25 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time
4. Nas - Illmatic
At only ten tracks, Illmatic is often cited as one of the greatest (if not the greatest outright) rap album of all time, and for good reason. Nas crafted his debut record out of the pain from his life and his love for music.
On the one hand, Nas is a spotless rhymer. His flow is fairly seen as one of the best in rap, using internal rhyme schemes and striking metaphors to conjure up stories about race, poverty, loss and societal frustrations.
Styled as hardcore rap, Illmatic was met with universal acclaim. Nas was unlike anything in the game, thanks in equal parts to his genius lyricism and candid storytelling. The record is at once bleak and hopeful, but no matter what the topic of discussion is, Nas's superior rap skills are always up for the challenge, and the results here are to die for.