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*Nas is one of the most prolific rappers in Hip Hop history.

Ranked in the league of Biggie, Tupac Shakur and Jay Z, Nas’s first album ‘Illmatic’ helped define an era of music and was an influence on makers of all types of black music.

‘Illmatic’ was released in 1994, and projected the humble rapper to the top of the ranks of Hip Hop performers. Upon its twentieth year anniversary, film makers One9 and Erik Parker teamed up to create ‘Nas: Time is Illmatic’ a documentary about the rapper and in particular his first album.

“We started out originally in 2004, when we started shooting it,” said Walker, “it was originally about just the making of ‘Illmatic.’ What happened in the studio? The magic that made the poet and the producers that produced it. After we talked to Olu Dara, one of our earlier interviews, we realized that what was more important and what was a bigger story, was what made the person who created the music, because that story spoke to us all. We all could relate to the influences, the things that that person saw, and it helped explain the album in a much better way.”

The documentary does a good job in describing Nas’ life without neither downplaying nor promoting his lack of formal education, but instead highlighting what Nas himself did to gain intelligence and wisdom over the years by reading and seeking the answers to questions that he had.

SOURCE: EURWEB.COM