As you may have heard, Nas' Illmatic turned 20 today, and NahRight and UpNorthTrips have celebrated by releasing a tribute tape. The #Illmatic20 Tribute Mixtape features contributions from NYC rappers like Smoke DZA, Troy Ave, Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire, Bodega Bamz, Al-Doe, Euro League, Doley Bernays, YC The Cynic and many more.
Apart from a Nas interlude and three remixes at the end of the tape, it follows the basic structure of Illmatic, with beats remaining intact while the MCs spit new verses over them. It's a dope and imaginative way to pay respect to the now-legendary album, and it makes us wish more classics would get similar tribute treatments.
Whose version of an Illmatic classic is the best? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
Also, be sure to check out our "Classic Rotation" feature on Illmatic that went up today.