Nas has announced that his seminal debut album, Illmatic, will be released as a special 20th Anniversary Edition, titled Illmatic XX, on April 15th by SONY Legacy. This exclusive collection will feature several rare remixes, unreleased demos and freestyles to commemorate the anniversary. RapGenius.com is now exclusively streaming the “It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Stink Mix).” PRESS HERE to listen now. In addition, fans can now pre-order the 2CD set on iTunes and both the 2CD set and 1LP vinyl via Amazon.com. Nas has also announced that he will be touring the U.S. and performing the groundbreaking Illmatic from front to back to celebrate the release. The tour will kick off with special performances  this spring at both the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as well as this year’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Further details surrounding the tour will be released in the coming weeks.  

“With Illmatic, I didn't think about it. I just did it. I believe everybody has good instincts. Now I’m a man from that past and I'm supremely grateful. There's a Nigerian proverb ‘What is past is prologue’.  I'm here today because of Illmatic.” - Nas  

Tracklisting: Disc 1: Remastered original album

1. The Genesis  

2. N.Y. State Of Mind  

3. Life's A Bitch  

4. The World Is Yours  

5. Halftime  

6. Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park)  

7. One Love

8. One Time 4 Your Mind

9. Represent

10. It Ain't Hard To Tell    

Disc 2: Demos, Remixes & Live Radio

1. I'm A Villain (previously unreleased)

2. The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR October 28, 1993 (previously unreleased freestyle)

3. Halftime (Butcher Remix)

4. It Ain't Hard To Tell (Remix)(promo single)

5. One Love (LG Main Mix)

6. Life’s A Bitch (Arsenal Mix)(promo single)

7. One Love (One L Main Mix)

8. The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)

9. It Ain't Hard To Tell (The Stink Mix)(UK single)

10. It Ain't Hard To Tell (The Laidback Remix)(UK single)  

In conjunction with the release, Time Is Illmatic – a feature length documentary film that examines the album – will be released in 2014. The movie, from first-time filmmakers One9 (director/producer) and Erik Parker (writer/produer), 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. Time Is Illmatic is supported by The Ford Foundations’ Just Films and Tribeca All Access. More information will be released on the film in the coming months.  For more information go to www.TimeIsIllmatic.com.

Quelle: nasirjones.com