Time Is Illmatic

The story behind the most pivotal album in the history of hip-hop: Nas' Illmatic. Two decades on, Illmatic remains the benchmark of street philosophising. Malice of Clipse called it "flawless". DJ Semtex called it "perfection". Lupe Fiasco said, "It changed my life forever." It crowns Talib Kweli's best album list. Kendrick Lamar agrees: "Illmatic will always be #1". It cemented Nas' unassailable skills. It was his debut. He was 17.