Soundcheck (Nas - illmatic album)

nas - illmatc (1994)

By the time I listened to the album I was already 6-7 years late to the party. This album put other MC's on notice that a lyrical juggernaut was coming out of Queensbridge, NYC. Tracks like The world is yours, halftime, one love, and memory lane cemented this album as one of Hip Hop's greatest ever. When I think about some of my favorite MCs Nas is somewhere in my top 3 (Rakim and Big L are the other 2), because he brought a certain type of finesse to 90s rap. As Hip Hop evolves and changes I compare new rappers and their work to how "illmatic" makes me feel, it's my own personal standard because if it doesn't make my head bob or put the album on heavy rotation then I can't rock with it. 

"The smooth criminal on beat breaks
Never put me in your box if your shit eats tapes"

-RAWfiki