Nas - Illmatic
(There are no 2nd & 3rd; Illmatic is life)
Not even.
lllmatic is a classic strong lyrics and the beats, even though some of them sound dated, are a picture perfect reflection of New York City in the mid-90s, but it's not the top album.
Russell Simmons didn't even sign Nas early on because he thought Nas sounded too much like Kool G Rap during an era when it was CRIMINAL to sound like another rapper unlike today.
Illmatic wouldn’t sell, it took years for Illmatic to hit platinum. Keep in mind, album sales isn't everything; if it was, 50 cent would be top 3.
My favorite albums didn’t sell too well, so don’t even try labeling me as superficial. Illmatic failed to live up to expectations in sales based on media hype, and the album wasn’t the threat or the answer to the dominance of West Coast Hip-Hop at the time
Ready to Die was the answer to the West Coast. Notorious BIG was the champion NYC needed and Nas didn't have enough power to hold down the NYC like BIG did.
Ready to Die was more powerful because the album was not only commercially appealing, but hardcore enough to please the die hard rap fan. Biggie kept it street and still sold records without being accused of a "sell out" regardless of heads gettin' on his case for designer clothes and champagne name drops. Illmatic failed to appeal to a wider audience unlike Ready to Die. Ready to Die was transcendent (groundbreaking) and appealed to people who might not listen to rap music.
Biggie was one of the main reasons why Nas flipped his style when he released his sophomore album
It Was Written, in my opinion his best album to date ...but Illmatic fans hate "It Was Written" because apparently it was too commercial driven. Mainstream rap fans need to learn why and how underground MCs are more respected for their craft, and the underground rap fans needs to learn why and how the mainstream is able to touch a larger audience.
Shout out to Big Pun, Cuban Link, DMX, Wu-Tang, Jeru the Damaja, Black Moon, Smiff n Wessun, The Roots, Redman, and Mobb Deep. They also had a hand in the resurrection of the East. Biggie didn’t do it alone, but he was the front man of the movement. Nas wasn't.
