--- product_id: 1757783 title: "Illmatic" price: "£40.07" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/1757783-illmatic store_origin: GB region: Great Britain --- # Illmatic **Price:** £40.07 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Illmatic - **How much does it cost?** £40.07 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/1757783-illmatic) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Import - Nas 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 Bitch" and more. Import vinyl pressing! Columbia Europe. Review: Great CD - this kid has a bright future ahead of him! - Great car music Review: Arguably The Best Solo Rap Album of All Time - If I had to pick the best solo rap album of all time, this would be my pick. Each song is like a work of art; I can listen to it over and over again and I keep finding new layers of meaning. It's packed with references to earlier music, jokes, and literary devices. But what does it to me are the gut-wrenching narratives that Nas lays out. My favorite song is the second track, N.Y. State of Mind. I find this album intensely moving emotionally. It's just beautiful. I love the musical elements too. Nas comes on the scene with what was at the time a new rap style...unpredictable, dancing around the beat, often coming in early. It reminds me a little of how Thelonious Monk plays piano. I love the dry, simple musical structure of the songs, centering around drums, a bassline, and a piano loop. These minimal elements are utilized to excellent dramatic effect...seamlessly integrated with the rhyming and storytelling, like the moment when Nas wakes up from his dreams of being a gangsta and the piano loop comes back in just when he says "But just a n***a, walking with his finger on the trigger", It's like the song is slapping me awake when I listen to it but I just want to keep listening to it over and over again. I find something really deep and powerful in this music...you can hear Nas discovering his own talent and self-worth, moving from hopelessness and despair at the social conditions he was living in, to a sense of empowerment, transcending it and packging his wisdom and experiences into an art form to broadcast to others. This work I think was revolutionary, a lot like 36 Chambers by Wu-Tang. But this was executed by a single rapper...an impressive feat. My only complaint is that Nas never seemed to achieve this same level...I still see this as his pinnacle work. I wonder how his career would have been different had he stepped down like Lauryn Hill did after dropping this album. I'm not sure much would have been lost, as there is little in Nas' later work that seems to achieve this same level. This is not only one of my favorite albums, I think it is one of my favorite human creations. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B00004WX4X | | Best Sellers Rank | #6,673 in CDs & Vinyl ( See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl ) #42 in East Coast Rap #58 in Gangsta & Hardcore Rap & Hip-Hop #132 in Pop Rap (CDs & Vinyl) | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (4,815) | | Date First Available | January 14, 2008 | | Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No | | Label | Columbia Europe | | Language | English | | Manufacturer | Columbia Europe | | Number of discs | 1 | | Original Release Date | 1994 | | Product Dimensions | 0.17 x 12.41 x 12.22 inches; 8 ounces | ## Images ![Illmatic - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1Uv+OPV22S.jpg) ![Illmatic - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1v1q41COvS.jpg) ![Illmatic - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91ZsnzoVh2S.jpg) ![Illmatic - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81ElS-Tf30S.jpg) ![Illmatic - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81-XH6eTnsL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great CD - this kid has a bright future ahead of him! *by S***Y on April 8, 2026* Great car music ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Arguably The Best Solo Rap Album of All Time *by A***H on September 12, 2018* If I had to pick the best solo rap album of all time, this would be my pick. Each song is like a work of art; I can listen to it over and over again and I keep finding new layers of meaning. It's packed with references to earlier music, jokes, and literary devices. But what does it to me are the gut-wrenching narratives that Nas lays out. My favorite song is the second track, N.Y. State of Mind. I find this album intensely moving emotionally. It's just beautiful. I love the musical elements too. Nas comes on the scene with what was at the time a new rap style...unpredictable, dancing around the beat, often coming in early. It reminds me a little of how Thelonious Monk plays piano. I love the dry, simple musical structure of the songs, centering around drums, a bassline, and a piano loop. These minimal elements are utilized to excellent dramatic effect...seamlessly integrated with the rhyming and storytelling, like the moment when Nas wakes up from his dreams of being a gangsta and the piano loop comes back in just when he says "But just a n***a, walking with his finger on the trigger", It's like the song is slapping me awake when I listen to it but I just want to keep listening to it over and over again. I find something really deep and powerful in this music...you can hear Nas discovering his own talent and self-worth, moving from hopelessness and despair at the social conditions he was living in, to a sense of empowerment, transcending it and packging his wisdom and experiences into an art form to broadcast to others. This work I think was revolutionary, a lot like 36 Chambers by Wu-Tang. But this was executed by a single rapper...an impressive feat. My only complaint is that Nas never seemed to achieve this same level...I still see this as his pinnacle work. I wonder how his career would have been different had he stepped down like Lauryn Hill did after dropping this album. I'm not sure much would have been lost, as there is little in Nas' later work that seems to achieve this same level. This is not only one of my favorite albums, I think it is one of my favorite human creations. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Nice cd *by C***A on February 15, 2026* All of his music is great but this is his best cd. ## Frequently Bought Together - Illmatic - Enter The Wu-Tang - Ready to Die --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/1757783-illmatic](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/1757783-illmatic) --- *Product available on Desertcart Great Britain* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-04-28*