Nas Time is Illmatic: Review
This is the 20th anniversary of Nas’ classic album “Illmatic” and Director One9, and Tribeca Films has released this documentary to celebrate Nas’ monumentally album. This movie begins by discussing America in the late 60’s (post civil-rights era). Then it gives you the background on Nas’ family, his mother Ann Jones, his father jazz musician Olu Dara, and his younger brother Jabari “Jungle” Jones (of the rap group Bravehearts). It also discusses how President Roosevelt under minded the African-American community by creating large housing projects in big cities. Then giving White Americans grants to move to the suburbs, (in which the Blacks were ineligible for). This helped to create ghettos such as Queensbridge housing projects (where Nas is from).
The documentary also discusses the place where New York City hip-hop was (at the time), and how it has evolved. This movie only examines his first album, and it doesn’t address his past beefs with Jay-z, Tupac Shakur or Cormega. Instead, it breaks down each of his classic cuts off Illmatic. The documentary concludes with Nas, reflecting on his life and career; the documentary also interviews many or today’s success artists, such as Alicia Keys, J-Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams.
This film didn’t have the ambition of Tupac Resurrection, because Nas isn’t the polarizing person that Tupac was. Also, Nas never did achieve that icon status that Tupac was crowned with. For the past twenty years, Nas has been a total enigma. He didn’t leave his mark on corporate America like Jay-Z. He never dated the Beyonces, Aaliyahs or the Jennifer Lopez’s of any era, to keep his name in the public’s consciousness. Instead, he just periodically would drop bangers and hot verses, and disappear again. That’s why I think it’s important for all fans to see this film, to pick the brain of this Hip-Hop genius. The film is well shot, edited and directed and it’s short, sweet and to the point. It’s available on Netflix or Amazon.com; so stop your Young Thug mixtape for a minute and check it out.