My introduction to secular music started in the 90s. One of the first times I consumed music was when my friend snuck a cassette tape into elementary school, and we listened to Mase and Puff Daddy, aka Diddy, back before all the trials and drama. Mase was my biggest influence growing up; I wanted to be just like him, his style, the way he talked, and how he always seemed A1 with the ladies. That journey eventually led me to become mature enough to buy my own music. The very first album I ever purchased with my own money was Nas’ Illmatic.

Before that, the only music my mom allowed me to listen to was gospel, basically Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary were the only “new age” artists I could play. I would sneak records into the house and listen to them when she wasn’t home or through my headphones. My dad wasn’t as strict; he wasn’t a “churchy churchy” parent.

Looking back, I remember being 11 years old, in a music store on the way to Virginia. My mom had stopped at a restaurant for us, and lo and behold, Illmatic was staring me in the face. I grabbed it, took it to the front, and bought it, I think it was around $14.99. The guy behind the counter sold me an explicit CD even though I was a minor, which still makes me laugh today. I remember unwrapping it, peeling off the plastic, and popping it into my portable CD player. As soon as the intro, The Genesis, came on, my journey officially began.

And you're sitting at home doing this shit

I should be earning a medal for this

Stop fuckin' around and be a man

There ain't nothin' out here for you

That CD influenced my life. Hearing Nas showcase his lyrical abilities made me want to study lyricism. I even went online and printed out the lyrics. Illmatic made me enjoy music differently than I ever had before. On our family trip, I replayed every song, essentially studying it. My favorite track was “If I Ruled the World” featuring Lauryn Hill—who, on her own, is one of the greatest to ever touch a mic. Nas had virtually no features, other than his friend AZ, but he did have Lauryn Hill, plus producers like Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Large Professor, and his father, jazz legend Olu Dara Jones, all legends in their own right.

Illmatic delivered raw, straight from the street stories told in double, triple, and even quadruple entendres, layered with allegory. To many in the hip-hop community, this album was the holy bible of what a complete project should sound like. Nas was ahead of his time, which is why he earned the nickname Nastradamus, a fitting title.

I won’t break down every track because I could write an essay on each one and talk for days, I’ve had countless conversations about the themes in this album. Instead, I’ll focus on my favorite: “If I Ruled the World.” It captures the perspective of a Black man growing up in Queensbridge, one of those places you pray to make it out of. The song speaks on equality for Black people in this country and reinforces the idea that justice for us means justice for all. The 90s were filled with music that challenged the status quo, reminiscent of the poetry created after Reconstruction and during the Jim Crow era, when artistry and expression were essential for a people whose voices were limited and demonized by the dominant society. In many ways, the same dynamic persisted through the 90s and continues today.

The way to be: Paradise life, relaxin'

Black, Latino and Anglo-Saxon, Armani Exchange, the Range

Cash, Lost Tribe of Shabazz, free at last

Brand new whips to crash, then we laugh in a iller path

I give this album a 10 out of 10. No skips needed. Out of the thousands of albums I’ve listened to, only about four in my lifetime have been truly “no-skip” records. For anyone who wants a glimpse into 90s New York culture, almost like stepping into a time machine, this is the album to do it with. You get a raw, young, self-reflective Nas sharing his take on everyday life.

I'll end this with the song that helped me live life to the fullest, which was “Life’s a Bitch.” It makes you reflect and challenges you to live life on your own terms. 

Visualizin' the realism of life in actuality

Fuck who's the baddest, a person's status depends on salary

And my mentality is money-orientated

I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it