April 19, 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of since Nas dropped Illmatic. Today, Nas revealed his plans to honor his seminal debut album!
On April 15 — four days before its birthday — Nas will release a double-disc edition titled Illmatic XX, which includes a remastered version of the original album, plus rare remixes, an unreleased song (“I’m a Villain”) and a never-before-heard freestyle on The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show from ’93. Illmatic XX is available to pre-order on iTunes now.
Nas will accompany the album by releasing a documentary later this year called Time Is Illmatic. The feature-length film “delves into the making of Illmatic; the social conditions that created it; and the music legacy passed down from Nas’ Mississippi-born father and celebrated jazz musician, Olu Dara.”
What’s more, Nas will also be touring the U.S. and performing Illmatic in its entirety. The tour kicks off this spring with performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Coachella. The full schedule will be announced soon.