At the age of nineteen, Nasir "Nas" Jones began recording tracks for his
debut album -- and changed the music world forever. Released in 1994,
Illmatic was hailed as an instant masterpiece and has proven one of
the most influential albums in hip-hop history. With its close attention
to beats and lyricism, and riveting first-person explorations of the
isolation and desolation of urban poverty, Illmatic was pivotal in the
evolution of the genre.
In Born to Use Mics, Michael Eric Dyson and Sohail Daulatzai have
brought together the best and brightest writers of the hip hop
generation to confront Illmatic song by song, with each scholar
assessing an individual track from the album. The result is a brilliant
engagement with and commentary upon one of the most incisive sets of
songs ever laid down on wax.
Featuring:
Adilifu Nama - Guthrie P. Ramsey Jr. - James Braxton Peterson - Marc
Lamont Hill - Mark Anthony Neal - Kyra D. Gaunt - Eddie S. Glaude Jr. -
Imani Perry - Jon Shecter - Matt Life - Bobbito the Barber - Greg Tate -
Dream Hampton - Adam Mansbach - Kevin Coval - Jon Caramanica - Charlie
Ahearn - Suheir Hammad