DE AFARĂ: Nas - Illmatic (1994)

Illmatic este albumul de debut al lui Nas și a fost lansat în data de 19 aprilie 1994, prin Columbia Records, unde a ajuns cu ajutorul lui MC Serch care este și producătorul executiv al albumului și a fost înregistrat în perioada 92-93, la studiourile Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios și Unique Recording Studios în New York City, piesele fiind produse de Nas, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S. și DJ Premier.
Albumul a debutat pe locul 12 în topul Billboard 200 cu 59 000 de unități vândute. În ciudat faptului că albumul nu a avut parte de un număr mare de vânzări, a primit foarte multe laude din partea criticilor, iar în data de 17 ianuarie 1996, albumul a fost aur de Recording Industry Association of America, iar în 2001 platină, depășind 1 milion de unități vândute.

Track listing

Nr.	Titlu	Compozitori	Producător	Durata
1.	"The Genesis"	N. Jones, F. Braithwaite	Nas, Faith N.	1:45
2.	"N.Y. State of Mind"	N. Jones, C. Martin	DJ Premier	4:54
3.	"Life's a Bitch" (featuring AZ)	N. Jones, A. Cruz, O. Dara, R. Wilson, O. Scott	L.E.S., Nas (co.)	3:30
4.	"The World Is Yours"	N. Jones, P. Phillips	Pete Rock	4:50
5.	"Halftime"	N. Jones, W.P. Mitchell, G. Byrd	Large Professor	4:20
6.	"Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)"	N. Jones, C. Martin, R. Wilson, P. Barsella	DJ Premier	4:08
7.	"One Love"	N. Jones, J. Davis, J. Heath	Q-Tip	5:25
8.	"One Time 4 Your Mind"	N. Jones, W.P. Mitchell	Large Professor	3:18
9.	"Represent"	N. Jones, C. Martin	DJ Premier	4:12
10.	"It Ain't Hard to Tell"	N. Jones, W.P. Mitchell	Large Professor	3:22

2004 remaster edition bonus disc
Nr.	Titlu	Compozitori	Producător	Durata
1.	"Life's a Bitch (Remix)" (featuring AZ)	N. Jones, D. Stintson	Rockwilder	3:00
2.	"The World Is Yours (Remix)"	N. Jones, K. Rankin, O. Glover, T. Aviles, M. Fortunato	Vibesmen	3:56
3.	"One Love (Remix)"	N. Jones, N. Loftin, T. Bell, D. Williams	Nick Fury	5:09
4.	"It Ain't Hard to Tell (Remix)"	N. Jones, N. Loftin	Nick Fury	3:26
5.	"On the Real"	N. Jones, M. Williams, I. Hayes, D. Porter	Marley Marl	3:26
6.	"Star Wars"	N. Jones, W.P. Mitchell	Large Professor	4:08

Illmatic XX
Nr.	Titlu			Durata
1.	"I'm a Villain"			4:30
2.	"The Stretch Armstrong And Bobbito Show On Wkcr October 28, 1993" (featuring 6'9", Jungle and Grand Wizard)			7:46
3.	"Halftime" (Butcher Remix)			4:36
4.	"It Ain't Hard to Tell (Remix)"			2:49
5.	"One Love" (LG Main Mix)			5:32
6.	"Life's a Bitch" (Arsenal Mix) (featuring AZ)			3:30
7.	"One Love" (One L Main Mix) (featuring Sadat X)			5:43
8.	"The World Is Yours" (Tip Mix)			4:28
9.	"It Ain't Hard to Tell" (The Stink Mix)			3:20
10.	"It Ain't Hard to Tell" (The Laidback Remix)			3:36

Samples

"The Genesis" "Live at the Barbeque" by Main Source "Subway Theme" by DJ Grand Wizard Theodore "Train Sequence" by Geoffrey Sumner "N.Y. State of Mind" "N.T." by Kool & the Gang "Flight Time" by Donald Byrd "Mind Rain" by Joe Chambers "Mahogany" by Eric B. & Rakim "Live at the Barbeque" by Main Source "Life's a Bitch" "Yearning for Your Love" by The Gap Band "The World Is Yours" "I Love Music" by Ahmad Jamal "It's Yours" by T La Rock "Halftime" "Dead End" from the Hair Japanese cast original soundtrack "Soul Travelin'" by Gary Byrd "School Boy Crush" by Average White Band "Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)" "We're in Love" by Reuben Wilson "Pickin' Boogers" by Biz Markie "Droppin' Science" by Craig G "Get out of My Life, Woman" by Lee Dorsey "One Love" "Smilin' Billy Suite Pt. II" by The Heath Brothers "Mixed Up Cup" by Clyde McPhatter "Come in out of the Rain" by Parliament "One Love" by Whodini

"One Time 4 Your Mind" "Walter L" by Gary Burton "Represent"[148] "The Thief of Bagdad" by Lee Erwin "It Ain't Hard to Tell" "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson "N.T." by Kool & the Gang "Long Red" by Mountain "Why Can't People Be Colors Too?" by Whatnauts "Slow Dance" by Stanley Clarke "What Do You Want from Me Woman" by The Blue Jays "Sorcerer of Isis" by Power of Zeus "Life's a Bitch" (Remix) "Close the Door" by Teddy Pendergrass "The World Is Yours" (Remix) "I Love You" by Kenny Rankin "At My Most Beautiful" by R.E.M. "One Love" (Remix) "Waiting" by Deniece Williams "It Ain't Hard to Tell" (Remix) "Nobody Beats the Biz" by Biz Markie "On the Real" "Move Over" by The Soul Children "One Love" by Nas "Star Wars" "Hip Hop" by Large Professor "Ken Russell" by David Axelrod "Imperial March (Darth Vader Theme)" by John Williams "Fly Like an Eagle" by Steve Miller Band

Personnel

Nas – vocals, co-producer AZ – vocals Olu Dara – trumpet Q-Tip – vocals, producer Pete Rock – vocals, producer DJ Premier – producer Diego Garrido – engineer, mixing Jack Hersca – assistant engineer Large Professor – producer Tim "The Funky Red" Lathem – engineer L.E.S. – producer

MC Serch – executive producer Anton "Sample This" Pushansky – engineer Kevin Reynolds – engineer Eddie Sancho – engineer Jamey Staub – engineer Louis Tineo – assistant engineer Jason Vogel – engineer Stan Wallace – engineer Aimee Macauley – art director Danny Clinch – photography Tony Dawsey – mastering engineer

Nas - One Love

"One Love" is a song by American rapper Nas, released October 25, 1994 on Columbia Records. It was issued as the fifth and final radio single in promotion of his debut studio album Illmatic (1994). The song was produced by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, who also contributed vocals for the chorus line. According to Nas, the title of the song originates from Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician Bob Marley's song of the same name.
"One Love" is composed as a series of letters by Nas to his incarcerated friends, describing events that have occurred prior to and after the receivers' imprisonment. "One Love" contains samples of the Heath Brothers' "Smilin' Billy Suite Part II" (1975) and Parliament's "Come In Out the Rain" (1970). In the song's first verse, Nas references fellow Queensbridge emcee Cormega, whose rapping career had been put on hold due to his incarceration during the early 1990s. In 2008, VH1 named "One Love" the forty-eighth greatest hip hop song.

Nas - The World Is Yours (Official Video)

"The World Is Yours" is a 1994 song by rapper Nas. It was the third single from his debut album Illmatic, released a month after the album. It is considered by some music critics one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever recorded; About.com ranked it seventh greatest rap song of all time.^[2] The song was produced by Pete Rock—who also sings the song's chorus—and samples "I Love Music" by Ahmad Jamal and "It's Yours" by T La Rock. It reached #13 on the Hot Rap Singles chart in 1994.
The song (including the title) and its accompanying video pay homage to the film Scarface. The song also references drug dealer/crime boss Howard "Pappy" Mason. The song also mentions the serial killer of the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, which that went, and still are, unsolved.
A remix of the song was produced by Q-Tip featuring similar but new lyrics; both it and the original were released by Columbia Records as singles, and promoted with music videos.
Songs that have sampled "The World Is Yours" include:

• "Dead Presidents" by Jay-Z.
• "Thief's Theme" by Nas.
• "Usual Suspects" by Rick Ross featuring Nas and Kevin Cossom
• "Jealousy Woes II" by Eminem.
• "Thief's Theme" by Jigmastas.
• "In Remembrance" by Blu & Exile.
• "Droga" by Hemp Gru.
• "Falling" by 1982 featuring Freddie Gibbs.
• "President" by Lil Wayne.
• "Better?" by Propellerheads.
• "Dead Presidents" by Chamillionaire.
• "Dead Prez" by Capital STEEZ.
• "Nikes On My Feet" by Mac Miller.
• "Dead Presidents" by Logic.
• "The World Is Yours" by The Visioneers.
• "My World (Nas Salute)" by Jay Electronica.
• "The World Is Yours (Blazo Remix)" by Blazo.
• "The World Is Yours / Brooklyn Zoo" by BadBadNotGood.

Jay-Z's sample on his song "Dead Presidents", using one of Nas's lines ("I'm out for presidents to represent me") as the chorus, indirectly led to the Jay-Z vs. Nas feud, after Nas refused to re-record his vocals for the Jay-Z song, or to appear in the accompanying video.

Nas - It Ain't Hard to Tell

"It Ain't Hard to Tell" is the second single and last track from the debut album Illmatic by the rapper Nas. Although the track was technically the second single on the album, it was the first single to be released after the album was pressed in 1994. The first single, "Halftime," was released two years prior to Illmatic‍ '​s debut.
"It Ain't Hard to Tell" was produced by Large Professor, the song samples Michael Jackson's 1983 hit single "Human Nature", "N.T." by Kool & the Gang, "Why Can't People Be Colors Too?" by The Whatnauts, "Long Red" by Mountain & "Slow Dance" by Stanley Clarke. The single reached #91 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 1991, Nas recorded a demo tape for Columbia Records, featuring the original version of "It Ain't Hard to Tell" named "Nas Will Prevail". This version is roughly 90 seconds longer, includes longer different verses, and has a more subdued, jazzier beat close to the album version. Pitchfork Media's included the song at number 28 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.

Nas - Halftime

 "Halftime" is the 1992 debut single by American rapper Nas, released under his original moniker of "Nasty Nas". It was originally recorded for the Zebrahead soundtrack album, released October 13, 1992, on Ruffhouse Records.^[1] "Halftime" was produced by Large Professor and features samples from "Schoolboy Crush" by Average White Band, "Hawaiian Sophie" by Jaz-O, "Soul Traveling" by Gary Byrd, and "Dead End" by Japanese Hair. The song was later included on Nas' influential 1994 debut album, Illmatic.
"Halftime" features an up-tempo beat led by percussion and trumpets over which Nas rhymes. Memorable lines include "You couldn't catch me in the streets without a ton of reefer/That's like Malcolm X, catchin' the Jungle Fever" and "I'm as ill as a convict who kills for phone time." ^[2] Nas also uses this song to give a "shout-outs" to Willie "Ill Will" Graham, Nas' childhood neighbor and best friend, who was shot dead on 1992, and the Queensbridge Crew, a reference to the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, NY, USA. He also reveals he's a fan of Marcus Garvey, the Jackson 5 and Mr. Magic.^[3]