The debut album from Nas is one of the most hyper-analyzed and hyper-canonized albums in the annals of rap music. Hip-Hop has endlessly praised, dissected and exalted the merits of Illmatic, the accomplished first album from a young Queensbridge rapper who would become one of the most revered emcees of all time. The glory of Illmatic lies in the perspective of an 18-year old Nasir Jones, peering across his housing project environs, examining and reporting on the world around him. There had been street raps before Nas dropped Illmatic, but the sharpness of the youngster's perspective; the clarity in the way he depicted his world, it was staggering.

"Back then there was a killing of a guy named [Jose “Kiko”] Garcia in Washington Heights by the police that I mention in my lyrics," Nas recalled in 2014. "I talk about the Supreme Team, a drug gang in Queens, and their leader named Supreme, who is now locked up. I talk about Ron G who was a Harlem mixtape DJ who was really popular at the time. It was kind of the first time you’d hear street conversation by someone who knew these guys personally at the time."

Illmatic was the result of almost four years of hard work and good fortune for the young Nas. He would make a name for himself after getting to know a young producer named Large Professor, who was also from Queens. Another well-known figure in getting things moving for Nas was MC Serch of 3rd Bass, who would feature Nas on his 1992 single "Back To the Grill" and who eventually signed the rapper to a publishing deal.

"I was thinking about working with one of G Rap's artists named Whiteboy. G and I had been talking for a little while, and he was like, 'Yo, there's this young spitter at my house, yadda yadda yadda, this kid Nas.' So I met Nas at that point, briefly, we hung out."

But they wouldn't reconnect for over a year, but after they linked again after Nas came to the studio during the recording session for the song, Serch realized he wanted Nas to appear on "...Grill..."

"When everybody decided to split, Nas stayed behind and broke bread with me, and I told him, 'Do you want to jump on this record?' And that's how we kind of broke bread. He wound up coming back the next day and laying his verse."

The gritty realism of Illmatic is delivered through the young rapper's poetic wordplay; a disciple of forbears such as Kool G Rap and Rakim, sounding born of both but emulating neither. And the sonic backdrop for the lyricism is provided by a cadre of now-legendary producers; one of the first major rap albums to feature an all-star lineup of craftsmen. Prior to Illmatic, it was standard for an album to be helmed by a singular producer or production team. But for his first album, Nas found a who's-who of beatmakers.

Large Professor produced Illmatic standouts like "It Ain't Hard To Tell" and "Halftime." Large Pro was working on Eric B. & Rakim's Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em when he met this teenager named Nas. "I was coming from school, and we had mutual friends," Large Professor explained in 2014. "Two dudes; Joe Fatal and MelQuan, and so they kind of enlisted me to do his demo…to do the beat for his demo."

During the ...Rhythm Hit 'Em sessions, Large Professor would squeeze in time for him and Nas. The demos from those sessions would yield a real chemistry from the pair, and Nas would wind up famously guest-starring on "Live At the BBQ," a standout track from Large Professor's group Main Source. And soon, Large Pro and Nas finally got an official track down together.

"That was Nas’ first studio session for himself," Large Professor shared regarding the recording of 1992's "Halftime." "That was his first session for himself, and he had been recording demos for Eric B. & Rakim and things like that. There was always a feeling of, 'We gotta get a certain amount done in a certain time frame.'"

That session was a byproduct of Faith Newman and MC Serch finally landing Nas a deal with Columbia. "Halftime" would be featured on the soundtrack for the 1992 teen drama Zebrahead. Newman had been blown away ever since she'd heard Nas on "...BBQ" in 1991. "I know for a fact that we were right near Astor Place somewhere because I remember it clearly because that's when I heard Nas' — Nasty Nas' — verse," she would tell NPR 20 years later. "Oh my god, I can even remember it was like this really grey day. I have these moments...kind of seared in my memory..."

Once Nas was on Columbia, his debut album came into focus. Part of the mythology of Illmatic is how some of the best producers in the business were eager to work with this hungry rapper out of Queens. Large Professor, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, and Q-Tip all contributed to what would become one of Hip-Hop's most revered albums. The context of the times has been well-absorbed by Hip-Hop fans: the West Coast G-Funk sound was beginning to dominate, and while East Coast albums by artists like Black Moon and Redman had New York City abuzz, this kid Nas was being heralded like the chosen one. Nas was branded with the "next Rakim" tag, and the hype was on.

Serch would serve as A&R for the album, which featured inspired tracks from Large Professor. "It Ain't Hard To Tell" flips Michael Jackson's "Human Nature," as Nas remakes the effervescent 80s classic into a street anthem.

Pete Rock contributed "The World Is Yours" a standout single that became one of Illmatic's most enduring songs. The stark black-and-white video helped announce Nas to a more mainstream audience, and Rock helped channel a more mature Nas. The young rapper had been known for lyricism but also shock raps about snuffing Jesus and waving automatic guns at nuns. "The World Is Yours" was something else.

“It’s endured as it captures the feel of New York City so perfectly,” Pete Rock told OkayPlayer. “It is about the world being your oyster. I know the phrase of ‘the world is yours’ comes fromScarface, but Nas’ message was about showing Black America how to make the best choices so people can live a long life and have longevity. That kind of message doesn’t get old.” 

Q-Tip produced "One Love," a song that has become one of Nas' most celebrated story raps. The A Tribe Called Quest frontman had met Nas through Large Professor. “He was like, ‘Yo, I didn’t really wanna take [Nas] around to too many niggas, but he gotta come sit with you.’ I was like all day," Q-Tip told Drink Champs in 2016. "We was still livin’ in the hood, my nigga. We was still around the way. [Consequence] used to come with me. The first time he probably came to the studio, in a session was ‘One Love.'”

Along with cementing his association with Large Professor, Illmatic also perfectly illustrates the musical synergy that Nas would have with DJ Premier. Over the years, the pair would collaborate on classic tracks like "Nas Is Like" and "I Gave You Power," Nasir and Preemo first linked on Illmatic tracks. Songs like "Represent" and the anthemic "N.Y. State Of Mind" showcase just how potent their work together could be: the first tracks in what would be a fruitful partnership for decades. One of the rapper's earliest appearances is a simple voice message as part of an interlude on Gang Starr's Hard To Earn, released just weeks before Illmatic. Preemo is on the shortlist of producers, alongside such names as Large Pro and Hit-Boy, who always bring out the best in Nas.

When talking to Apple Music about his knack for sequencing, Preemo made it plain that he even sequenced the album himself.

“I’m all about sequencing,” Preemo said. “I’ve sequenced every Gang Starr [album], every Jeru [the Damaja album]… I sequenced Illmatic for Nas. He wanted to use the same mastering that I was using, so he was like, ‘Yo, sequence it for me.’ So, I sequenced Illmatic.”

"Like, the beats were cool. They were good backdrops, but just the lyrics and the experience that he was putting down over those beats just it is why that album is heralded the way it is today."

When speaking to Red Bull Academy on the occasion of the album's anniversary, Nas didn't feign humility about his debut and made it clear that he saw his purpose early on.

But Nas has also made it clear that he doesn't want one album to dominate so much of his legacy. That's perfectly valid: Nasir Jones is one of the most accomplished artists in the history of Hip-Hop and his decades-spanning career has highlights beyond his classic debut.

“I did another Symphony Orchestra show for Illmatic this year; I got another plaque for it,” Nas, clearly exasperated, told Haute Living in 2019. “I’m very grateful—it’s so crazy—but to celebrate one album when I’ve made over 10, all the things I’ve worked on—and I’ve been working for so long—to celebrate one album over all else is corny to me. I don’t want to celebrate another Illmatic anything. I’m done."