85681.php Throwback Classic: Nas - Illmatic]'' By Michael Ivey
===Lyrics links===
* [http://www.ohhla.com/YFA_nas.html#illmatic from The Original Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive (OHHLA)] - includes most other Nas lyrics, including remixes and cameos, as well as lyrics of many other rappers.
{{Nas}}
[[Category:1994 albums]]
[[Category:Nas albums]]
[[Category:Debut albums]]
[[es:Illmatic]]
[[fr:Illmatic]]
[[it:Illmatic]]
[[sv:Illmatic]]
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