Nas ‘Illmatic’ 25th Anniversary Mixtape

Mixcloud chart positions: Funk chart: #1 / Soul chart: #1 / Jazz chart: #1 / Hip Hop chart: #3

Blurb from WhoSampled:

“April 19th 1994 saw the release of one of what would go on to be recognised as one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time, Nas’s seminal debut, ‘Illmatic’. Following much talked about appearances on Main Source’s ‘Live at the Barbecue’, MC Serch’s ‘Back to the Grill’, and the release of the now classic soundtrack cut ‘Halftime’, Illmatic delivered on the hype with a compact 10 track offering helmed by the cream of Mid 90s Hip Hop production talent: DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip and L.E.S.. Pairing crisp head nod drums with an eclectic palate of Jazz, Funk and Soul samples, the all star line up of producers prepared a musical backdrop over which Nas delivers a no holds barred guided tour of life growing up in New York’s Queensbridge projects. Sampled cuts range from the timeless Jazz of Ahmad Jamal and Jazz Funk of Donald Byrd to the Pop of Michael Jackson via well sampled staples by the likes of Kool & the Gang.

In celebration of the album’s 25th year, we’ve partnered once again with Wax Poetics Magazine to present an exclusive mix of album cuts, remixes, interview snippets and of course tracks sampled in the album’s making mixed by Chris Read.”

Tracklist:

1. Introduction to the movie Wild Style (sampled in ‘Genesis’)
2. Chris Read – Theme #3 (Scratchapella)
3. Jimmy Gordon & His Jazzpops Band – Walter L (sampled in ‘One Time 4 Your Mind’)
4. Nas – One Time 4 Your Mind
5. Donald Byrd – Flight Time (sampled in ‘NY State of Mind’)
6. Joe Chambers – Mind Rain (sampled in ‘NY State of Mind’)
7. DJ Premier ‘Off the Record’ Interview
8. Kool & The Gang – N.T [Loop] (sampled in ‘NY State of Mind’)
9. Nas – NY State of Mind
10. Eric B & Rakim – Mahogany [Extract] (sampled in ‘NY State of Mind’)
11. Ahmad Jamal Trio – I Love Music (sampled in ‘The World is Yours’)
12. T La Rock and Jazzy Jay – It’s Yours [Extract] (sampled in ‘The World is Yours’)
13. Nas – The World is Yours
14. Nas – The World is Yours (Tip Mix)
15. Kool & The Gang – N.T (sampled in ‘The World is Yours (Tip Mix)’)
16. Reuben Wilson – We’re in Love (sampled in ‘Memory Lane (Sittin’ In The Park))
17. Biz Markie – Pickin’ Boogers [Extract] (sampled in ‘Memory Lane (Sittin’ In The Park))
18. Marley Marl feat Craig G – Droppin’ Science [Extract] (sampled in ‘Memory Lane (Sittin’ In The Park))
19. Nas – Memory Lane (Sittin’ In The Park)
20. Clyde McPhetter – Mixed up Cup [Loop] (sampled in ‘One Love (One L Remix)‘)
21. The Gap Band – Yearning for Your Love (sampled in ‘Life’s a Bitch’)
22. Nas feat AZ & Olu Dara – Life’s a Bitch
23. Stanley Clarke – Slow Dance (sampled in ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell’)
24. Michael Jackson – Human Nature (sampled in ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell’)
25. Mountain – Long Red [Extract] (sampled in ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell’)
26. Extract from movie Time is Illmatic
27. Nas – It Ain’t Hard to Tell
28. Kool & The Gang – N.T [Extract] (sampled in ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell’)
29. The Bue Jays – What Do You Want From Me Woman? (sampled in ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell (Remix)’)
30 . Biz Markie feat TJ Swan – Nobody Beats the Biz [Extract] (sampled in ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell (Remix)’)
31. Nas – It Ain’t Hard to Tell (Remix)
32. Heath Bros – Smilin Billie Suite Pt II (sampled in ‘One Love’)
33. Nas feat Q-Tip – One Love
34. Nas feat Sadat X – One Love (One L Remix)
35. Nas feat Q-Tip – One Love (LG Remix)
36. Lee Erwin – Theif of Bagdad (sampled in ‘Represent’)
37. Nas – Represent
38. Japanese Hair Cast – Dead End (sampled in ‘Halftime’)
39. Average White Band – School Boy Crush [Loop] (sampled in ‘Halftime’)
40. Gary Byrd – Soul Travelin’ Pt. 1 [Extract] (sampled in ‘Halftime’)
41. Nas – Halftime