VINYL FORMAT. Please note, this LP is an official Sony release, but does not include artwork. Often cited as one of the best hip-hop albums of the '90s, Illmatic is the undisputed classic upon which Nas' reputation rests. It helped spearhead the artistic renaissance of New York hip-hop in the post-Chronic era, leading a return to street aesthetics. Yet even if Illmatic marks the beginning of a shift away from Native Tongues-inspired alternative rap, it's strongly rooted in that sensibility. Fo   [ read more ]

2xLP $22.99

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VINYL FORMAT. I don't like to compare past and present works of artists, because contexts and times change, but that combination of lyrical inspiration and consistent production hasn't happened since Illmatic. His insight in dealing with black identity and race relations is staggering, and he never once sounds pretentious or preachy. He addresses the issues from a mature, intellectual, and rational point of view. Though he expresses his anger, he never resorts to what he refers to on "N.I.G.G.E.R." a   [ read more ]

2xLP $13.99

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I don't like to compare past and present works of artists, because contexts and times change, but that combination of lyrical inspiration and consistent production hasn't happened since Illmatic. His insight in dealing with black identity and race relations is staggering, and he never once sounds pretentious or preachy. He addresses the issues from a mature, intellectual, and rational point of view. Though he expresses his anger, he never resorts to what he refers to on "N.I.G.G.E.R." as "reverse rac   [ read more ]

CD $15.99

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Never averse to getting the pants of others in a twist, Nas said in 2006 that what developed into this self-titled album was, at the time, titled the six-letter version of the "N" word. The following year, the NAACP buried the five-letter version (along with each variant, as the obituary states) at a Detroit ceremony, replete with a horse-drawn carriage, a casket, and the presence of "hip-hop legend Curtis Blow" [sic], according to the NAACP press release. Whether it is believed that the word was trul   [ read more ]

CD $13.29

Never averse to getting the pants of others in a twist, Nas said in 2006 that what developed into this self-titled album was, at the time, titled the six-letter version of the "N" word. The following year, the NAACP buried the five-letter version (along with each variant, as the obituary states) at a Detroit ceremony, replete with a horse-drawn carriage, a casket, and the presence of "hip-hop legend Curtis Blow" [sic], according to the NAACP press release. Whether it is believed that the word was trul   [ read more ]

CD $35.13

CD $11.39

Already considered one of hip-hop's great MCs, a claim made even more believable by the fact that he's able to continue to release relevant, often controversial, material -- material that, while perhaps not as great as what was on his debut, Illmatic, is still interesting and intelligent and generally pretty decent -- Nas has been due for a true greatest-hits collection for a while now. The aptly titled Greatest Hits does just that, tracing his career chronologically, from the aforementioned <   [ read more ]

CD $17.99

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Throughout his storied career, which began with 1994's classic Illmatic and has spanned the last decade with over 12 million albums sold, Nas has been more than just the genre's foremost lyricist and thinker. He has become a statesman, some would argue hip-hop's "conscience." Now, with the release of his long-awaited Def Jam debut--the aptly-titled Hip-Hop Is Dead--Nas returns to his role as mentor and teacher, his legendary mic skills as sharp as ever, and takes today's young rappers back to    [ read more ]

CD $15.99

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Already considered one of hip-hop's great MCs, a claim made even more believable by the fact that he's able to continue to release relevant, often controversial, material -- material that, while perhaps not as great as what was on his debut, Illmatic, is still interesting and intelligent and generally pretty decent -- Nas has been due for a true greatest-hits collection for a while now. The aptly titled Greatest Hits does just that, tracing his career chronologically, from the aforementioned {^Illm   [ read more ]

CD $10.43

Already considered one of hip-hop's great MCs, a claim made even more believable by the fact that he's able to continue to release relevant, often controversial, material -- material that, while perhaps not as great as what was on his debut, Illmatic, is still interesting and intelligent and generally pretty decent -- Nas has been due for a true greatest-hits collection for a while now. The aptly titled Greatest Hits does just that, tracing his career chronologically, from the aforementioned {^Illm   [ read more ]

CD $21.83

CD $13.28

VINYL FORMAT. Throughout his storied career, which began with 1994's classic Illmatic and has spanned the last decade with over 12 million albums sold, Nas has been more than just the genre's foremost lyricist and thinker. He has become a statesman, some would argue hip-hop's "conscience." Now, with the release of his long-awaited Def Jam debut--the aptly-titled Hip-Hop Is Dead--Nas returns to his role as mentor and teacher, his legendary mic skills as sharp as ever, and takes today's young ra   [ read more ]

LP $13.99

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