Nas

Today marks the 25th anniversary of East Coast rapper Nas' iconic debut album Illmatic, released on this day through Columbia Records. As one of the most influential albums of all time, it changed the face of rap forever and remains one of those albums that all music fans should hear before they die.

Nas - Illmatic

With production from the likes of DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip and L.E.S., Illmatic was a collection of hardcore hip-hop tracks that followed Nas' experiences of growing up in inner-city New York, featuring songs like It Ain't Hard to Tell, The World Is Yours and One Love.

Continue reading: Album Of The Week: Nas' Game-changing Debut Album Illmatic Turns 25

It's been three years since his last album, 'Life Is Good', and now rap fans everywhere are getting restless for more material from 90s legend Nas, who's currently touring in celebration of the 21st anniversary of his epic landmark debut album 'Illmatic' - and he's still got a lot to say about it.

Nas became a rap legend with his debut album 'Illmatic'

There's a buzz circling Nas at the moment suggesting he's on his way with another studio album - and it couldn't come sooner. We'd be glad for him to go back to his 'Illmatic' roots - which was so passionately explored in the 2014 documentary 'Nas: Time Is Illmatic' - now 90s music is making a strong comeback. 'Time Is Illmatic', written by journalist Erik Parker and directed by ONE9 in his directorial debut, saw the likes of Alicia Keys, Busta Rhymes and Pharrell Williams opening up on why it was such an important album - and Nas reckons it's the 'timeless' quality that still hits people.

Continue reading: Nas Claims He Was 'Treated Like S**t' While Working On Landmark Debut 'Illmatic'

The 1990s marked a turning point for rap and hip hop, with plenty of artists making their mark on the scene with seminal releases. Nas was one of them, and now his landmark debut 'Illmatic' is being explored in a telling documentary, 'Nas: Time Is Illmatic'.

'Time Is Illmatic' explores the legacy of Nas' debut

Like many young black men exposed to rap culture, Nas (born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones) was forced to live a life of fear and poverty as a youth, with guns and killings being a thing of daily terror. After his early collaborator Ill Will was shot dead and his brother injured in the process, it was time to write an album revealing the truth about ghetto culture - and the fear and rivalry that comes with it. 'Nas: Time Is Illmatic' explores his moving relationship with his parents against the grim backdrop of Queensbridge, as he rose up to become one of the greatest rapstars of all time.

Continue reading: 'Nas: Time Is Illmatic' Marks The 20th Anniversary Of One Of The Greatest Ever Rap Albums [Trailer]

‘Zero Motivation’ and ‘Point and Shoot’ have taken the top prizes at the Tribeca Film Festival. The former picked up the mainaward, that of Best Film, while the latter prospered in the documentary category.

"Zero Motivation"

“Zero Motivation was described by the jurors as "the most hilarious film we saw at the festival," The dark comedy about the everyday life of a unit of young female Israeli soldiers was directed by Talya Lavie. "We believe a new powerful voice has emerged," they added of Lavie, who made her directorial debut with the film. 

Continue reading: Military Films Take The Top Prizes At Tribeca, Plus Full List Of Winners

Rapper Nas paid tribute to Robert De Niro at the Tribeca Film Festival, where his documentary Time is Illmatic played as the opening night selection. According to Variety, the crowd at the Beacon Theater practically sang the entirety of the rapper's classic 1994 album Illmatic, with the movie telling the story of how the groundbreaking record put Nas on the map.

Nas at the premiere of 'Time is Illmatic'

The Wednesday evening screening was a double feature of sorts, with Nas playing a nine-song concert, featuring Alicia Keys on piano. 

Continue reading: Nas Pays Tribute To Robert De Niro At Tribeca Film Festival

The Buku Music + Art Project has brought another year of top class music to Mardi Gras World in New Orleans, with memorable performances from Chance the Rapper, Sleigh Bells and The Glitch Mob.

When people think of Spring in New Orleans, most are looking forward to the annual Jazz Festival - something that the city has arguably become all about, music-wise. However, an equally astounding event also made its mark this month; the Buku Music + Art Project. This is most certainly a one of a kind festival offering astounding musical line-ups, great food and breath-taking artwork along with a range of other on-site activities.

Continue reading: Buku Music And Art Project 2014 Brings Fantastic Energy From Chance The Rapper And The Glitch Mob

Rapper Nas - real name Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones - dropped out of school early. From his humble beginnings in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the artist had a shot at cracking the music business and, at the age of 21, released his debut album, Illmatic, still one of the finest hip-hop albums ever produced.

Now, almost 20 years on from that seminal record, Nas's influence is being recognized by the Hip Hop Archive and Harvard University's W.E.B DuBois Institute, who have announced the 'Nasir Jones Hip Hop Fellowship,' giving scholars and artists demonstrating "exceptional" creative abilities the opportunity to show that "education is real power."

"Having welcomed various artists and scholars, the Hip Hop Archive and Research Institute is uncompromising in our commitment to build and support intellectually challenging and innovative scholarship that reflects the rigor and achievement of hip-hop performance," said Harvard professor and Hip Hop Archive founder Macyliena Morgan in a statement.

Continue reading: Rapper Nas Becomes Ivy League Guy With Harvard Fellowship