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The 20th anniversary of Nas’ classic 1994 album ‘Illmatic’ is being celebrated with a new documentary titled ‘Time Is Illmatic,’ which will premiere at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.
The documentary will kick off the prestigious New York film festival on April 16.
The doc, directed by multimedia auteur One9 and written by journalist Erik Parker, will recount the story behind the making of ‘Illmatic’ 20 years ago. The album, which was released on April 19, 1994, is, undoubtedly, one of the most important recordings in hip-hop history.
The film will also focus on Nas’ personal journey from a young street poet from Queens, N.Y., to becoming the genre’s most influential lyricist.
“I want to thank the Tribeca Film Festival for supporting the film with the incredible platform they’ve built over the years,” said Nas in a press release. “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.”
Following the screening, Nas will perform ‘Illmatic’ in its entirety.
Prior to the documentary’s premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Sony Legacy will release ‘Illmatic XX,’ a special 20th anniversary edition of the classic album, on April 15.
The Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 16 to 27. Tickets for the festival will go on sale March 3 at Tribecafilm.com.
