Nas Talks 20 Years Of 'Illmatic' + Working With The Greats On Zane Lowe

Nas continues the rounds for the 20 year anniversary of his masterful entry piece Illmatic with a stop at the BBC1 studios to discuss the album's legacy with go-to British radio personality Zane Lowe. Always a gleaming pillar of humility, the Queens bomber raps with the Lowe on the circumstances revolving around the recording of his seminal debut, chocking up a heap of the inspiration to the environment he grew up in: "New York wrote the album."

They wax a bit on the writing and recording process, the Dream Team roster of producers he had the good fortune to work with -- DJ Premier, Large Professor, Q-Tip and Pete Rock-- and how the album marked a major transition in East Coast hip-hop, being the mighty death blow to a year that saw pivotal releases from A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang Clan. Its a powerful glance into the mind of a barely legal Nas, showing the immense resilience of the budding Queens-born star. For all of these behind-the-scenes tales and more peep Nas' wildly educational sit-down with Zane Lowe for the full scoop. And don't forget to peep the nasty one as he took the stage with The Roots and Q-Tip on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.