Illmatic is the debut album by rapper Nas, released on April 19 1994 through Columbia Records, and featuring production from Large Professor (of Main Source), Pete Rock (of Pete Rock & CL Smooth), Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) and DJ Premier (of Gang Starr), as well as a guest appearance from AZ.
Publications ranging from the The Source to the NME have since recognized it as one of the quintessential hip hop recordings of the 1990s. The album holds the distinction of being one of the few hip hop albums to be included in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
On December 11 2001, Illmatic was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and as of that month was selling 3,000 copies a week in the U.S. A remastered commemorative edition of Illmatic was issued by Columbia for the album's tenth anniversary in 2004, with a bonus disc of four remixes and two previously unreleased tracks.
