Nas: Time Is Illmatic

Co-directed by One9 and Erik Parker, this documentary explores the life and career of rapper Nasir Jones (known as Nas) in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his 1994 debut album Illmatic. Featuring talking heads interviews with celebrity peers including Pharrell Williams, power couple Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys, Busta Rhymes, and Q-Tip, Time Is Illmatic also serves up footage of Nas himself (during concerts, in rehearsal, in the streets, and at home). “It's in my blood,” says the artist, who describes his family life with a musician father and postal worker mother, discusses how his parents' breakup affected him and his brother, and recalls the challenges of growing up in the concrete jungle of New York's Queensbridge housing project amongst crack, crime, and underfunded schools (dad Olu Dara here remembers his advice to his boys to “quit school if you wanna save your own life,” which disappointed other family members but seemed to work out well for Nas). Tracking Nas's musical career, the documentary looks at the creation of Illmatic, including comments from principals such as producer Large Professor, manager MC Serch, and A&R exec Faith Newman. Bonus features include retrospective featurettes and deleted scenes. A nicely-filmed profile of a Grammy-nominated superstar, this is recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)