Yesterday was the 24th anniversary of the release of Nas' debut album Illmatic, which has gone down as one of the best hip-hop albums of all-time. Illmatic is often viewed as the turning point for East Coast hip-hop taking off, with Nas enjoying an impressive career in the years following. One of J. Cole's biggest songs ended up being the one where he name-drops Nas, with Born Sinner acting as the point where many began to realize Cole's star potential. As one of the leaders in today's rap game, J. Cole was astonished to have "Let Nas Down" early in his career, but he looks to have redeemed himself with his latest album.
Released today, K.O.D. has been receiving rave reviews from HNHH users, with most of you praising it already as one of the better albums of the year. Somebody that seems overjoyed with the outcome of K.O.D. is Nas himself who took to Instagram to repost the album's impeccable cover art. Simply writing the album title and a fist emoji as his caption, the repost itself is telling and we're sure Cole is smiling somewhere as he celebrates the album's release. With Nas on his side, Cole has to feel relieved that he didn't let down his idol through his efforts on K.O.D.
If you haven't listened to the project yet, check it out here and tell us if you think it lives up to the hype in the comments. While you're at it, make sure to listen to the live version of Illmatic, released today.