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Nas's Illmatic
Series: 33 1/3
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Nas's Illmatic
$2199
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Nas's Illmatic is ideal for hip hop enthusiasts, music historians, and readers interested in cultural and artistic evolution within the genre. It also appeals to those curious about the personal journey of artists shaping music history.
Explores a key hip hop album marking the cross over point where the streets and the charts collided.
Contradiction, the yin and the yang, the simultaneous existence of two competing realities, and the larger than life persona that depicts populist realism are at the core of Nas's Illmatic. Yet Nas's identity - as an inner-city youth, a child of hip hop, and a Black American - predicts those philosophical quandaries as much as it does its brazen ambition. Partly because of that recklessly broad scope, the artistic impact of Illmatic was massive. The record finds its place in the greatest transition in hip hop up to that point, the spot where the streets and the charts collided.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
Nas was playing a role on Illmatic, even if it was himself. By constructing this persona, Nas not only laid out his own career for the next decade plus, but the careers of dozens of other rappers who were able to use their considerable skills to develop similar personas.
His brazen ambition has become a road map for every rapper who hopes to reach an artistic peak. It seems right that Nas would make Illmatic at the age when maturity begins to turn boys into men. This was, in many regards, the first album of the rest of hip hop’s life.
A decade and a half ago, Illmatic launched one of the most storied careers in hip hop, and cemented New York’s place as the genre’s epicenter. With this in-depth look at the record, Matthew Gasteier explores the competing themes that run through Nas’s masterpiece and finds a compelling journey into adulthood.
Combining a history of Nas’s early years with interviews from many of the most important people associated with the album, this book provides new information and context for what many consider to be the greatest hip hop record ever made.
Series: 33 1/3
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Critics praise the book for its in-depth analysis and engaging reportage. KEXP Seattle highlights Gasteier's success in capturing the album's evolution and lyrical complexity, describing it as a perfect tribute to a timeless classic. Derek Walmsley of The Wire finds the firsthand reportage compelling, offering a vivid and grounded perspective beyond the lyrical analysis.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780826429070
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 June 2009
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 121.0mm
Height: 165.0mm
Weight: 116g
Pages: 128
Collections
About the Author
Matthew Gasteier has written for various publications, including the Boston Phoenix and Prefix Magazine. He lives in Boston.
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