Nas has announced IllmaticXX, a 20th anniversary edition of his 1994 debut album, Illmatic, scheduled to be released April 15.
This anniversary edition is set to include unreleased remixes to the original cuts on the album, along with unreleased versions of “I’m a Villain” and Nas’ appearance on “The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show On WKCR October 28, 1993.” The anniversary edition of Illmatic also includes the 10 original tracks from the album.
In 2012, Nas spoke about his debut album and how he feels about it.
“It’s nine songs on there,” he said at the time. “The intro makes it ten but it’s only nine songs. I think it’s a perfect record. It’s a perfect record. I couldn’t say that before, but there are so many different dynamics to it.”
To read about how Nas wrote Illmatic’s “Halftime” and “One Love,” click here.
The album is available for pre-orders via iTunes. The cover art, according to iTunes, can be found below followed by the cover art that Nas published on his Facebook page.
The tracklisting can be found below.
1. “I’m A Villain” (Unreleased)
2. “The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR October 28, 1993” (Unreleased Freestyle)
3. “Halftime” (Butcher Remix)
4. “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” (Remix)
5. “One Love” (LG Main Mix)
6. “Life’s A Bitch” (Arsenal Mix)
7. “One Love” (One L Main Mix)
8. “The World Is Yours” (Tip Mix)
9. “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” (The Stink Mix)
10. “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” (The Laidback Remix)
(February 4, 2014)
UPDATE: Selections from Nas’ lllmatic and tracks from his Illmatic XX, which earned a 3/5 in its HipHopDX review, are available to stream below.
RELATED: Nas Says “Illmatic” Was “Perfect” & That “Life Is Good” Is “Excellence”
How come it took 7 years for illmatic to go platinum?
No one outside of NYC was checking for Nas in ’94.
^^Yup!
white people didnt know about it at first
Because we all know sales numbers make a classic. I guess Justin Beiber’s the greatest artist of our generation, by your logic.
I’m from South Africa, at the time that album was so difficult to get. I remember ordering it and waited 4 weeks before I got it. WOW, worth the wait, still bangin’ it after 20 years!!
I appreciate Nas releasing Illmatic as remixes, no way you can top that classic album with a sequel. This is great for a 20th Anniversary to bring the good stuff back.
“still bangin’ it after 20 years!!”
same disc? or tape? I had to replace cd it was too scratched
I was and so were all my bredrens in south London…UK stand up! Loved that classic new york rugged raw sound…..classic.
yo Im so tired of these non hip hop heads disrespecting this art. Nas the whole 90’s era was the best. Plus niggas think it’s hard talking shit on these blogs, on the real most of these new heads couldn’t survive in the 90’s real hip hop. Respect Escobar
Fuckin let-down cover is horrible n a bunch of dumb remixes member how wack that illmatic to stillmatic the remixes album he put out was?
Thought he would of done it like mobb deep unreleased freestyles n original verses from the recording of illmatic guest verses that didn’t make the album a fuckin dvd or sumthing
Fuck the radio freestyle and im a villain heard them years ago
Shame that there is no NY State of Mind on here.
No one has the balls to remix it.
wack remixes. i don’t wanna hear em when there are classic versions
then take yo close-minded ass elsewhere and don’t bother listening to it then
Read these comments like we gonna come back 20 years from now and commemorate your hate LIKE HOW THEY HONORING ILLMATIC… A rapper is here 20 years later and You still complaining????? You about as ignorant as a Puerto Rican Grandmother You Never Satisfied…
its just a cash grab. he already put out a 10th anniversary edition too
The platinum edition was dope this just looks fuckin horrible. Its classic for a reason no one gives a fuck bout hearing them songs fucked around with I can listen to a hundred remixes of them on utube if im bored or drunk
NAS OR JAY Z? Who Do You Prefer?
nas by a longshot
Jay since American gangster album has been pretty average he got too much money too give a fuck he need to start writing down rhymes or sumthing. Nas>>>>>>>>jay by a lot shit I could name so many rappers far better than Jigga
I don’t understand why people even compare Nas and Jay-Z. Nas is way better and always has been.
Excluding Illmatic, Jay-Z waaaaayyyyy better than Nas. End Of Story.
No brainer Nas. It was Written is better then Reasonable Doubt. So of Course Illmatic over anything Jay ever did.
that freestyle is online. this seems to be a money making venture. he could have just done a dvd extra with documentaries. who came up with this silly idea. no one wants to hear those remixes.
Truth! should of put out a dvd of his newer videos n shot videos for the tracks on illmatic that never got one
nah shooting videos for songs released 20 years ago seems forced. he should have just put a dvd package with unreleased footage of recording process or background story of queens bridge.
look up the tip mix of the world is yours.
it’s a completely different song
Nas is one of my favorite Mcs, but I’m not impressed with the fact that he already released remix albums of Illmatic!
how about putting out some new music homie? i love illmatic, no disrespect.
He just put out one last year dumbass
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it had to be publicized that he did that. Makes anyone with half a brain question the motive.
Big Nas fan but not feeling this. Should wait until 25th anniversary and release a box set: original CD, remixes, DVD and unreleased cuts with expanded booklet.
Id rather see and It Was Written anniversary edition in 2016. I think Jay said this one was meh, but obviously history has proven him and his stans wrong. Classic disc.
why in the world would you bring up it was written then mention jay z and what his fans think about it? like whats the point of all that..?
Shut up and wait until that 10th anniversary of the Blueprint 2. Don’t expect a bonus disc though, all those tracks sounded like leftovers
Is there a physical version of this or is it just on itunes?
I would rather have read ; Nas is going to honour illmatic anniversary by recording a 10 track album using the same production team as illmatic. Each track on the album will be recorded and sequenced to match the same producer on illmatic. I.e. Track 2 dj premier vs track 2 NY state of mind.
Nas said he will not try to replicate illmatic in terms of the album being a sequel but he will attempt to use the same formula offering a perspective of how he sees life now, the only confirmed feature will be AZ on track 3.
Your album can only be a classic when people remember the track sequence.
I got so HYPE thinking thats what I was reading/about to read. This project though? ok…thanks?
I really hope there is a physical release or there is no point might as well pirate.
KING NAS
This shit is gonna be fire, good lookin Esco
lol the funny thing is…if you were actually ALIVE when he dropped illmatic…and you were/are a REAL fan…and you copped ALL Of his 12″ back then…then you got all of these remixes already, especially the 1 love remixes…there were like 6 diff joints! They should have dropped joints like life is like a dice game, #1 with a bullet, de ja vue, nas will prevail and all the other bangers from the illmatic sessions…that woulda been dope…
“if you were actually ALIVE when he dropped illmatic…and you were/are a REAL fan…and you copped ALL Of his 12″ back then…then you got all of these remixes already,”
you know, unless you sold your crates of records 10 years ago
You still heard them already 12 inches or not.
“if you were actually ALIVE when he dropped illmatic…and you were/are a REAL fan you would know deja vu(not de ja vue) was recorded in 95 and intended for his sophomore album
Most of these if not all, can be grabbed straight of YouTube
yeah i love playing youtube songs in my car
lmao^
Spoken like the bum ass n*gga you are… The album will cost about $12. Get off the computer and go get some money. SMH!
Now those are remixes, the beats are different and sometimes the lyrics. Not 10+ niggas on the same damn track.
Buncha old stuff most of us have heard before, but will still be better than almost anything new dropping this year.
Nasqueer jones is a old ugly homosexual lame. Nobody cares about boring ass illmatic from this faggot. Guarantee this wont even sell 50k. His fanbase is all delusional bi curious internet dweebs who watch gay porn while they listen to his wack flows and annoying voice. Fuck nas.Only good thing about illmatic was some of the production like Pete Rock and Qtip. No one want to here this QB fag rhyme.
damn you mad as hell… LMAO!!!! Crabs in the bucket always hate on their own.
Go back to listening to Eminem and Bronson lil boy. Nas is a legend, you should be grateful to live on the same planet he’s on, bitch.
i can’t believe it’s already been 10 years since i copped the 10 Year Anniversary Illmatic Platinum Series… where the fuck did the time go????
Can’t wait for this, NAS!!!
nas is biting Green Day’s album covers look that shit up lol
classic album one of the best raw hip hop piece
I have heard all of this shit over and over again. He should release songs that didn’t make the original album or make a new Illmatic coming out raw with the same producera
maybe its not for you then and for the young kids
man I hope qtip and alchemist and dr dre produce some songs on that junt!!!
The 2 bonus tracks off the 10 year edition were really dope. Dont see many ppl coppin this tho imo mmlp and aeom and rtd> illmatic for classics
I BET U WHITE
Damn 20 years and im still bumpin this shit… true classic
FINALLY the Q-Tip remix of The World is Yours is available. Such a dope track.
check that tracklist again, i dont see it listed, but that remix goes hard
Amazingly great music!
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We need an It was Written remix album. Its almost 20 years when that album dropped. Besides its better then Illmatic to people who isn’t old as shit.
Not even his best album. Get off the band wagon bitches. It was Written is by far his best album
TRUTH
might not be his best (crafted wise) but it IS his rawest album and one of hip hops rawest albums ever to be created
One Time 4 Your Mind is the only blemish on this record. It’s an OK song, but way too incongruous next to the other eight bonafide classics.
One Time 4 Your Mind has always been one of my favorites on that just because of that flow and beat go together so perfectly
How many times is this broke has been going to re-release this? Enough already.
pathetic you are
Illmatic is one of my favorite Hip-Hop albums and is a real classic.In 10’s still dope,still classic, and still REAL