Hip-hop is known for its beefs, but one thing every rapper agrees upon is that Illmatic is a defining moment for the genre. In Time is Illmatic, the Nas documentary that screened at this year's International Film Festival, Alicia Keys describes Illmatic as "one of the best albums of all time", while Pharrell calls it, "One of those transformative moments in hip-hop".
Nas has said he set out to make "the perfect album", and told the Hollywood Reporter he enjoys its legendary status much more now than when it was first released.
"I think when it originally came out, I was so out of it -- like, gone, in this party state - that I didn't get a chance to enjoy much of it. Now, I enjoy it a lot more."
Featuring production from DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock and Q-Tip, Illmatic tells New York stories from a street level, and has so many highlights, from Life's a Bitch, to Time is Yours, NY State of Mind and Halftime, that it's hard to fault it.
It's so good, Nas hasn't been able to top it, despite releasing nine studio albums since. Tickets for Nas' shows go on sale on October 16 through eventticketing.co.nz and dashtickets.co.nz.
Billy Idol.
Meanwhile Billy Idol, Cheap Trick and The Angels are heading here for a three-show tour, in Auckland at Vector Arena on Wednesday, April 1, in Wellington at TSB Bank Arena on Thursday, April 2, and at Horncastle Arena in Christchurch on Saturday April 4.
Idol, whose new album, Kings & Queens Of The Underground, is out tomorrow, hasn't been here since 1987, when he performed the first ever gig at the (now dearly departed) Mount Smart Supertop. It was a cold and damp August night outside, but Idol kept the moshpit hot and sweaty, and you can bet he'll do the same when he returns. He may be nearly 30 years older, but if his recent autobiography, Dancing With Myself, is anything to go by, he's just as much fun now, still sneering and as rebellious as ever.
The same could be said of Cheap Trick, who last performed here in another retro line-up with Def Leppard in 2008. Days before their first performance in New Zealand in 1979, the Auckland Town Hall management threatened that they would quite literally pull the plug on the show should any of the audience get out of their seats. But the band called their bluff and two songs in they had the whole hall heaving.
And this will be the first time legendary Australian rockers The Angels have returned to New Zealand soil since their lead singer Doc Neeson passed away earlier this year. Singing tracks like Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again, and We Gotta Get Out Of This Place isn't an easy task, but it seems Dave Gleeson of Screaming Jets is up to the task.
The Frontier Touring pre-sale starts at 2pm on Monday, and general tickets are on-sale from midday on Thursday, October 23.
- TimeOut
