Once again, it's anniversary time: April 19, 1994. 

30 years ago, the world was introduced to the dense rhymes and evocative wordplay of a twenty year old who would go on to become one of the best to ever do it: Nasir Jones, aka, Nas. 

Illmatic is quite possibly the best hip hop album of all time and at worst on that shortlist. Drugs, gangs, violence, and other subject matter common to the genre are also fixtures throughout Illmatic, but while much of hip hop has been accused of glorification, Nas paints vivid pictures throughout his narratives of people, places, situations of the life he knew in Queensbridge. For those of us who can never truly understand that reality, Illmatic feels like an authentic peek behind the curtain, granted through the eyes of the young poet.

DJ Premier and Large Professor handled most of the production, and their minimalist approach, combined with Nas' narrations, resulted in a debut that was a revelation then and has since stood the test of time. Crisp, concise, and, unlike the vast majority of hip hop albums, including many of his own, it's best appreciated just hitting play and listening from front to back. 

Nas' path has since been filled with ups and downs, both musically and due to his part in numerous controversies, but 30 years in, it's worth taking a moment (or 40 minutes) to reflect on the landmark beginning of what would become a pantheon career. And although the track wouldn't appear until his next album, Illmatic announced loud and clear: Nas is coming.