2014 marks the 20th anniversary since Nas dropped Illmatic, generally revered as one of the greatest Hip Hop records ever made. A documentary titled ‘Time Is Illmatic’ premiers today at New York City's Beacon Theater as part of the Tribeca Film Festival celebrating the impact the album had on the genre and the story behind its creation.
“When I made Illmatic, I was trying to make the perfect album,” explains Nas in the documentary’s trailer. “I was trying to make you experience my life. I wanted you to look at hip-hop differently. I wanted you to feel that hip-hop was changing and becoming something more real.”
The documentary forms part of a collection of commemorative events and content soon to be released, which will include an upcoming tour, a special double-disc version of the LP titled ‘Illmatic XX’ packed with re-mastered versions of the album's 10 tracks, remixes, demos and other rare gems.