Nas - Illmatic LP xx1979 continuing his lifelong exploration of

continuing his lifelong exploration of the possibilities of recombination and musical gene-splicing

like some kind of leper in the musical wilderness

Pharaoh Sanders

this time with the help of Raül Refree (perhaps best known outside of Europe for his work producing the last few Lee Ranaldo albums)

ASYLUM is back with an 11-song full-length that highlights all the reasons you love crust

Nas - Illmatic LP xx1979 continuing his lifelong exploration ofNas burst right out of the box with a classic: his 1994 Columbia debut, which teamed him with Q Tip, DJ Premier, Large Professor and Pete Rock. The absolutely killer beats they contributed back Nas's swaggering, street tough rhymes; this album was the epicenter of NYC rap in '94 and it sounds every bit as raw and powerful today: "N. Y. State of Mind," "Halftime," "It Ain't Hard to Tell," "Represent," "One Time 4 Your Mind," "One Love," "Life's a