400 - Nas - Illmatic

My first couple of listens to Illmatic were stopped after a few songs. I just wasn't getting into the music at all. The chorus of "Life's a Bitch" ("Life's a bitch and then you die; that's why we get high/Cause you never know when you're gonna go/Life's a bitch and then you die; that's why we puff lye/Cause you never know when you're gonna go") really sent my eyes rolling. The beats and samples were okay, but didn't really grab my attention.

I had to make myself focus on the album and listen to the lyrics. THAT was when I started to warm up to Illmatic. Not that I'm won over by the album, but I better understand the appeal. Nas's delivery isn't flashy. I can't remember who I heard say it first in the 90's that rap was the newspaper for the street. Illmatic fits that for me. Nas is out to inform and discuss reality; he's not beating his chest or preening for the chicks. The jazz samples fit the sound that folks like Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets were exploring at the time and offer a good platform for Nas's style of delivery. The samples add an aspect of maturity that reinforces the "newspaper" angle of the rap. That is...until we get to "It Ain't Hard to Tell"'s use of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" - which was kind of distracting for me.

Songs I knew I liked: None

Songs I didn't know but now like: "The World is Yours" and "One Love"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: I wouldn't shed a tear if I never heard the album again. I can know state I'm familiar with Nas and the album...and that's good enough for me.