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And Finally Artist News
Nas “tired of celebrating” Illmatic
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 24 October 2019
Nas’s 1994 debut album ‘Illmatic’ is an undeniable classic. One that continues to find new audiences and influence new artists to this day. But Nas himself is tired of celebrating it now. Please let him stop.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the album’s release and, after already supporting tenth and 20th anniversary re-issues of the album, the next milestone caught him by surprise.
“I’m tired of celebrating it”, he tells Haute Living. “I’m grateful, but it has started to take on a life of its own. I just did the 20th anniversary with the National Symphony Orchestra five years ago and, the next thing you know, five years go by and it’s a calendar that I didn’t ask for showing me how fast time moves”.
He did nevertheless join in with the latest round of anniversary marking, he admits, but when the album turns 30 he’d rather not.
Nas goes on: “25 years is a lifetime, so I did another Symphony Orchestra show for ‘Illmatic’ this year. I got another plaque for it. I’m very grateful – it’s so crazy – but to celebrate one album when I’ve made over ten … is corny to me. I don’t want to celebrate another ‘Illmatic’ anything. I’m done. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for appreciating that record, but it’s over”.
I suspect we will still be seeing label-led celebrations for the 30th, 40th and 50th anniversaries of the album and beyond. But Nas himself may well be sitting them out.
