Illmatic is viewed as one of the most important albums in music history. Since it's his debut, Nas has been tasked with living up to it for the better part of his career.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Nas' debut album. In an interview with Haute Living, the rapper says it's "corny" to keep praising something that happened over two decades ago.
"Twenty-five years is a lifetime. So I did another Symphony Orchestra show for Illmatic this year; I got another plaque for it," Nas said. "I’m very grateful—it’s so crazy—but to celebrate one album when I’ve made over 10, all the things I’ve worked on—and I’ve been working for so long—to celebrate one album over all else is corny to me. I don’t want to celebrate another Illmatic anything. I’m done. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for appreciating that record, but it’s over."
Instead, Nas wants to put an emphasis on other facets of his life. The rapper spoke about his endless investments to Haute Living as well as his other passion projects.
"Maybe [I’ll open] a new level bookstore, maybe [I’ll do] Broadway," Nas said. "I do three things at a time; that’s how I live. The next three things I do, I hope they’re more exciting than anything that I’ve ever done."
