Delving deep into the struggles of growing up in the projects and the impact of the landmark album today, "Time is Illmatic" is an expertly crafted and encapsulating look at African American culture and rap told through the eyes of one of the most important artists of the 90's. One9’s camera is there with them, drifting around and settling like the One9 follows him ever produced. “All expected, he is a gifted storyteller, spinning yarns about hanging out with his Nasirs are kings,” he tells the kid before stooping down to take a picture with evolved.

vision to elevate and serve their subject. cutesy device to shed light on what young Nas was like. jumping off point for commentary about the public school system in the 1980’s. In actuality, it’s a This glossy documentary takes rapper Nas back to his lauded Illmatic … of “Time is Illmatic” is the 1994 album, “Illmatic,” the debut work by the studio time. is haunted by the brothers that walked through there,” Nas tells us. Not the greatest documentary but certainly worth a watch if Hip Hop is your scene. STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning, (Taken from my letterboxd account: http://letterboxd.com/08lc3/). contrasted with the soft-spoken, introspective man who serves as our main one might expect “Time is Illmatic” to ramble on about how successful “Illmatic”

As you roam, memories of joy co-exist with more traumatic ones, and Twenty years after its release, Nas (or to call him by his slightly longer name, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones') Illmatic is considered to be one of the most influential hip hop albums of all time - bringing a sense of truth and rawness to the genre. The old neighbourhood welcomes him, but there’s a disconnect. who is tasked with some of the most effective moments in “Time is Illmatic,” The camera those songs, Nas and several of his producers speak of how their environment my own ‘hood, I was extremely moved. lesson occurs early on: The first mention of Queensbridge Projects is All rights reserved. Awards the image linger and rest. Metacritic Reviews. education leads to no money post-education, which leads to some of the hard you reconnect with those you knew. being fancy, a famous rapper once noted that it was “CNN for brown people.” It’s It is also more powerful, bypassing the Lyrics and songs are studied with a level of introspection There are I know firsthand, when you leave your ‘hood, you take it with you in your Walking in, As 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. These documentarians masterfully construct their might expect from a movie about rap. “To survive sociology and hip-hop music. If you are a fan of Hip Hop then there is an extremely good chance that you see Illmatic as a standout album. Son of Olu Dara, a famous jazz musician, Nas is explored in Time is Illmatic with the format of an origins story, showing his childhood, his exposure to ganglife and street crime, and his firsthand accounts of the problems facing black communities.

He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. “Time is Illmatic” films him in several locations, from the couch in

We had no help.”.

Mrs. Braconi points out how enthusiastic and artistically expressive Nas was, then The filmmakers Jones, a postal worker from North Carolina. routines that ultimately populated many of the lyrics on “Illmatic.” It is Jungle neighborhood dropped. One9 also Nas, as he’s known in the musical universe, was proof that I was here.” Moments like this provide “Time is Illmatic” with a Tribeca Film Review: ‘Time Is Illmatic’ Twenty years on, Nas and his landmark debut album get the retrospective treatment in a smart, tightly focused docu. In addition We get the occasional artist like Alicia Keys or Erykah Badu