Nas: Time Is Illmatic

High inspiration but i think that we could have gotten a bit more of footage and detail from him. Thank a bunch for the inspiration though 🤘.

Life's a b***

Although I had heard positive reviews for this rap documentary, I held off from watching it because I assumed it would be a puff piece of sorts – probably very well made but ultimately filled with the hype and bravado that most of hip-hop seems to bring. It was a very pleasant surprise then to find that it was really nothing of the sort. Outside of a few aspects which can be forgiven, what we actually get is a film that is surprisingly close to Nas and his family, and looks at the root to that album, rather than specifically celebrating the album itself.

The nature of the film will mean that, like me, you probably will sync Illmatic to your ipod, or put on the CD as the credits are still rolling, because there is plenty of the music and contributions to say what an influence it was, but I think for most viewers all of this will be stuff they already knew. What makes the film of value then is that it takes its time to wander into the past. I am a casual fan of hip-hop, but generally do not know much more beyond the music, so for me it was interesting to spend time with Nas' brother and father, to understand more about the environment they grew up in, and the things they had to process and deal with. The film is not the most insightful, but it is certainly a lot deeper than I had expected, and there are moments where you can see the impact on Nas and his family, even to look back on events is tough on them.

The contributions vary through the film. At first there is a fairly typical spread of talking heads saying positive things, but after this the film does focus on Nas and in particular Jungle; there is a certain amount of guardedness about them perhaps, but they are also open about their past, and willing to be affected by what was and what could have been – no tears or great emotion, but you do get the feeling that they are being themselves rather than carefully marketed images, The film is technically well put together, with a good mix of photographs, archive footage, and current material, and although it is short at only 70- odd minutes, it does feel like it gets a lot in there in that time.

I guess those with no interest or knowledge of Nas or his music will not have too much to hook onto, but for even the casual viewer such as myself, this nor only captures why Illmatic was important, but also gives a good base of background to the man, his achievement, and his background – all of which is pretty interesting and very well presented here.

For any fans of rap/hip hop, One9's insightful and to the point documentary centred around Nas and his cornerstone album The Illmatic is a must see film as it offers an easy to understand and often illuminating look into the beginnings of Nas and what drew him to write material that became such a huge hit commercially and industry wise.

Nas comes across here as a thoughtful and thankful artist that is never unsure of where he came from or why he started doing what he does so well. The film however never focuses for too long on Nas alone and discovers some truly great characters along the way to discuss his life whether it be Nas's father, brother or record producers every talking head here has something informative to say and speaks honestly and openly about the ups and downs of growing up in the rough neighbourhood of Queensbridge New York, that through this documentary becomes alive with history and song.

One9 does a fantastic job or capturing the essence of this neighbourhood, the high-rise apartments and the bustling streets, you can feel how someone in the vein of Nas was inspired, shocked and formed to the artist he became. Loss of live on these streets was a common occurrence, drugs was not only a hobby but a way of live and music was an out, an event that allowed people to vent their frustrations or talk about their lives to those in it and those many worlds away from it. There are some particularly poignant moments here from Nas's personal experiences with the loss of friends or another moment where we realise that those who grew up around Nas are far less fortunate than him, a photo showing faces of young man that have mostly wallowed in a life of crime and violence instead of bettering themselves to a life more abundant.

Time Is Illmatic is neither ground-breaking nor over stylised yet it's a wonderfully down to earth and accessible look into the life of Nas and the creation of an artist born into a particular set of circumstances. We don't go away feeling like we know Nas inside and out but we do get a gage on what makes him tick and also a reminder that for many rap and hip hop is a ways to a better life and also an art form that speaks for generations but also communities.

3 and a half street BBQ's out of 5

I watched this without knowing much about Nas or why he meant so much to so many people. Watching this made me understand. This documentary did an excellent job of telling Nas' story in a way that made it clear why he was so supported by his community and his fans. He told the story of life in Queensbridge, and he continues to tell that story today, even walking his old streets at several points in this film pointing out locations where he had both good times and horrible things happen to him that shaped him as an artist. Along with the story of the music you get a history of how his music existed in the context of hip hop at the time. There were discussions about where this music came from and what was to come next, really placing "Illmatic" at a place and time in not only hip hop cultural history, but music history.

When the album Illmatic is brought up in conversation it is often described as one of the greatest Hip Hop Albums of all time. If you are a fan of Hip Hop then there is an extremely good chance that you see Illmatic as a standout album.

This documentary is not just about that album specifically. It is the focal point but it does often branch off from this and takes you back into the childhood of Nas and explains how he got into Music. The majority of the story is told by Nas's father, his brother & Nas himself through various interviews. We are shown clips from concerts, old and new, interviews producers, hip hop artists & old friends of Nas. Nas - time is Illmatic is an entertaining watch and offers a glimpse into Nas's childhood and early music career but that is all this documentary offers. If this is your genre then it is certainly worth a watch but as a documentary it isn't that impressive.

Illmatic is a fantastic album and this documentary supports the album very well, 20 years on it is still, in my eyes at least, one of the best Hip Hop albums ever created.

8/10