Illmatic can’t be topped

But there are albums on par with it and albums I prefer over it

Illmatic doesn’t have a Wesleys theory

Walk in this b**** like Nas
I’m Iller than a f*** like Nas
When I walk in this b**** they gone need gauze
556 hit em they dont know the cause
It was never written don’t call me Nas
I’m Still Ill you could call me Nas
I’m servin ether to Distant Relatives they call me Nas
Hip hop is dead I killed it like Nas
I’m a street disciple you can call me Nas
When I’m in the Audi I’m using the Nos
I’m drunk driving the Audi by myself I’m Nas

it was topped the same year it dropped by BIG

Is illmatic good because Nas was 18 or because it's actually an outstanding album?

Below the Heavens>

they’ll never understand and it’s sad

Its probably the best rap album but not my favorite

Yup you see it

illmatic as the gold standard for hip hop is a testament to nas’s age at the time rather than the quality of the album (regardless a 10/10 record)

it’s impact can’t go understated but the reason why it’s the bar is because he was 19 when he wrote it and that’s #facts

if ur wasn’t for that then his other discography would be better recognized

The type of album that only can be shaped by life experiences, trauma and hunger. Impossible to recreate

Stillmatic

OB4CL is better imo but no one has a NY State Of Mind in their discog

TPAB is 10/10 but the album with that role of topping Illmatic is GKMC

Id personally take TPAB, LR, Midnight Marauders over it but Im not mad at this take at all one of the GOAT albums period

Yeah I agree w this OB4CL was my fav debut album of the 90s w Illmatic as 2nd

Illmatic is way better than GKMC

Sahbabii - Barnacles has topped Illmatic along with a PLETHORA of other rap albums