Urban Beats review of Nas album

Urban Beats - "Nas' 1994 debut album, ILLMATIC, has been called one of the best rap albums of all time, and 11 years later this album documents the main reason why: Nas is the supreme lyricist in hip-hop. On the surface he is a gangsta rapper dispensing richly detailed street stories. But Nas speaks in metaphors not easily interpreted, and his songs constantly challenge the listener to see into his innermost thoughts. He dwells neither on what he could be or wants to be, but rather, simply, on what he is. He's one of the few rappers who can fairly be labeled a poet. NASDAQ / DOW JONES utilizes the musical talents of street-oriented producers to enhance Nas' feel for reality. Among those producers are Salaam Remi, who collaborates on "Bullet X" in a joint attempt to squash the tyranical reign of commercial rapper 50 Cent."