Elmatic is better than Illmatic

"I can see how Linker or any of the younger generation could think this is better than Illmatic"

lol. It's funny because Linker and SRP are the same age as you

The soul on Illmatic is in Nas's wordplay, imagination and story telling.

Downloaded this joint, it's not fuckin with Illmatic AT ALL

In fact, I don't even think it's better than the Preface. I'd say this is a 4-4.25 star album. Good, but nowhere near an all time great.

And anybody who can't get down with the incredible wordplay, lyricism, and dopeness of Illmatic is extremely closed minded and is a Nas hater.

Saying that you're a Nas fan and saying that you don't like Illmatic is like saying you're a Wu-Tang fan and saying you don't like 36 Chambers. It doesn't add up. Jussayin.

TicNitty706 wrote:

The soul on Illmatic is in Nas's wordplay, imagination and story telling.

EXACTLY, Seemingly Retarded People can't see that though.

KJ Styles wrote:

TicNitty706 wrote:

The soul on Illmatic is in Nas's wordplay, imagination and story telling.

EXACTLY, Seemingly Retarded People can't see that though.

That's not soul....lol...if only I could get KJ a brain, but I'm not visiting Oz anytime soon...

I do like this but I don't think it is better than Illmatic...or The Preface for that matter. Really good mixtape that will probably fall on my end of year list though.

"And anybody who can't get down with the incredible wordplay, lyricism, and dopeness of Illmatic is extremely closed minded and is a Nas hater."

lol. And anyone who doesn't think Royce is the best rapper out right now is extremely closed minded and a hip hop hater

A little late to the party but I finally got around to listening to it. First impression was very favorable.

I don't hold Illmatic nearly as high as the next person though it does make my top 25 or so. One Time For Your Mind is a skip track and I do not enjoy the rendition of One Love (I prefer the MF Doom remake). Everything else on that album is just about flawless.

Now as for this album I'm struggling to find any flaws. No doubt its a fresh take on an iconic album and anything less than an otherworldly effort would have been a slap in the face. I really enjoyed the soundscapes created in each song as Elzhi put a nice spin on each. This is my first exposure to Elzhi so I really wasn't sure what to expect so you can throw the fanboy argument right out the door. Overall I did enjoy this more than Illmatic.

This album has quite a bit of soul on a few songs I reckon. I know there was a thread on the definition of soul but here's my quick take...soul evokes feelings akin to an out of body experience or a spiritual experience. Its hard to really delve deeper into that without posting examples but I don't want to derail this thread. I was certainly moved but the boogie-down parts of several songs whether it be from the swoony sound of a muted trumpet or the lush chords of a keyboard.

I just stumbled upon another really dope mixtape and I'll do a review of that in the near future.

I just listened this yesterday and Illmatic too after this.

It's very good but Illmatic is better.

That intro to Represent is niiiice.

The Preface was okay IMO. I haven't played it since about the time it dropped. I'll check this out though...

My thoughts? Not nearly as good as Illmatic.

Two words: Breath Control. That's the first big difference that is readily apparent. That and Nas is also a much smoother, more natural sounding rapper....especially on Illmatic. The album in which he was in his rhyming prime.

The originality of the beats, as well as studio production with better sound very much helps Illmatic IMO. The live production on Elmatic is cool. But not "better". This is a "cover album", and I would also consider it a "mixtape" for the nature of the material that I've heard on mixtapes over the years. I do not consider this a Elzhi solo or studio album...which would consist of original material in every way.

All that said, this is actually the most I've enjoyed Elzhi's rapping. I'd be more interested in original material though. This is a good release nonetheless.