‘Time Is Illmatic’ – Doc On Rapper Nas, To Open 2014 Tribeca Film FestivalPosted by Wilson Morales
February 19, 2014
The world premiere of doc “Time is Illmatic” will open the 2014 The Tribeca Film Festival. It follows the trajectory of rapper Nas’ 1994 debut album, “Illmatic”– considered one of the most revolutionary albums in hip-hop history.
The premiere is set to take place on Wednesday, April 16. It will be followed by a special musical performance where Nas will perform the album from front to back.
Here’s the official synopsis of the film, which is helmed by multimedia artist One9:
“Time Is Illmatic” traces Nas’s influences and the insurmountable odds he faced in creating the greatest work of music from hip-hop’s second golden era. The film tracks the musical legacy of the Jones family — handed down to Nas from his jazz musician father, Olu Dara, the support of his Queensbridge neighborhood crew, and the loyalty of his younger brother Jabari “Jungle” Fret. Twenty years after its release, Illmatic is widely recognized as a hip-hop benchmark that encapsulates the sociopolitical outlook, enduring spirit, and collective angst of a generation of young men searching for their voice in America.
“I want to thank the Tribeca Film Festival for supporting the film with the incredible platform they’ve built over the years,” said Nas. “It’s an honor to premiere this film in my hometown. I also want to thank One9 and Erik Parker for their persistence and hard work. Those guys and I come from the same place and era, which gives the doc an authenticity that is important to me. We wanted this film to represent the real, from the storyline all the way down to the directors and producers.”
Hip Hop luminary and multi-platinum artist, Nas, released his debut album Illmatic in 1994, and he has gone on to sell over 20 million albums worldwide. The legendary Queens rapper, son of jazz musician Olu Dara, is widely recognized as a visionary and lauded for a seminal body of work that spans a two-decade career. He has released nine solo albums and three compilations, and will release Illmatic XX, a special 20th anniversary edition of the landmark debut, on April 15 by SONY Legacy. Fans can now pre-order the 2CD set on iTunes and both the 2CD set and 1LP vinyl via Amazon.com.
Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 16 through April 27.
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