Today in Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Iconic ‘Illmatic’ Album 29 Years Ago

Screen Shot 2023 01 17 at 4.54.09 AM

29 years ago today, Nas dropped his debut LP, ‘Illmatic.’ Released by Columbia Records in 94′ Nas recorded the album at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Produced by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and Nas himself, the bangers on the album will be embedded in Hip Hop culture as classics merely based on their production alone.

The album sold 60,000 in the first week and debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart. On January 17, 1996, the album was certified gold by the RIAA. In 2001 it earned a platinum certification after shipping 1,000,000 copies in the United States alone.

Lyrically, Nas delivered certified street verses on ‘Illmatic’ that influenced the majority of the ’90s and is regarded as one of the greatest LPs of all time by critics and major publications globally.

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Iconic ‘Illmatic’ Album 29 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today in Hip-Hop History: Main Source Dropped Their Debut Album ‘Breaking Atoms’ 31 Years Ago

Screen Shot 2022 07 23 at 4.39.30 PM

On this date in Hip Hop history, Main Source, which included DJs Sir Scratch, K-Cut, and rhyming extraordinaire and production master Large Professor, dropped their debut album Breaking Atoms in 1991 on Wild Pitch Records. It was also the final album of the original trio with the two Toronto DJs and the Corona. Queens emcee.

Breaking Atoms was also the first project where then Queensbridge Projects lyrical prodigy Nasir Jones aka Nas, who appeared on the ever-classic “Live At The BBQ”. Other classic cuts from that album include the break-up story “Looking At The Front Door”, the never-ending issue of police brutality on “Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball” and the visually-driven “Just Hangin’ Out”. Originally given a four and a half mic rating, Breaking Atoms received the coveted Five Mics in The Source Magazine‘s commemorative 150th issue.

Salute to Extra P, Pete Rock, K-Cut and Sir Scratch for making this album an undisputed Hip Hop classic!

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Main Source Dropped Their Debut Album ‘Breaking Atoms’ 31 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Funk Flex Claps Back At Producer Pete Rock For Defending Conway The Machine

Funk Flex x Pete Rock x Conway

Things have gotten heated between Pete Rock and Funk Flex after the DJ went on the radio to call the producer a snitch. Funk Flex went on a radio rant against producer Pete Rock Thursday night on his Hot 97 radio show. In the rant, Flex even went as far as to accuse Rock of […]

The post Funk Flex Claps Back At Producer Pete Rock For Defending Conway The Machine appeared first on SOHH.com.

Pete Rock Blasts Drill Rap: “That Kinda Hip-hop Is Doo Doo and It Disrupts the Soul”

Pete Rock @ The Brookyln Bowl in 2016

Pete Rock blasted drill rap in a now-deleted social media post. After calling drill rap “doo doo and disrupts the soul,” Pete Rock removed his thoughts on the subgenre.

Pete Rock shared a video of New York City Mayor Eric Adams who has spoken against drill rap and connected it with the uptick of violent crime in the city. Seemingly in agreement with Adams, Rock blasted off on the subject:

“Good morning.Drill rap! That’s trash hop not hip-hop I been told y’all about this kinda shit. IDC call me what you want but that kinda hip-hop is doo doo and it disrupts the soul I told y’all that already man lol smh. Nobody speaks up on this trash lol. Drill rap not even for the birds or the streets its the result of greed, people with no talent, and the destruction of the culture. Y’all never see the play when it’s happening and everyone complains but does not speak up and say a word. Now this! … This how we going out. It’s on social media but who is really promoting this? Talk about that smh.”

Do you agree with Pete Rock?

The post Pete Rock Blasts Drill Rap: “That Kinda Hip-hop Is Doo Doo and It Disrupts the Soul” appeared first on The Source.

Today in Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Iconic ‘Illmatic’ Album 28 Years Ago

tumblr e9c7602e3af1c37004f00c4774b2b4b9 3fe8a0d3 1280

28 years ago today, Nas dropped his debut LP ‘Illmatic‘. Released by Columbia Records in 94’ Nas recorded the album at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Produced by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and Nas himself; the bangers on the album will be embedded in Hip Hop culture as classics merely based upon its production alone.

The album sold 60,000 in the first week and debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart. On January 17, 1996, the album was certified gold by the RIAA in 2001 it earned a platinum certification after shipping 1,000,000 copies in the United States alone.

Lyrically, Nas delivered street certified verses on ‘Illmatic‘ that influenced the majority of the 90’s and is regarded as one of the greatest LP’s of all time by critics and major publications globally.

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Iconic ‘Illmatic’ Album 28 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Paul Wall & Termanology Drop Pete Rock Produced “Recognize My Car” Ahead of Joint Album

paul termanology

Houston’s legendary lyricist Paul Wall is no stranger to the car community. Now his longtime friend and collaborator, Termanology, joins him riding shotgun as they both spit hard-hitting raps in the new video “Recognize My Car” produced by Pete Rock.

The D Will directed visual used some VHS style footage to capture the H-Town slab culture while both emcees rhyme their verses. Slab is Houston slang for a souped up car, with a special set of rims, called “swangas.”

This isn’t the first time these two artists have teamed up. Last month, the duo released “No Tolerance” featuring Fly Anakin and Nems.

Along with releasing the video for “Recognize My Car,” Paul and Term also announced a joint album is arriving. Paul Wall and Termanology are set to drop Start 2 Finish on April 8.

Start 2 Finish will be a 10-track project executive produced by Statik Selektah and with features from Bun B, Fly Anakin, C SharpMillyz, and Nems among others.

Both artists are thrilled to be working with each other on this project. In an exclusive statement to The Source, the “Sittin’ Sideways” rapper said, “I had a lot of fun working with Term on this project! And every time I work with Statik Selektah it brings out the absolute best in me. This album brought out some of the best rap bars I’ve ever spit.”

Termanology shared the same reaction with The Source. “I had so much fun making this album. The production is top quality and Paul Wall went crazy on every verse, which made me get even more creative with my pen game. I think people are going to like this project a lot.”

Enjoy the video for “Recognize My Car” from Paul Wall and Termanology below.

Check out the tracklist for Start 2 Finish, available on all DSP’s April 8.

  1. No Asterix
  2. Ask Permission
  3. Recognize My Car
  4. Thailand (feat. Bun B)
  5. No Favors (feat. C Sharp)
  6. Clubber Lang (feat. Wais P & Kxng Crooked)
  7. How You Been (feat. Mia Jae)
  8. No Tolerance (feat. Fly Anakin & Nems)
  9. Money On My Phone
  10. Step Outside (feat. Millyz & Jared Evan)
start 2 finish

Continue the conversation with us on social media.

The post Paul Wall & Termanology Drop Pete Rock Produced “Recognize My Car” Ahead of Joint Album appeared first on The Source.