Publications ranging from the The Source to NME have since recognized it as one of the quintessential hip hop recordings of the 1990s. The album holds the distinction of being one of the few hip hop albums to be included in the Rolling Stone’ s 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." Illmatic was voted #5 in "The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time"[12] and #3 in the Hip-Hop Connection Magazine’s Top 100 Readers Poll. Illmatic also was ranked #4 in Vibe magazine's "Top 10 Rap Albums", and #2 in MTV's list of "The Greatest Hip Hop Albums of All Time."
One Love[youtube=425,350]TpRjuGeftCM[/youtube]
Halftime[youtube=425,350]KTOg_RGOEBg[/youtube]
It Ain't Hard to Tell[youtube=425,350]p9phQABe7iw[/youtube]
The rap genre is full of classic debuts, ranging from The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die to Jay-Z's
Reasonable Doubt*, but perhaps none in recent memory resonate more than
Illmatic. Released in 1994, the album lacks many of the generic features that seem to define more modern rap albums: numerous guest appearances, generic mainstream attempts, and worthless skit tracks. Most impressive is the lyrical finesse, effortless flow, and great story telling.
It's a shame his career would take such a nosedive with the following albums, like many great rappers. But today we shall toast to a classic east coast banger
*Debatable...but it has some undeniable classics on it
