What albums are most similar to "Illmatic"?

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Either by Nas or other rappers. I love that album but haven't really found anything with that laid-back street poetry vibe. Then again, it's the only Nas album I've heard up to this point.

― Mike Svoboda, Saturday, 15 October 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

Try Gang Starr. Step In The Arena, Daily Operation or the double-disc 'hits' collection are good starters.

― Are You Nomar? (miloaukerman), Saturday, 15 October 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

AZ's first album.

Cormega

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Saturday, 15 October 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

jeru the damaja - the sun rises...

― Grell (Grell), Saturday, 15 October 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

just get the next one he did "it was written." then skip ahead to "god's son."

― amon (eman), Saturday, 15 October 2005 22:40 (twenty years ago)

I tuned out after Illmatic. Suddenly, inexplicably curious again. So, alright, without further ado, then, please, a Post-Illmatic Nas P0X, OK?

― amon (eman), Saturday, 15 October 2005 23:13 (twenty years ago)

Organized Konfusion's second album Stress has a 'laid back poetry vibe' and is very very great. If you're looking for Illmatic-style the best Gang Starr album would probably be Hard to Earn, actually. AZ and Cormega and Rakim (even later-period Rakim) and Kool G Rap are all dead ringers for that heavily written (as opposed to biggie or jay-z style improvised) style rap. Kool G Rap's 4, 5, 6 is great. I've always liked Large Pro's never-officially-released The LP as far as laid back mid 90s stuff goes (he did two beats on Illmatic, prob. my two favorite songs) although its not particularly "street." It has a Nas guest verse though. Akinyele is a totally different kind of rapper but I've always liked Vagina Diner, the production (also by Large Pro) is very great in parts.

― deej.. (deej..), Saturday, 15 October 2005 23:55 (twenty years ago)

black moon, people, black moon
i think nas even said he was a fan at the time

― noizem duke (noize duke), Sunday, 16 October 2005 00:08 (twenty years ago)

yeah thats a good call. Smif n wessun too.

― deej.. (deej..), Sunday, 16 October 2005 00:11 (twenty years ago)

I'm probably the only person in the world who thinks this, and I bet it's nearly impossible to find, but YZ's "(So Far) The Ghetto's Been Good to Me" has some of the quality your looking for, I think.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 16 October 2005 00:18 (twenty years ago)

Arguably "Innercity Griots" as well, by Freestyle Fellowship.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 16 October 2005 00:18 (twenty years ago)

Cormega
Listen to Cormega

― Colin Smith, Sunday, 16 October 2005 02:24 (twenty years ago)

mobb deep - the infamous

― mucho, Sunday, 16 October 2005 03:51 (twenty years ago)

Group Home!

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Sunday, 16 October 2005 04:08 (twenty years ago)

i always gotta rep cnn - war report, such a solid album, with almost the pinnacle of havoc style ,hard, end of the golden age drums and capone playing 'heavily written' to nore's rougher flow ... it sounds like a lot of money was put into it; i got into it (typically) after its heyday but i think it was something of a hit

― jake b. (cerybut), Sunday, 16 October 2005 07:20 (twenty years ago)

mobb deep - the infamous

Yeah this is a great one obv., the one after it too. Name of which is escaping me now cuz i'm tips' and its 4:15AM here but the red album art.

― deej.. (deej..), Sunday, 16 October 2005 08:19 (twenty years ago)

'hell on earth', deej

― jermaine (jnoble), Sunday, 16 October 2005 10:21 (twenty years ago)

you might also check out selected big noyd cuts, especially with the alchemist, sucha s 'the grimy way'

― jake b. (cerybut), Sunday, 16 October 2005 21:12 (twenty years ago)

common - "be"

it's not as good as illmatic, though, and i say that as someone who likes illmatic but isn't particularly obsessed with it.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Sunday, 16 October 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

def. black moon. their first one is classic.

― amon (eman), Sunday, 16 October 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)

try the Lost Tapes volume 1

― Some Guy, Sunday, 16 October 2005 23:57 (twenty years ago)

has a 'laid back poetry vibe'

?!?!

― strng hlkngtn: what does it mean? (dubplatestyle), Monday, 17 October 2005 00:12 (twenty years ago)

wtf

― strng hlkngtn: what does it mean? (dubplatestyle), Monday, 17 October 2005 00:12 (twenty years ago)

LOLlerskates @ "laid back poetry vibe"

Q.B classics :

Kool G. Rap & Polo-wanted dead or alive.

Main Source-breaking atoms.

Akinyele-vagina diner.

Organized Konfusion-stress..the extinction agenda (probably the closest album in style to "illmatic").

Mobb Deep-the infamous.

Beatnuts-stone crazy.

CNN & Tragedy Khadafi-the war report.

Cormega-the true meaning.

The only other Nas albums you need are "it was written" and "lost tapes". Also get the J. Love Nas mixtapes with lots of superb unreleased cuts like "life is like a dice game", "deja vu", "calm down" with Tragedy + Nore etc on them. Other than those all you need are singles. Well, actually "stillmatic" is a decent album too.

After that, get the first AZ album "doe or die" as as it features Nas in his post-Nasty, early Escobar persona and AZ is ridiculously underrated. Also get "don't sweat the technique" by Eric B. & Rakim, which i think is the best Eric B. & Rakim album (although nothing fucks with the best 4 tracks from "follow the leader").

― Ellis, Monday, 17 October 2005 08:17 (twenty years ago)

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