Kendrick Lamar Details Nas’ “Illmatic” Impact

    Kendrick Lamar says some have compared his work with Nas’. 

    “We share somewhat of a similar story just being from a community and not being sucked in by what’s going on around you,” he says in an interview with Google Play. “He’s from the projects. I’m from Compton. I’m sure he’s seen a lot and done a lot. You hear in my music what’s surrounded me and just to be able to elevate your mind alittle bit further passed that through writing is bigger than one song. In order to do that and craft that, it’s on another plane and I wouldn’t have been able to do that if it wasn’t for that album, truthfully.

    “Just to know some type of comparison is there, I’m not saying I’m like Nas or like Jay, I want to be Kendrick Lamar, but to just know that I’m on the right plane as far as my subject matter and what he’s talking about and what he’s done with his career, it makes me a little more confident in what I’m doing,” Kendrick Lamar adds. 

    In January 2013, Nas celebrated Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city. “No disrespect to nobody else in rap music, but Kendrick Lamar,” he said at the time. “I’m really happy about his record. I needed that. His record reaches you. It gives you hope.”

    When Kendrick Lamar heard about Nas’ praise, he discussed his admiration for the Queens, New York emcee.

    “That’s crazy, I didn’t hear that,” Lamar said. “That’s amazing, just off the fact that it’s Nas. You can hear the influence [of him] on my storytelling. For somebody who’s been a lead player in this game for so many years, a veteran as far as longevity and skill, that’s an accomplishment just on words alone.” 

    RELATED: Kendrick Lamar Responds To Nas Calling “good kid, m.A.A.d city” One Of His Favorite Albums Of 2012

    56 thoughts on “Kendrick Lamar Details Nas’ “Illmatic” Impact

    1. “He’s from the projects. I’m from Compton. I’m sure he’s seen a lot and done a lot”

      Jay walking and stealing cable.

    2. Kendrick – That’s crazy
      Rick Ross – Most definitely
      YG – Ya feel me?
      Jeezy – Real talk
      50 Cent – Actual/actually, generate interest, general public/audience, financially stable place
      Charlamagne – For all intents and purposes
      Star – I fucks with (insert rapper’s name here) heavy

      1. thank you for this comment. we need more comments like this so i hope you will continue to show work

      2. if anybody would like to learn more about why niggas employ this catchphrase behavior, read the book The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker.

    3. He’s probably the only new rapper right now downplaying the comments about how his album is a classic. I remember him saying give it a decade before calling it a classic.

      1. Yer, Kendrick stays humble about GKMC and pays homage to those that came before him, it works in his favour when you’ve got just about every other rapper shouting that their album is a classic even before the albums drops.
        Also though, nobody wants the noose around their neck of the first major album being immediately labeled a classic as thats got to be crazy pressure to live up to while working on the 2nd, Nas, Jay Z, Snoop ect. People are quick to hate on the follow up

    4. Illmatic is a solid east coast album, there’s no doubt about that, but am I the only one that thinks it’s a touch overrated?? Hell, I think Nas is overrated, just being honest. “It Was Written” is Nas’s best album by far.

      1. Yeah It Was Written was tight too. But no rap album since 94 has surpassed Illmatic. I thought it was overrated too until I really listen to it. Nas style, flow, lyrics etc. was the best on Illmatic. AZ brought that legendary feature. It had the best NYC producers to bring that classic New York sound. Illmatic might sound outdated to this new generation of skinny jean hipsters but true hop heads know that Illmatic is the ghetto gospel its fuckin incredible.

      2. You also have to look at Illmatic this way, the shit NaS did with Illmatic has never been done in hip hop before. Illmatic was the first album to have a multitude of different producers. NaS fathered a whole style for niggas to run with, nobody was rapping how NaS was before him. Maybe can tip your hat to Rakim, but nobody. Also this nigga was 19-20 when he did Illmatic..The shit he’s saying the lyrical prowess on that album is amazing.

    5. If you in the UK type ‘Illmatic xx special’ on youtube n the google play one has a video of this that works for my niggas in uk Ireland france Germany wherever

    6. Illmatic was Nas’ best work. It’s one of the few albums that can make an African man like myself feel as though I lived a block up from Nasir in the projects.

    7. Hey, everybody! Did you know that this 4/20 is Easter Sunday, 420, and also Hitler’s birthday? Here’s how I’m going to celebrate. I’m finna go to church in the morning, get stoned at 4:20 in the afternoon, then go back to the church that evening and destroy everything since Jesus was Jewish. Who’s with me?

    8. Let’s keep it 100; GKMC is a classic. If you wanna wait longer to call it that be my guest. But in 5-10 yrs it will be called a classic. Plus, if his sophomore can be just as good, he will solidify his position as a hip hop great!!! Hope he can do it

      1. It definitely wasn’t a classic and he’ll be just like Young MC, Tone Loc, Warren G and Game in 10 years. All of aforementioned rappers are from the west coast and sold over 5 million copies.

    9. Funny…IllMATIC never touched me like that as a whole only because I didn’t like the music on that album but his lyrics were top notch. I credit IT WAS WRITTEN as his best work from start to finish. That album changed the game!!!

      1. With liking both albums up & down, I agree IWW was the better work. He was killing them Trackmasters beats.

    10. Kendrick on Illmatic: “That’s crazy”
      Kendrick on Nas calling GKMC a classic: “That’s crazy”
      Kendrick on Chris Brown being on GP at a Virginia jail: “That’s crazy”
      Kendrick on Outkast co-headlining Coachella 2014: “That’s crazy”
      Kendrick on the new Yeezys: “That’s crazy”
      Kendrick on the new Boondox season: “That’s crazy”
      Kendrick on people dying in Africa: “That’s crazy”
      Kendrick on a nigga raping his mother in front of him: “That’s crazy”

    11. Illmatic is the best rap album to me period. It was written was sick too. “I gave you power” on it was written, that song gives me chills still.

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