Illmatic (studio album) by Nas

Illmatic by Nas
Year: 1994
Overall rank: 65th   Overall chart historyOverall chart history
Average Rating: 
86/100 (from 1,537 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution   Average rating historyAverage rating history
Accolades:
Award Top 5 albums of 1994 (2nd)
Award Top 20 albums of the 1990s (12th)
Award Top 100 albums of all time (65th)
Product Details
Availability

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NAS - ILLMATIC NEW VINYL
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Nas Illmatic Explicit Lyrics (CD)
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Nas Illmatic 30th Anniversary Cassette (1994 / 2024) Official Ltd Run OG J-card
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Nas bestography

Illmatic is ranked 1st best out of 21 albums by Nas on BestEverAlbums.com.

Nas album bestography « Higher ranked (-) This album (65th) Lower ranked (2,572nd) »
From Illmatic To Stillmatic: The RemixesIllmaticIt Was Written

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Michael Franti & Spearhead + Stephen Marley
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09
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Illmatic track list

  Track ratingsTrack ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 88 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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1.
Rating: 81 (298 votes)Comments: 5
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5.
Rating: 88 (328 votes)Comments: 5
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7.
Rating: 86 (327 votes)Comments: 3
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9.
Rating: 88 (319 votes)Comments: 4
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Track pick Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

Illmatic rankings

Illmatic collection

Illmatic ratings

Average Rating: 
86/100 (from 1,537 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 1,537 ratings for this album.

Sort ratings
RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
75/100
 Report rating
4 days ago DrewHamster  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,71769/100
 
70/100
 Report rating
5 days ago larrt  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 15386/100
 
90/100
 Report rating
05/15/2024 03:37 colonelchibbers  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,66377/100
 
90/100
 Report rating
05/09/2024 13:49 javicho07  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,97682/100
 
95/100
 Report rating
05/06/2024 17:08 Bjartmar03  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 56762/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 86.2/100, a mean average of 84.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 86.3/100. The standard deviation for this album is 18.3.

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Illmatic comments

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Rating:  
95/100
From 38 hours ago
One of the best produced albums in hip-hop. Nas's lyrics are phenomenal. He also doesn't fall victim to what most rappers do, have too much filler. This makes the album tight and effective. His flow is smooth and impactful. The second half is weaker than the first half, but this album is still a classic. 9.5/10!
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Rating:  
95/100
From 11/13/2023 22:48
It might be my favorite rap record everz banger after banger after banger, simply amazing beats, top notch rapping skills amd many quotable lines.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 05/23/2023 08:26
A fun and creative listen that utilises brilliant samples to create an infectious and catchy hip hop album. Nas also demonstrates one of the best flows ever found on any hip hop album. This results in a smooth experience for the listener that we can so easily get lost in. His choice of sampling is fantastic as well with them transforming songs like N.Y. State Of Mind, The World Is Yours and It Ain't Hard To Tell. All 3 of these songs are classics of the hip hop genre and the influence these songs, as well as the rest of the album, would have on music is evident as so many artists tried to achieve the quality of his flow and samples. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable hip hop album which had a huge impact on music and is a demonstration of the quality of Nas.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 05/03/2023 13:08
An absolute classic. Influential and sounds great even today.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 05/08/2022 14:12
It's the bible of rap because everybody copies Nas' flow and he modernized the art of the flow. I like it for this reason and because it captures every vibe of NYC. If you ask me the best hip hop album of all time, it's this one, Marshall Mathers LP, To Pimp A Butterfly, and Good Kid Maad City. But I would say you could listen to Illmatic in way more situations as something to put on. I like the beats on I Am... more but Illmatic has better flow and better lyrics.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 01/25/2022 15:01
Excellent example of linking thematic narratives throughout an album. Good flow, interesting lyrics, limited repetition or filler.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 11/03/2021 01:50
No gimmick, just talent.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 09/12/2021 13:38
Buen disco
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 04/08/2021 17:42
A masterpiece of hip-hop, rap, vocals, and sampling. Top level 90s hip hop.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 02/07/2021 07:49
The best hip hop album of all time. It encapsulates everything.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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Best Albums of 1994
1. Grace by Jeff Buckley
2. Illmatic by Nas
3. Dummy by Portishead
4. Weezer (Blue Album) by Weezer
5. Definitely Maybe by Oasis
6. The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails
7. MTV Unplugged In New York by Nirvana
8. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain by Pavement
9. Superunknown by Soundgarden
10. Parklife by Blur
11. Dookie by Green Day
12. Ready To Die by The Notorious B.I.G.
13. The Holy Bible by Manic Street Preachers
14. Dog Man Star by Suede
15. Let Love In by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
16. Bee Thousand by Guided By Voices
17. The Division Bell by Pink Floyd
18. Jar Of Flies by Alice In Chains
19. Vitalogy by Pearl Jam
20. Purple by Stone Temple Pilots
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