Debut album from American rapper Nas released in 1994. The landmark album has long considered by critics as one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time, Illmatic is a densely textured, deeply lyrical portrait of life in the US's largest public housing project, Queensbridge.

Upon release, the record signaled the resurgence of the moribund New York hip-hop scene and helped pave the way for Biggie Smalls, Jay Z and a new generation of New York rappers.

With the release of Illmatic, Nas quickly established himself as a hip hop icon and has become one of the hottest artists on the music scene today. Illmatic has been consistently ranked near the top of many "best album" lists.