Embark on a sonic pilgrimage with us as we celebrate a milestone in music history—the 30th anniversary of Nas's "Illmatic," a tome of hip-hop culture. Prepare to unearth the intricacies of the album's title, its homage to Illmatic Ice, and to step inside the studio with the legendary craftsmen of its iconic sound, DJ Premier and Pete Rock. As we weave through tales of bootlegging woes and pay tribute to the lyrical prowess of AZ on "Life's a Bitch," we also pause to remember the late Guru from Gang Starr, whose legacy is forever interwoven with this date. This episode is an ode to an era, a nod to the uncredited geniuses, and a reflection on the album's profound mark on our personal soundtracks.
Imagine a thread connecting Shakespeare's quill to Nas's mic—this is the tapestry of storytelling and history we explore through "Illmatic's" tracks. From the vibrant vernacular of Queensbridge that educated us, to the evolution of our musical tastes shaped by the gritty realism of East Coast rap, join us in a celebration that stretches beyond the confines of the album. We discuss how "Illmatic's" raw poetry infiltrates today's pop culture, with nods to shows like "Ozark," and how Nas's voice remains as relevant as ever in the canon of musical narratives. So, let's raise a glass to the artistry that continues to inspire and resonate through the years, and encourage an appreciation for the timeless stories told through the power of music.
Embark on a sonic pilgrimage with us as we celebrate a milestone in music history—the 30th anniversary of Nas's "Illmatic," a tome of hip-hop culture. Prepare to unearth the intricacies of the album's title, its homage to Illmatic Ice, and to step inside the studio with the legendary craftsmen of its iconic sound, DJ Premier and Pete Rock. As we weave through tales of bootlegging woes and pay tribute to the lyrical prowess of AZ on "Life's a Bitch," we also pause to remember the late Guru from Gang Starr, whose legacy is forever interwoven with this date. This episode is an ode to an era, a nod to the uncredited geniuses, and a reflection on the album's profound mark on our personal soundtracks.
Imagine a thread connecting Shakespeare's quill to Nas's mic—this is the tapestry of storytelling and history we explore through "Illmatic's" tracks. From the vibrant vernacular of Queensbridge that educated us, to the evolution of our musical tastes shaped by the gritty realism of East Coast rap, join us in a celebration that stretches beyond the confines of the album. We discuss how "Illmatic's" raw poetry infiltrates today's pop culture, with nods to shows like "Ozark," and how Nas's voice remains as relevant as ever in the canon of musical narratives. So, let's raise a glass to the artistry that continues to inspire and resonate through the years, and encourage an appreciation for the timeless stories told through the power of music.
Straight up a fucking dungeon for the rap, when fake individuals don't make it back. Whoa, Whoa. Are we talking? I mean, before he even starts rapping. You just know this album's gonna be raw, as can be. Yes, and obviously Nas uses another word than individuals. I am not going to use but, Nonetheless, Happy birthday. Illmatic 30 years today.
Speaker 2:
I am, yes, indeed, it is a celebration here at I Tell Stories. We are fans of Nasir Jones and the album Illmatic. I thought I would start this episode with the meaning of Illmatic, not necessarily what he meant by it or what even, like you know, modern, I'm saying like the source of the words, even just because I want to get in depth, like we're going to get here on I Tell Stories, or at least sort of so. Anyway, the word ill comes from the Middle English word ill, which originated from the Old Norse word iller, which is meaning bad or ill. Okay, that's the origin of the word. All right, matic. Matic is the suffix in English words. That means automatic. It comes from the.
Speaker 2:
Greek word maticos, which means of or relating to a subject of art, for example mathematics. You know stuff like that, which I believe Nas fucks with mathematics sometimes, I think anyway. Anyway, that's the origin of the word ilmatic, I guess right, or the two words that make it.
Speaker 1:
And then did you see that it was dedicated to one of Nas's incarcerated friends, of which he has many. You know that are mentioned on there. But quote I dedicated Illmatic to my man, Illmatic Ice, doing time for murder right now, Because he was a strong man. Nas explained he made his own rules for the game and he ain't taking nothing from nobody. He was kind of like a strong path to follow and look at. Even though he got caught up and misled into the wrong situation and now he's caught in the system right now, I still dedicated the album to him.
Speaker 2:
Hey, real talk, I suppose, mean it doesn't get much realer than that in my eyes.
Speaker 1:
Yeah. And then, apparently you know, there are several legendary producers that were part of the production of it DJ Premier, faith N Large, professors LES, Pete Rock, q-tip Geez, now I've stated that Premier was his favorite producer to work with, which I mean that says something, because those are all you know. I'm familiar with most of them not all of them, to be honest, but obviously like large professor P-Rock, q-tip, yeah. But Premier, part of another yes, god rescue.
Speaker 2:
Part of Gangstar with DJ Premier. Yeah, ain't that some shit.
Speaker 1:
Actually, I think it's 14 years today that Guru passed away Today. I think so Weird.
Speaker 2:
Devils in Gunsmoke lynched it.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it is in fact 2010,. April 19th Whoa, I didn't really think about that Until I just started talking about Premiere.
Speaker 2:
Hey guys, if you weren't aware, our friend here, owen Amick McMichael, is something of a Scottish elephant. He never forgets shit. Like just knew the date of the death and there it is. He put it together live. I tell stories whenever you listen to live.
Speaker 1:
Well, this is definitely the day we opened Cold Smoke and Billings, but I do remember dearly departed Gabriel MC Straight Budge. He broke the news to me that Guru had died and, yeah, 14 years ago today I got a rest.
Speaker 2:
Damn.
Speaker 1:
Track three Life's a Bitch and then you die, indeed which AZ's performance on there is noted as one of the greatest guest spots ever, and I would not argue.
Speaker 2:
Yep.
Speaker 1:
Someone not credited on there is Pete Rock. Did the hook for the World is Yours. Yeah, I didn't know that At all. I did not either.
Speaker 2:
You know, back then, though, people didn't drop the feature card so often, Like it wasn't as big of a deal because they were just going to be on the album. You know, like that's just what it is, I guess I don't know. Like, for example, I'm trying to think of the Somebody's watching me. This really hurts my ears. Like for the longest time you could play it, and it wouldn't even say it was featuring Michael Jackson and it is. That's Michael Jackson. Yeah, totally yeah, but anyway, nonetheless.
Speaker 1:
Which you know, Illmatic didn't have that much commercial success really, for what a legend it is. Initially and a lot of that was due to it was one of the most bootlegged recordings. That was huge back then and into the late 90s. But apparently, yeah, it would have sold a lot more but people already had it. So, yeah, why buy it if you stole it?
Speaker 2:
Damn, which is fucked up, but Right, Well, look at Nas now. I mean he's doing all right. Yeah, he seems to be doing okay. Yeah, the sophomore album wasn't slouch either, bro, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:
No, certainly not, Although, yeah, Illmatic to me is it's 1A, along with Wu-Tang, 36 Chambers, Immortal Techniques, Revolutionary Vol 2, and Just a Genius, Liquid Swords. You couldn't make me pick Like you just couldn't Damn. So that's my opinion.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, in my opinion, you dropping that Mack Maul, yeah, anyway, that's something else. Yeah, mack Maul, I'd say Untouchable, one of my favorites, like that, you couldn't tell me otherwise, right there with this album, to be honest.
Speaker 1:
Oh, he's a legend in his own right, for sure, From the other coast obviously.
Speaker 2:
Mm-hmm nonetheless. Yeah, very interesting, my friend. I know that was crazy how you came up with the guru thing right off the top of the head. That was pretty clever, my friend. I thought I would just see what else happened on this day in history, sort of deal on April 19th that could maybe, maybe be, as you know, important to the human race, as Illmatic you know. So anyway, april 19th 1775, the American Revolutionary War began.
Speaker 1:
I'll take it.
Speaker 2:
Matic, yeah, okay, okay, but just saying that's revolutionary, nothing less, my friend. 1919. Leslie Irvin made the first free-fall parachute jump. Hmm, that's kind of cool, I mean, uh, nice. 1943. Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto staged an armed revolt against Nazi SS troops. Revolutionary album. You know what I'm saying? I mean I look at it as like, not as like formed hip-hop. I mean like there are like I was looking into shit, there's like Harvard studies on this album People compare, just even like. I guess you could call it the stanza the first like, or the last bars in New York stayed in mind to Hamlet Like shit, like that. There's like people writing papers like that. Anyway, and oh, also this day in history in 1995, oklahoma City bombing happened. Oh, shit, yeah. So there's a lot of things that happened on this day in history, my friends. Oh geez, the Boston Marathon bombing was on this day in history as well.
Speaker 1:
Jesus. Holy fuck the Maddox is a much happier occasion. Yeah, oh yeah. Speaking of it, the Library of Congress has it preserved Right, as I believe it has eight total hip-hop albums.
Speaker 2:
Oh my goodness, it better be.
Speaker 1:
It's recorded in the Library of Congress Something interesting. I didn't have time. One of my favorite tracks and the whole album is just pure gold. But it was actually recorded two years before the album's release. I read it said just in support of the soundtrack of the 1992 romantic thriller Zebra Head, of which I am unfamiliar. Huh, so in support of? I don't know if that means it's on the soundtrack or what. Well, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:
Or it must have been, you know, during the movie, or something Like I don't know.
Speaker 1:
Oh, there you go.
Speaker 2:
Okay, Like you know, maybe it was played in the background. I'm unsure about that actually, bro. I don't know, but you said it was a 92 movie. Yep, yeah, it looks kind of weird. I don't know.
Speaker 1:
I didn't even have time to look at it. Another fun fact One Love was recorded in Feistog's basement. Oh whoa, you know who naz is. You probably know who five dog is, but in case not a legendary member of tripod quest. God rest as well. Yeah, 2015, I believe. On that one, we love it. Five dog uh, you know how many uh takes it took to record new york state of mind?
Speaker 2:
I do not my friend, enlighten me one. What that? I have one. Take Jake, I believe it. Hey, you know what's funny about this Zebrahead movie Michael Rapaport All right, that's Michael Rapaport, nice, yeah, just saying Okay, I did that. That was some of my homework already on the live on. I Tell Stories guys, like I said already on the live on. I tell the stories guys, like I said, live. Hey, speaking of you know, live right now, if you're just thinking around your phone, you're not doing much. You get hit pitlock supplycom and check out our selection of merchandise. It's not a whole lot, but there's some stuff there and then there's some other links for you to check out and just a bunch of interesting things. And we do appreciate the support. Yeah, I mean, you know we, we appreciate the support. So, plus, we make good shit. Dude, I don't like fuck around and make a shitty shirt.
Speaker 1:
Not at all. They're awesome. I'm actually wearing not a pitlock one. Typically I wear, you know, most often a pitlock. I tell stories different versions but actually a shirt of His Majesty the Blue Dog Boogie. Yeah, she's sitting with the goblets with his hand out, and then there's a stack of money next to his paw. Somehow I don't know what he was up to, but we don't ask questions.
Speaker 2:
No, not around here, Anyway, nonetheless, Illmatic. Yeah, it's a lot of crazy stuff. Oh also, the Siege of Waco Texas ended on April 19th as well.
Speaker 1:
Oh, dang, a year to the day before Illmatic came out, huh, mm-hmm, 1993. Yeah, pretty crazy stuff. Another interesting that I am unfamiliar with apparently there are two versions of Represent. That's interesting. Yeah, I don't know how to find the. I've only heard the album one. But yeah, dj Premier went back to the drawing board and revamped the original version. I'm going to be on the search for that one because that's another again. They're all gems.
Speaker 2:
Yes, yes, they are. That is particularly um. We discussed this earlier briefly, but your favorite track on the album is either Half Time or Represent.
Speaker 1:
But I again, it's like that's really you could blindfold me, I could throw a dart at you know, list the names of the tracks and I'd be happy with any one of them, more than for real. But if it's kind of like picking a Wu-Tang, like if I had to pick my favorite it'd be Inspector Deck or GZA, but like they're all necessary and yeah. So kind of how I feel.
Speaker 2:
But what about yourself? Um, I have to go with the World Is Yours. I know it was like the, I guess, single off the album, sort of, but I love that track. It's an all-around. Oh yeah yeah, because it's just a good feel song. I like me some engaging violent music or aggressive stuff all the time too, you know, but I do like tracks like that because it should just be like you can be high as fuck.
Speaker 1:
it shows you know whose world is this? It's yours, bro, yours, everybody out there right now, right, yeah, yeah. And that's the funny thing is like for such a such dark subject matter, uh, it's really like lively kind of positive melodies to it and he, he still conveys a, a positive message. You know, everybody locked up to stay up and yeah no, he definitely does he's? Like, don't fuck with us. But we don't want to hurt you. You know like, but we will, but we don't want right?
Speaker 2:
no, that sounds about right yeah, he's one of the.
Speaker 1:
My mom actually tried to listen to it. I was in the CD player I brought to the cabin. I think she said it was kind of catchy, but she's like I would have liked it better if I understood. Like mom's not up on Queensbridge lingo I guess. Yeah.
Speaker 2:
It does. No, I mean. Well, whatever it keeps their own, it is.
Speaker 1:
From on the second album it was written that's where I learned that a desert eagle weighs four pounds. Thank you, nas. Thanks Nas. Thanks for that knowledge, but now I know a lot of people are talking about when they say a four pounder. It's like ah, I've heard that before. I never put two and two together, but when I gave you Power, where he raps as though he.
Speaker 2:
Bro, bro, come on. Yeah, I know, still Illmatic, we could talk stillmatic, but we're talking Illmatic, yeah, anyway. So, yeah, it's yours, bro, the world is yours. I'm glad you were like, hey, bro, it's the 30th birthday of Illmatic, let's go, yeah. Yeah, I actually have a limited edition vinyl from Illmatic. It's pretty cool.
Speaker 2:
Yeah discovered Nas because my friend TJ his dad was a radio DJ and we had gotten this album about a week before it was released, because he got a bunch of samples to play and stuff and he had like a he actually he worked for a classic rock station but they still, you know, got all the same samples to pass out to their other partners or whatever. And he gave us that one and that's how we first listened to that album. So I was 11, maybe 10, 10 or 11. Yeah, and then shortly thereafter, I mean, shoot, there was so much good stuff going on that year, I guess I don't know For me. Anyway, as far as music, I liked it, and then also, so Nas is my constant, onyx was my constant from back then, wu-tang and a lot of East Coast Lynch was something I latched onto real quick, and probably Mack Mall, yeah, all around the same time.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, my first hip-hop cassette, because we're that old. I think I was like nine or something. I had Young MC, which isn't god-awful, but I quickly graduated to NWA, straight out of Compton, which is on another level and another.
Speaker 2:
What's that fucking Young MC track? Man, I got it on the I Tell Stories playlist. Did you know there's a Young MC track on?
Speaker 1:
I was unaware, but I'm guessing it's Busted Move. No God no. No, no, guessing it's Busted Move.
Speaker 2:
No, god, no, no, no, it's not Busted. Move Now. I don't even remember what the fucking song's called.
Speaker 1:
That's the only one I remember really.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I was looking up Young MC and I guess there's a guy out there named Young McNugget that comes up Just so everybody's aware. Yeah, that's pretty amazing. No, non-stop is the track that I like of his. Okay, yeah, that's the one. I just had to look that up on my phone, just so you guys know. Sorry about that. Sorry about the interruption, nazir, it's all about it.
Speaker 1:
It's a great name for an album too. Illmatic, which you know. Maybe I should have had a child, because Illmatic would be a lovely name for a girl or a boy. Yeah, illmatic, wallace McMichael. Hey, I think that has a nice ring to it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yep, you'd put a lot of pressure on that kid.
Speaker 1:
Yes, I hate not the goal. That's not the program.
Speaker 2:
Oh, not with that said program, you know. Only we could turn this into a 20-minute conversation about Illmatic and about like an hour of prep. I mean, we do know a lot about it anyway. So, Sean, the one, the most important line for me, the one that stands out, by the way, oh, hold up, hold up, Ruth. Okay, Remember, Ruth, Ruth, yeah, from the fucking show with Marty.
Speaker 1:
Marty Burr, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:
Ozark, of course, ozark, she's always cracking some classics. Okay, she bumps New York State of Mind from the Ozarks to Chicago to go shoot somebody, doesn't she?
Speaker 1:
I don't remember that. I do remember it being on there, but I don't remember the circumstances. Yeah, she like plays the whole album. Also, eric B and Ron Kim paid in full on there. There's some gems.
Speaker 2:
Ruth. Yeah, her character Alright, just had to mention that because there's a whole thing where, like the album uh plays like from, she plays it front to back until she reaches her destination, basically kind of deal, and that's pretty big nod. I thought nonetheless, um, sleep is the cousin of death. Is the line that that everybody's always talking about? Clamoring about? Uh, people write papers on this fucking bar, that's serious. Comparing it to hamlet, like I I've said, I think I hope I touched on that, but yeah, they compared that shit to Hamlet.
Speaker 1:
Which Thomas Sackville, the Earl of Dorset, is credited with, first saying that by him they have. He sleeped the cousin of death. So, Nas is up on some 16th century earls.
Speaker 2:
Some earl, though Some earl no, nas, no, I think Nas is better than that shit. Was there a funky rhythm behind that one Earl? Nah, I bet not. Jungle wasn't on the track, alright Damn. That's cool, though, but when you do read that man, people are looking all over like who came up with that shit? People who don't know rap or hip-hop, you know, and it is a thing, and people have written papers on that piece there. You know it's pretty crazy. I mean, I know he's not the only rapper that's had shit like that kind of happened, but I don't know. It's in like the harvard thing, like you said, the harvard institute of hip-hop or whatever. That's pretty fucking nuts, I don't know yeah, oh, it's real deal right.
Speaker 2:
I mean, I I don't have any hopes of ever achieving that level of success with music, so I'm gonna uh give a nod to to Nas and call him an official rap. God, there we are.
Speaker 1:
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
So, nonetheless, rap, governor of the universe. Maybe Rap, god of the universe.
Speaker 2:
Rap governor.
Speaker 2:
Oh, yes, yes, oh man, that's some high praise, damn. Yeah, he can have whatever fucking title he wants Him and Slick Rick I feel they're the storytellers. Who's the finest Is my opinion. Yeah, I know it. Yeah, he's on that artist storytelling album of Slick Rick's actually, oh damn, mm-hmm. Yeah, that's a fucking good album. That's probably one of my favorite albums of all time. There's some great tracks on there and that's what people really praise him for when they write about him and stuff is his ability to tell the story as well. As you know, just deliver. I guess there's some beautiful simplicity in some Nas words. My friends, it's not always all fucking crazy, you know.
Speaker 1:
Well, in the first he really appeared. There's like live at the barbecue. Before that I think it was just a Kind of bootleg video, you know VHS tape, but MC Search put him on Back to the Grill, which is 91, so I think he was 19 and he's 20 when ilmatic dropped, like when it came out he was 20.
Speaker 2:
He even says about being 20. Actually I think now and now I think about it in the album.
Speaker 1:
But yeah, oh, okay. So yeah, he was younger than that, then 91, obviously that's what I'm saying. Dog 17, I 17? I thought he was 19,. But I guess, yeah, he was 17 and fucking just killed it on there. That's a dope track. People forget about man.
Speaker 2:
Fucking Nas. Hey, nas, bro, this is how I tell stories, just trying to. You know, just reach out, bro. You know. If you want to do something, you know to a out, bro. You know, if you want to do something, you know to a track, let's go. Oh man, what a bucket list item. That would be Damn. I think I'd faint. Fucking call Pit. Be like bro, let's go, yeah, nonetheless. Well, hey, nadia Naz Ill illmatic, 30 years and uh, that shit ain't going nowhere.
Speaker 2:
This is one of those albums that, when we're all been dead and gone, it'll be uh, getting looked at, I'm sure, unless I don't know who knows, I guess, depending on the climate of things, because I have a lot of faith in my kids. Ok, my kids are, you know, teenage, to like young adult, and they have good taste in music for the most part, you know, I'd say like I, I would listen to about 80 percent of the shit they do. But I don't know how much faith I have in anybody else's kids from what I hear, what I see, how much faith I have in anybody else's kids from what I hear, what I see. So I don't know where music's going, guys, but I encourage any of you young folks out there to check out some Nas.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely yeah. Colt's daughter, damar, and I listened to Illmatic on the way out to my property some five years ago. Yeah, and honestly, like we didn't really. It's kind of like I re not rediscovered, but we didn't really play Nas a bunch around the shanty when she was a kid Not much. That was the first she remembered hearing it. I remember her really liking it. It may not be the best thing to be bumping like life's a bitch and then he died, but I believe she was 12 at the time. Oh, but she got it.
Speaker 2:
No, she got it, it's okay, and again it's kind of like a happy song. Well, you shouldn't censor stuff like that, I don't think. I mean like I think that if you're around kids and you're listening to music, maybe don't play, like don't play sexual stuff. That'd be fucking weird, you know Like, but other than that, you know like you shouldn't censor kids from stuff like that. Let them just hear music. That's what they're going to listen to eventually anyway. And everybody pretends like their fucking kid doesn't cuss when they're like in kindergarten already, pretty much I don't know A lot of young guys, yeah, I mean like I don't even know, but kids start cussing pretty young guys.
Speaker 1:
No, that reminds me of my mom telling me I don't remember it. I was like preschool and I had a friend over and we were waiting for his parents to come get us and we're singing along. My mom was reading the newspaper, not really paying attention, kind of like humming, because it's you know we're singing. And then she realizes what we're saying is he's a fucking asshole, he's a fucking asshole. And then she got like where did you guys hear this? We're like school, okay, oh no. So yeah, and this is, you know, the early 80s. So I can't imagine it's gotten better. No, probably not With the interwebs. Sorry to go on a personal thing there. No, it's okay, I can relate.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, we like these Owen gems here at I Tell Stories, gems here at I tell stories. It's all about telling stories. People remember that shit. Hey, um, this is history. All right guys, we talk about a lot of shit and, uh, 30 years ago today and hopefully this goes up tonight I'm gonna put that out there. If this isn't out on April 19th, I'm gonna reiterate the fact that the date of the album that is, that it would have dropped is April 19th. So that's the goal 1994. Yes, thank you very much. All right guys. Well, anyway, have a good day or evening. I hope you enjoyed. Maybe learn a little bit of something and listen to some Nas. Even if it isn't Illmatic, he's dropping shit constantly and it's still good guys. Just saying good guys, just saying hell, yeah, all right. And then, if you want to, you know, give bumps a cold drain, apocalypse fit, you know, doomsday production, something like that go ahead and do that stuff, all right anyway, guys for sure, yeah much love everybody.