With the release of "Illmatic" Nas quickly established himself as a hip-hop icon and had blossomed into one of the hottest artists on the music scene. The legendary album was hailed by critics as one of the most exemplary hip-hop recordings of all time. "Illmatic" also went a long way towards reviving the New York City rap scene and is now one of the most critically acclaimed and influential albums in history. 

Nas comes from the Queensbridge neighbourhood of Long Island City, a rap artist stronghold since the 1980s, and has sold over 20 million albums worldwide, an ambassador for hip-hop culture around the world.