Erik Parker

74 mins.
Documentary, Music
October 3, 2014

Not Rated

In “Nas: Time is Illmatic,” the time referenced by the title is the past. Overall, this documentary is about how the past reflects on the present. I can never get enough of that theme.

In a lot of ways, this film is a great companion to “Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest,” which is Michael Rapaport’s documentary that tells the story of A Tribe Called Quest, as its title suggests. The approach isn’t exactly the same, though, mostly due to the group dynamics that’s at the heart of Tribe’s documentary but not at the heart of this one; but the themes are the same.

Music always makes a good subject for a documentary, because its sounds evoke emotion and memory. Once the music started playing in this film, I was immediately transported back to my childhood. In addition, music opens the door to a discussion about society as a whole, during any part of history. In this film, the history is that of both Queensbridge and Hip-Hop through the prism of Nas’ first and best album, “Illmatic.”

This documentary’s style is typical of many other modern documentaries: There’s a blend of digital footage and interviews, photos, and videos that are edited together to create a picture of this particular slice of the past and of the present.

“Nas: Time is Illmatic” opens with a setup of its major theme: how “Illmatic” was shaped by Nas’ environment and the subsequent effect that it had on its environment. That opening’s great. The theme seems important, from the beginning. That’s appropriate. After all, this film isn’t just about music; again, it’s also about the environment that produced that music. That environment includes Nas’ home life and family life, along with his childhood neighborhood. His brother’s story is devastating.

This documentary will resonate with members of Nas’ generation and with Nas’ listeners. For others, it will give them an understanding of that generation’s perspective, particularly the perspectives of those who grew up in inner cities during the 1980s and the 1990s.

“Nas: Time is Illmatic” deals with the why of the music. It taps into what motivates and, in some cases, what hinders inner-city inhabitants. The structure of the film isn’t always as clear as it could be, but the feeling’s always just right. That feeling is what lingers with me, just as it does whenever I listen to the album that inspired this film.

Verdict: Very Good

About: (Source: timeisillmatic)

Twenty years after its release, Illmatic has become a hip-hop benchmark that encapsulates the socio-political outlook, enduring spirit, and collective angst of a generation of young black men searching for their voice in America.

Time is Illmatic tracks the musical legacy of the Jones family, handed down to Nas from his jazz musician father, Olu Dara. It also examines the social conditions and environmental influences that contributed to Nas’ worldview.

Along the way, Time Is Illmatic shows how Nas—with the support of his Queensbridge neighborhood crew, the loyalty of his younger brother Jabari “Jungle” Jones, and sacrifices of his mother, Ann Jones—overcame insurmountable odds to create the greatest work of music from hip-hop’s second golden era.