Riffiter listeners rate Illmatic 4.4/5 from 40 ratings.

What is the highest-rated track on Illmatic?

The World Is Yours, rated 5.0/5 by 2 listeners on Riffiter.

When was Illmatic released?

Illmatic was released in 1994 on Def Jam Recordings.

How many tracks are on Illmatic?

Illmatic has 10 tracks, with a runtime of 40 minutes.

What genre is Illmatic?

Illmatic is catalogued under Hip-Hop, East Coast Hip-Hop, Boom Bap.

What BPM is Illmatic?

Illmatic runs at a median tempo of 92 BPM across its tracks, most often in A# minor, measured from audio analysis.

What albums are similar to Illmatic?

Listeners of Illmatic also rate The Infamous by Mobb Deep, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... by Raekwon, Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers by Wu-Tang Clan.

Who produced Illmatic?

Illmatic was produced by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Nas and Faith Newman, among 7 credited in total. DJ Premier produced 3 of them.

Who wrote the songs on Illmatic?

Illmatic was written by Nas, DJ Premier and Fab 5 Freddy. Nas wrote 2 of them.

Album · 1994

Illmatic

by Nas

Illmatic is a 1994 hip-hop album by Nas. It runs 10 tracks across 40 minutes on Def Jam Recordings. Riffiter listeners rate it 4.4/5 from 40 ratings.

prod.

DJ Premier

Large Professor +5 more 21connections

Hip-Hop · East Coast Hip-Hop · Boom Bap

Best albums of 1994→

#1 in Best albums of 1994 · #2 in Best hip-hop albums

Your rating

—

Write a review →

4.4 /5
40 ratings: 84 /100
7 critics: 10
Tracks: 40 min
Runtime: 92 bpm
Tempo: A# minor
Key

Ratings

40 ratings · avg 4.4

0.5★5★

Recent activity

@music4.0★Nov 3
godisawoman5.0★Nov 2
Billy Shakes5.0★Nov 2
mugwort2.5★Nov 2
Marcus Vinicius4.5★Nov 2
Skylar Wilce2.5★Oct 31
Adam Tomko4.0★Oct 31
prisonsong5.0★Oct 30

Reviews

No reviews yet.

42 people have played it start to finish

2 people are spinning it this week

People who scrobbled it: 4.3★ (5) · Everyone else: 4.6★ (27)

Critics

7 publications

The Source5/5
Entertainment WeeklyA−
NME9/10
Chicago Tribune3.5/4
USA Today3.5/4
Rolling Stone4/5
Los Angeles Times2/4

Scores collected from the English Wikipedia ratings box (CC BY-SA). Ratings belong to the publications; follow a link to read the review.

Illmatic album cover

2 ratings

The Illmatic cover was designed by Aimée Macauley, photographed by Danny Clinch, and art-directed by Jo DiDonato. Riffiter listeners rate it 4.8 out of 5 from 2 ratings.

Design: Aimée Macauley
Photography: Danny Clinch
Art direction: Jo DiDonato

Your rating for the cover

—

4.8 · 2 ratings

Tracklist

10 tracks · 40 min

Ranked head-to-head

1 vs 1

Stars say how much you like Illmatic. They never settle which song on it you would defend. Pick between two at a time and the order builds itself.

Nobody has finished a run on this record yet. Rank Illmatic's songs yourself →

Videos

1 video

Ranked by listeners

top 5 · 10 rated tracks

According to Riffiter listeners, the best track on Illmatic is The World Is Yours — rated 5.0/5 by 2 listeners.

More by Nas

More like this

Albums like Illmatic →

About

Illmatic is the debut album of American rapper Nas, released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records. After signing to the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album during 1992 and 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Its production was handled by Nas, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and DJ Premier. Styled as a hardcore hip hop album, Illmatic features multi-syllabic internal rhyme patterns and inner city narratives based on Nas's experiences in Queensbridge, New York. Upon its release, the album debuted at number 12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 59,000 copies in its first week. However, its initial sales fell below expectations and its five singles failed to achieve significant chart success. Though it experienced initial low sales, Illmatic received rave reviews from most music critics upon its release and earned praise for its lyrical content, production, and Nas's lyricism.

On January 17, 1996, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and in 2001, it earned platinum certification after shipments of one million copies in the United States.

In brief

Is Illmatic good?: Riffiter listeners rate Illmatic 4.4/5 from 40 ratings.
What is the highest-rated track on Illmatic?: The World Is Yours, rated 5.0/5 by 2 listeners on Riffiter.
When was Illmatic released?: Illmatic was released in 1994 on Def Jam Recordings.
How many tracks are on Illmatic?: Illmatic has 10 tracks, with a runtime of 40 minutes.
What genre is Illmatic?: Illmatic is catalogued under Hip-Hop, East Coast Hip-Hop, Boom Bap.
What BPM is Illmatic?: Illmatic runs at a median tempo of 92 BPM across its tracks, most often in A# minor, measured from audio analysis.
What albums are similar to Illmatic?: Listeners of Illmatic also rate The Infamous by Mobb Deep, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... by Raekwon, Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers by Wu-Tang Clan.
Who produced Illmatic?: Illmatic was produced by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Nas and Faith Newman, among 7 credited in total. DJ Premier produced 3 of them.
Who wrote the songs on Illmatic?: Illmatic was written by Nas, DJ Premier and Fab 5 Freddy. Nas wrote 2 of them.

Credits

Produced by: DJ Premier Large Professor Nas L.E.S.Pete Rock
+2 moreShow fewer
Q‐TipFaith Newman
Written by: Nas DJ PremierFab 5 Freddy
Engineered by: Eddie SanchoKevin ReynoldsAnton PukshanskyDiego GarridoJamie Staub
+3 moreShow fewer
Jason VogelStan WallaceTim Latham
Played by: Olu Dara