‘Nas: Time Is Illmatic’ Trailer Features Pharrell, Alicia Keys And Busta Rhymes: Watch

Christina Lee | August 30, 2014 8:51 am

“I was trying to make the perfect album,” Nas says of his 1994 debut Illmatic, in a just-released trailer for a documentary celebrating exactly that. Directed by One9, Nas: Time Is Illmatic details the creative process behind the Queensbridge, N.Y. rapper’s stunning debut, which received The Source‘s perfect, five-mic rating and became one of the most acclaimed hip-hop albums of all time.

Pharrell, Alicia Keys and Busta Rhymes all appear in the Time Is Illmatic trailer to help speak for Illmatic‘s influence. “It’s one of the best albums of all time,” Keys says.

The film is just one of several ways that Nas has and will celebrate Illmatic, released 20 years ago, and his career as a whole: Last spring, he invited Lauryn Hill to his Coachella set to help perform collaborations like “Ready or Not.” And to celebrate Illmatic, Nas will also embark a 14-date tour, starting Oct. 2 in Rochester, N.Y., where he’ll screen the documentary and perform the album in its entirety.

Nas: Time Is Illmatic will be released Oct. 1 via Tribeca. Watch the trailer up top.

Get an eyeful of even more pop music coverage, from artist interviews to exclusive performances, on Idolator’s YouTube channel.