Nas ‎– Illmatic

Great bass on this pressing. I don't have a very bass-centric amp/speaker combo but I can feel the bass all around me with no eq adjustment

This pressing is dynamite. Ive never heard an original US or any of the represses but I really wanted a 1994 press of some kind, and this did not disappoint. Bass is loud and full and the drums sound deep with Nas gliding over the top of all of it. My copy is a little beat up but that doesn’t stop the sound from really booming out of this one.

I replaced my terrible 2006 Resissue with this copy and while most comments under here seem positive, mine was actually a miss. I have loud static in the left channel and the quality degrades further as it reaches the center of the LP - ruining Halftime. Be careful I guess, keep the receipt incase you get a dud like I did

THE . BEST . ALBUM . OF . ALL . TIME . PERIOD .

Really quiet and clean sound. Think this is one of the better sounding rap records I have.

Newz Todays is Pakistan’s emerging an independent digital media outlet with a significant focus on exclusive developments in Corporate Companies, operating inside and outside the country. Here is URL https://newztodays.com/jazz-call-packages/

I'm first and foremost an avid electronic music lover, therefore I have a preference for instrumentals before lyrics.
These instrumentals are truly some of the best I know from the hip-hop genre, especially the Chinatown vibes of "N.Y. State Of Mind", the chill atmosphere of "Life's A Bitch", the jazzy notes of "The World Is Yours" and the brilliant Wu-Tang type sounds of "Represent" brilliantly composed by DJ Premier.

Of course, the lyrics are the main reason this LP remains one of the most relevant hip-hop of all time.
Some of them are just lit :

“It drops deep as it does in my breath/I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death/Beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined/I think of crime when I’m in a New York state of mind”
--> One of the most famous lines of all time, as Nas depicts the Big Apple as the city that never sleeps. However, as a city being plagued with crime, Nas says that you'll end up dead if you don't follow the city's pace and fall asleep.

“When I was young at this, I used to do my thing hard/Robbin' foreigners, take their wallets, their jewels, and rip their green cards/Dipped to the projects flashing my quick cash and/Got my first piece of ass smoking blunts with hash” (Life's A Bitch)
--> When you grow in the hood in poor conditions, what other opportunities than shoplifting andsmoking blunts do I have to make money ? That's pretty much the sense of these phrases.

“Born alone, die alone, no crew to keep my crown or throne” (The World Is Yours)
--> So few words, but so much meaning.

“But yo, guess who got shot in the dome-piece?/Jerome’s niece/On her way home from Jones Beach” (One Love)
--> A proof than anyone as innocent as the girl described in this track ain't exempt from danger in dangerous neighborhoods.

Compared to Rakim at the beginning, this album was produced during the peak of the West Coast/East Coast war or words (and weapons, unfortunately...). The voice of Nas is also a delight to listen to, less agressive and more poetic that most rappers.
When you have legendary names such as DJ Premier and Pete Rock (who's remix of House Of Pain's "Jump Around" is beyond belief), you can't ignore this record.

The Hip Hop Bible Celebrates 20 Illmatic Years

Twenty years ago, hip hop was being shaped by some of the most influential hip hop records in history: Wu Tang’s Enter the Wu, Biggie’s Ready To Die, Outkast’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, then Nas emerged straight outta Queens with a record that broke the mold so hard, they didn’t even bother picking up the pieces: they just had to step back and admire the game-changing record that is ‘Illmatic’.

Now, twenty years later, Illmatic is being reissued as a remastered version of the main disc, plus a second disc containing b-sides, remixes and radio edits from now all the way back in ’93. If you’ve never heard it before, here’s what you need to know: take the feel and flow of golden age hip hop albums, add it to an astonishingly-gifted, original, young lyricist, then fuse those two elements together with the best hip hop producers at the time: you get history-altering record Illmatic.

The differences with the remaster vs. 10 year anniversary or the original: much, much more bass, whether you have expensive headphones or just have it in your car playing on a normal stereo. It hits you in 'The Genesis', and the kick doesn't let up until 'It Ain't Hard To Tell' ends. Another slight difference with this version: the volume is a little higher too. Both of these things are great, but what you're really getting with this deal is a second disc of remixes, b-sides and old tapes that is like the stocking at X-mas time: it's not the main present, but it perfectly complements the rest of the experience with songs you’ll end up adding to your favorite playlist (especially ‘It Ain’t Hard To Tell (The Stink Remix)’). Worth buying another version of the disk for remasters and remixes? Easily, easily worth its weight in gold.

If you're into hip hop and you've gone this long without owning this influential of a record, this is your best chance to pick up the remastered original AND some kickass b-sides and remixes. There are intangible things about some of the greatest records that reviews can’t capture, me especially, and this is one where reading about it isn’t anywhere close to enough: you HAVE to hear it. Don’t sleep on deciding to get this album or not, ‘cause you know what Nas says about sleep.

Without any doubt one of the very best hip hop albums of all times. Every track is pure gold. Bought this particular release more than twenty years. I can however confirm that my copy has distortion on Halftime and It Ain't Hard To Tell, too. Halftime is still acceptable but It Ain't Hard To Tell is worse. Full of sibilance which is strange because the track before that "Represents" sounds just fine. Otherwise this is a very good pressing with punchy drums and bass. It is almost perfect in my opinion. Represent, for example, has those nice punchy drums. Wonderful. [ Playing this using an Ortofon 2M Black cartridge ]