Nas' hip-hop classic still 'Illmatic'

Illmatic, released in 1994, is widely regarded as one of, if not the best hip-hop record of the '90s. \nIt was a tough act to follow. Nas' following records have never had the buzz or sense of struggle and desperation Illmatic had. Known as the Queens rapper who doesn't sell out or bling like fellow artists of the NYC, Nas is the personification of street cred. And this title can be mostly attributed to his debut. \nThe 10th Anniversary Edition comes with two discs. The first disc is a digitally remastered version of the original. The second disc is an EP of sorts, containing four remixes ("Life's a Bitch," "One Love," "The World is Yours" and "It Ain't Hard to Tell") of Illmatic's choicest cuts. But the truth about Illmatic is there is no standout single, just 10 songs of the realest in hip-hop. \nIf you have the original Illmatic, and it's not scratched from overplaying it, you wouldn't be missing out on much by not picking up the Anniversary Edition. Of the six songs on the second disk, only two are newly written songs, and only one of them, "On the Real" would fit in with the original disc. But anyone with the slightest interest in hip-hop owes it to themselves to own this record, either the original or the 10th Anniversary Edition.