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NAS

Matthew Gasteier

Nas' Illmatic - 33 1/3

    This title explores a key hip hop album marking the cross over point where the streets and the charts collided. Contradiction the simultaneous existence of two competing realities and larger than life persona are at the core of "Nas' Illmatic". Yet Nas' identity - as an inner-city youth, a child of hip hop and a Black American - predicts those philosophical quandaries as much as it does its brazen ambition.

    The artistic impact of Illmatic was massive. The record finds its place in the greatest transition in hip hop up to that point. Along with the Wu Tang Clan's debut from the previous year, Illmatic put New York back on the map after a long period of West coast, G-funk dominance.

    Nas also mapped out the laid-back lyrical style that would usher in the modern era of hip hop. 

    NAS

    I Am....The Autobiography (Black Friday 23 Edition)

      THIS IS A BLACK FRIDAY 2023 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 24TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

      IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8AM ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 25TH).


      I Am... The Autobiography, the long sought-after bootleg released commercially for the first time.Features2 unreleased tracks, as well as many other rarities that have been on limited vinyl and 12"previously, as well as deluxe packaging. A must-have for any Nas and die-hard Hip Hop head!

      TRACK LISTING

      Side A
      1. Fetus
      2. Small World
      3. Money Is My Bitch

      Side B
      1. Project Windows
      2. Poppa Was A Playa
      3. Dr. Knockboots(Doe’s And Don’t)

      Side C
      1. Day Dreamin’Stay Schemin’****
      2. Sometimes I Wonder (feat. Nature)
      3. Hardest Thing To Do Is Stay Alive****
      4. Drunk By Myself

      Side D
      1. I Wanna Play***
      2. Blaze A 50
      3. We Will Survive

      Nas

      King's Disease III

        As the third installment of Nas and Hit-Boy's GRAMMY Award winning King’s Disease series, King’s Disease III is Nas' latest album, and marks the duo's highly anticipated return since 2021's surprise LP, Magic. Executive produced by Nas and Hit-Boy, the album finds the rap legend at his best, flowing effortlessly over signature punchy beats including "Legit," "Michael & Quincy," and "30" among others. "With ‘King’s Disease III’, the New York rapper has put the seal on a strong album trilogy that proves that, three decades in, he’s still a force to be reckoned with." - NME

        TRACK LISTING

        1. Ghetto Reporter
        2. Legit
        3. Thun
        4. Michael & Quincy
        5. 30
        6. Hood2Hood
        7. Recession Proof
        8. Reminisce
        9. Serious Interlude
        10. I'm On Fire
        11. WTF SMH
        12. Once A Man, Twice A Child
        13. Get Light
        14. First Time
        15. Beef
        16. Don't Shoot
        17. Til My Last Breath (Bonus Track)

        Nas

        Life Is Like A Dice Game

          A legendary fan favorite Illmatic era demo, gets revisited and completed nearly 3 decades later! Available on vinyl for the first time.

          TRACK LISTING

          1. Life Is Like A Dice Game (Vocal Version Ft Cordae & Freddie Gibbs)
          2. Life Is Like A Dice Game (Instrumental Version, Prod By Hit-Boy)

          Nas

          Magic - Instrumental Version - 2023 Repress

            Instrumental version of the 15th studio album from American Rapper Nas.

            TRACK LISTING

            1. Speechless - Instrumental
            2. Meet Joe Black - Instrumental
            3. Ugly - Instrumental
            4. 40-16 Building - Instrumental
            5. Hollywood Gangsta - Instrumental
            6. Wu For The Children - Instrumental
            7. Wave Gods - Instrumental
            8. The Truth - Instrumental
            9. Dedicated - Instrumental 

            Nas

            King's Disease II - 2023 Repress

              Nas King's Disease II Album Following the Grammy Award winning album, King’s Disease, the king returns to his throne with the second coming, King’s Disease II. The star-studded project offers tacit game on life, love, and loss, uplifting through action and lived experience in a way only Nas can. This is a body of work for the fans, for the day 1’s that contributed to the legacy. Alongside the decorated production savant, Hit-Boy, Nas remains rooted in lyrical prophetism while proving that he constantly reinvents the wheel. The sequel to last year’s King’s Disease features Ms. Lauryn Hill, Eminem, EPMD, Hit-Boy, Charlie Wilson, YG and more.

              TRACK LISTING

              1. The Pressure
              2. Death Row East
              3. 40 Side
              4. EPMD 2 (feat. Eminem & EPMD)
              5. Rare
              6. YKTV (feat. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie & YG)
              7. Store Run
              8. Moments
              9. Nobody (feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill)
              10. No Phony Love (feat. Charlie Wilson)
              11. Brunch On Sundays (feat. Blxst)
              12. Count Me In
              13. Composure (feat. Hit-Boy)
              14. My Bible
              15. Nas Is Good

              Nas

              Magic

                Produced by Nas’ longtime collaborator Hit-Boy, Nas shares Magic, the transcendent 9 track album including “Wave Gods” ft. A$AP Rocky and DJ Premier. Magic follows the August 2021 release of Grammy nominated album, King’s Disease II.

                TRACK LISTING

                1. "Wu For The Children"
                2. "Speechless"
                3. "Wave Gods"
                4. "Meet Joe Black"
                5. "Ugly"
                6. "The Truth"
                7. "Dedicated"
                8. "40-16 Building"
                9. "Hollywood Gangsta"

                Nas

                Illmatic - 2022 Reissue

                  In 1994, hip-hop was going through an at-times painful growth spurt. Since NWA’s and Ice-T’s ascent in the late 80s, the rap game was no longer owned by the East Coast. After the worldwide popularity of Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ in 1992, things were looking even worse for hip-hop’s hometown. The East Coast / West Coast feud that would later indirectly claim the lives of Biggie and 2Pac was still in its infancy, but New York needed a shot in the arm. The hype behind young Queensbridge native Nasir “Nas” Jones had been in full swing months before his smash debut album ‘Illmatic’, thanks to Columbia Records’ promo machine. From his earliest appearance on Main Source’s ‘Live At The BBQ’, to his own accomplished debut ‘Half Time’ (as Nasty Nas, in late 1992), it was clear that this kid was something special. In fact, the pressure on him must have been overwhelming at times. April 19, 1994 couldn’t have come soon enough. And as soon as the first lines of ‘NY State Of Mind’ kick in, bolstered by perhaps DJ Premier’s darkest beat of all time, the entire East Coast breathed a collective sigh of relief. God’s Son had arrived. Backed by an absolute all-star cast of New York’s top-shelf producers - Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Q-Tip and a youngster named LES - the album never lets up. Serious to a fault, and lyrically dense to an extent that has possibly never been matched, the 20-year old Nas stood on the shoulders of his predecessors and proudly proclaimed, “Don’t f*** with the East… we are BACK”. ‘Illmatic’ was actually a slow-burn, which might surprise fans that have come to its genius more recently. Despite an unheard-of “5 Mics” rating in The Source – breaking an unwritten rule of never awarding classic status to debuts - it didn’t go gold until early 1996, and didn’t hit platinum status until late 2001. But when you dive deeper that shouldn’t be a shock: like Black Moon and Wu-Tang’s debuts, it was a dark, hard record, made for heads in New York, not teeny-boppers in Des Moines. There were no dance beats, no crossover love songs. Just boom-bap and rhymes, skills and heart.

                  STAFF COMMENTS

                  Martin says: This album pretty much single handedly reignited the flame of East Coast hip hop. Produced by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock AND Q Tip!! It's an authentic, masterpiece of minimal beats and street poetry that is universally recognised as one of the greatest rap albums of all time.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  40 Side North:
                  The Genesis
                  NY State Of Mind
                  Life's A Bitch
                  The World Is Yours
                  Halftime

                  41st Side South
                  Memory Lane (Sitt'in In Da Park)
                  One Love
                  One Time 4 Your Mind
                  Represent
                  It Ain't Hard To Tell

                  Nas

                  King's Disease II

                    Nas King's Disease II Album Following the Grammy Award winning album, King’s Disease, the king returns to his throne with the second coming, King’s Disease II. The star-studded project offers tacit game on life, love, and loss, uplifting through action and lived experience in a way only Nas can. This is a body of work for the fans, for the day 1’s that contributed to the legacy. Alongside the decorated production savant, Hit-Boy, Nas remains rooted in lyrical prophetism while proving that he constantly reinvents the wheel. The sequel to last year’s King’s Disease features Ms. Lauryn Hill, Eminem, EPMD, Hit-Boy, Charlie Wilson, YG and more.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    1. The Pressure
                    2. Death Row East
                    3. 40 Side
                    4. EPMD 2 (feat. Eminem & EPMD)
                    5. Rare
                    6. YKTV (feat. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie & YG)
                    7. Store Run
                    8. Moments
                    9. Nobody (feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill)
                    10. No Phony Love (feat. Charlie Wilson)
                    11. Brunch On Sundays (feat. Blxst)
                    12. Count Me In
                    13. Composure (feat. Hit-Boy)
                    14. My Bible
                    15. Nas Is Good

                    Nas

                    Illmatic - Coloured Vinyl Reissue

                      In 1994, hip-hop was going through an at-times painful growth spurt. Since NWA’s and Ice-T’s ascent in the late 80s, the rap game was no longer owned by the East Coast. After the worldwide popularity of Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ in 1992, things were looking even worse for hip-hop’s hometown. The East Coast / West Coast feud that would later indirectly claim the lives of Biggie and 2Pac was still in its infancy, but New York needed a shot in the arm. The hype behind young Queensbridge native Nasir “Nas” Jones had been in full swing months before his smash debut album ‘Illmatic’, thanks to Columbia Records’ promo machine. From his earliest appearance on Main Source’s ‘Live At The BBQ’, to his own accomplished debut ‘Half Time’ (as Nasty Nas, in late 1992), it was clear that this kid was something special. In fact, the pressure on him must have been overwhelming at times. April 19, 1994 couldn’t have come soon enough. And as soon as the first lines of ‘NY State Of Mind’ kick in, bolstered by perhaps DJ Premier’s darkest beat of all time, the entire East Coast breathed a collective sigh of relief. God’s Son had arrived.

                      Backed by an absolute all-star cast of New York’s top-shelf producers - Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Q-Tip and a youngster named LES - the album never lets up. Serious to a fault, and lyrically dense to an extent that has possibly never been matched, the 20-year old Nas stood on the shoulders of his predecessors and proudly proclaimed, “Don’t f*** with the East… we are BACK”. ‘Illmatic’ was actually a slow-burn, which might surprise fans that have come to its genius more recently. Despite an unheard-of “5 Mics” rating in The Source – breaking an unwritten rule of never awarding classic status to debuts - it didn’t go gold until early 1996, and didn’t hit platinum status until late 2001. But when you dive deeper that shouldn’t be a shock: like Black Moon and Wu-Tang’s debuts, it was a dark, hard record, made for heads in New York, not teeny-boppers in Des Moines. There were no dance beats, no crossover love songs. Just boom-bap and rhymes, skills and heart.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      The Genesis
                      NY State Of Mind
                      Life's A Bitch
                      The World Is Yours
                      Halftime
                      Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park)
                      One Love
                      One Time 4 Your Mind
                      Represent
                      It Ain't Hard To Tell

                      Nas

                      Made You Look

                        Official Mr Bongo Hip Hop Reissue. Nas has had a career of generally consistent excellence, punctuated with a few lulls.

                        He’s an incredibly skilled rapper sometimes accused of having a tin ear when it comes to choosing beats - especially on albums (and the entirety of ‘Illmatic’ aside, obviously). ‘Made You Look’ was a shot in the arm for Nas at a time when he’d shed some of his core, street fanbase. After the unfocussed ‘Nastradamus’ and ‘I Am...’ albums he’d had a return to some kind of form with ‘Stillmatic’, but many felt he came off second best in the ensuing battle with Jay-Z.

                        This single, a club and street classic almost from the moment it dropped, is exactly what he needed to reconnect with his fans and to show he could still throw down. Lyrically, it’s hardcore bragging 101, delivered with panache and numerous quotables that themselves would go on to be sampled. Key to it all, however, is that beat. Salaam Remi was no stranger to resurrections, having almost single-handedly turned The Fugees from forgettable also-rans to major-players. The beat here is deceptively simple, one of hundreds of records to chop up Incredible Bongo Band’s ‘Apache’ but doing so in a way that felt instantly fresh. Nearly 20 years later it still has the power to get a stationary crowd moving, an empty dancefloor to fill, a still head to nod.

                        This original version has never been on 7” before. It’s presented with full artwork

                        TRACK LISTING

                        Made You Look 
                        Made You Look (Instrumental Without Guns)

                        NAS

                        The World Is Yours

                          Straight out the gate, Nas dropped a classic. Since the release of the seminal ‘Illmatic’ album in 1994, critics and fans have been wondering if Nas peaked too early and if anything in his subsequent catalogue could be held up against this masterpiece.

                          To be fair, it’s hard to follow up something this flawless, a project that allied his most insightful, pitch-perfect heartfelt rhymes with the work of the best hiphop producers on the east coast.DJ Premier, Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest and Large Professor all take their turns on the album, along with the unsung L.E.S.,but it’s Pete Rock in his prime who provides the stunning backdrop for the cinematic ‘The World is Yours’.

                          It’s a perfect nugget of a single, weaving in the brashness of Scarface, the repetition of a snatch of T La Rock’s early Def Jam gem ‘It’s Yours’ and piano courtesy of Ahmad Jamal’s ‘I Love Music’ from his own timeless ‘The Awakening’ album (1970).Presented for the first time on 7”, the vocals of the album version and the instrumental on the flip provide the perfect opportunity to enjoy and compare the work of two masters at the top of their game.

                          Pete Rock’s seamless weaving of disparate samples into a compelling whole, the then little-known Nas’ statement of intent. With a maturity beyond his tender years, Nas put himself straight at the top of the pile, this Queensbridge chronicle hinting at the ambition and greatness he harboured within himself.

                          TRACK LISTING

                          The World Is Yours (Album Version)
                          The World Is Yours (Instrumental)

                          Nas

                          Stillmatic - Black Vinyl Reissue

                            Nas' 1994 debut "Illmatic" is rightly hailed as a paragon of underground hip-hop, a turning point in East Coast rap's development, and one of the all-time greatest debut albums in general. Though Nas' artistic legacy is without question, it was not always the case; if Nas had flourished during the mid-90s, he had stumbled clumsily while transitioning into the 00's. After achieving universal praise via Illmatic and commercial success with its' follow-up It Was Written, Nas' next few releases were considered inconsistent and lackluster compared to the critical one-two punch they followed. During this time period he had abandoned the socially-conscious and philosophical topics that made him a critical darling in favor of more commercially viable gangsta rap. Though he maintained a chart presence for much of the late-90s, review scores began to dwindle, and his status among the hip-hop community was thrown into question. This would change in 2001 with the release of Nas' fifth studio full-length, which made the effort to re-establish him as a legitimate artist. Eschewing the pop-friendliness he'd found success with, Nas instead opted to return to the underground style he came up in, with tracks about American politics, ghetto life, and social upheaval. Perhaps sensing this need to return to his roots, he titled the album "Stillmatic", a clear and present reference (and sequel of sorts) to Illmatic.

                            The ploy worked perfectly; Stillmatic was hailed by critics as a stunning comeback, and a brilliant return to form, earning rave reviews from rap outlets such as The Source and HipHopDX as well as from more mainstream publications as The Rolling Stone and The Village Voice. Praise was heaped upon the complexity and introspective nature of Nas' lyrical content, the top-tier production from veterans like Large Professor, DJ Premier, L.E.S., and Trackmasters, and hard-hitting guest appearances from AZ, Mary J. Blige, and Amerie. Stillmatic would see release on December 18th of 2001, right as Nas was caught in the middle of a highly publicized feud with fellow New York rapper Jay-Z. As such, the record features one of the feud's most intense apexes in the form of its second track "Ether", a ruthless Ron Browz-produced diss track. A response to Jay-Z's own diss "Takeover", "Ether" savaged the Brooklyn-native, accusing him of brown-nosing to get ahead, of plagiarizing earlier rappers such as Notorious B.I.G. and KRS-One, and dismissing his street cred. To this day "Ether" is considered one of the best and most potent diss tracks ever recorded, a major turning point in the Nas/Jay-Z feud, a standout among the already critically acclaimed Stillmatic, and is even credited with boosting Jay-Z's career by proxy. 

                            TRACK LISTING

                            A1. Stillmatic (The Intro)
                            A2. Ether
                            A3. Got Ur Self A…
                            A4. Smokin'
                            B1. You're Da Man
                            B2. Rewind
                            B3. One Mic
                            B4. 2nd Childhood
                            C1. Destroy & Rebuild
                            C2. The Flyest (feat. AZ)
                            C3. Braveheart Party (feat. Mary J. Blige & Bravehearts)
                            C4. Rule (feat. Amerie)
                            D1. My Country (feat. Millenium Thug)
                            D2. What Goes Around (feat. Keon Bryce)
                            D3. Every Ghetto (feat. Blitz)


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