Nas has announced that his seminal debut album, Illmatic, will be rereleased as a special 20th Anniversary Edition, titled Illmatic XX, on April 15th by SONY Legacy. This exclusive collection will feature several rare remixes, unreleased demos and freestyles to commemorate the anniversary.
The iconic rapper has also announced that he will be touring the U.S. and performing the groundbreaking Illmatic from front to back to celebrate the release. The tour will kick off with special performances this spring at both the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as well as this year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, where the album will be played in its entirety. Further details surrounding the tour will be released in the coming weeks.
Tracklisting:
Disc 1: Remastered original album
1. The Genesis
2. N.Y. State Of Mind
3. Life’s A Bitch
4. The World Is Yours
5. Halftime
6. Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park)
7. One Love
8. One Time 4 Your Mind
9. Represent
10. It Ain’t Hard To Tell
Disc 2: Demos, Remixes & Live Radio
1. I’m A Villain (previously unreleased)
2. The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR October 28, 1993 (previously unreleased freestyle)
3. Halftime (Butcher Remix)
4. It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Remix)(promo single)
5. One Love (LG Main Mix)
6. Life’s A Bitch (Arsenal Mix)(promo single)
7. One Love (One L Main Mix)
8. The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)
9. It Ain’t Hard To Tell (The Stink Mix)(UK single)
10. It Ain’t Hard To Tell (The Laidback Remix)(UK single)
In conjunction with the release, Time Is Illmatic, a feature-length documentary film that examines the album, will be released in 2014. The movie, from first-time filmmakers One9 (director/producer) and Erik Parker (writer/producer), delves into the making of Illmatic; the social conditions that created it; and the music legacy passed down from Nas’ Mississippi-born father and celebrated jazz musician, Olu Dara. Time Is Illmatic is supported by The Ford Foundations’ Just Films and Tribeca All Access. More information will be released on the film in the coming months.
