Nas: Time Is Illmatic (2014)
90%RT Audience Score: 82%
Awards & Nominations: 1 nomination
Comprehensive yet brisk, Nas: Time Is Illmatic offers an absorbing look at a hip-hop classic and the life of the artist who made it.
Time Is Illmatic is like a backstage pass to the making of one of the most iconic hip-hop albums of all time. It’s a must-watch for any Nas fan or anyone who wants to learn more about the history of hip-hop. The film does a great job of capturing the raw energy and emotion that went into creating Illmatic, and it’s clear that Nas poured his heart and soul into every track. Plus, the soundtrack is predictably perfect, so you’ll be nodding your head and tapping your feet throughout the entire film. Overall, Time Is Illmatic is a must-see for anyone who loves hip-hop or just appreciates great music.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Queens, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
TV-14
Year of Release
2014
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Feb 3, 2015
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
Keyword(s)
documentary, biography, Nas, Illmatic, One9, Anthony Saleh, Erik Parker, Cornel West, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz, Busta Rhymes, Alicia Keys, hip-hop, music, album, recording, childhood, Queensbridge, New York, rapper, groundbreaking, influential, box office, gross, budget, critic reviews, reviewed by Charles Bramesco, Candice Frederick, Alex King, Wendy Ide, Henry Barnes, Nick De Semlyen, Angus Batey, Toni Tileva, Tom Watson, John Fink, Amber Wilkinson, Simon Miraudo, MPAA rating, comprehensive, absorbing, brisk, well-informed, inessential, making-of, featurette, celebration, cultural discourse, soundtrack, emotional, snapshot, hagiography, humbling, ordered history, facts, childhood, thoughts, artist, life, influence, generations, audience score, ratings, streaming, release date, photos, cast, crew, director, producer, writer, English, runtime, showtimes, TV shows, most popular, trending, Thor, Love and Thunder, Marvel, Minions, The Rise of Gru, The Sea Beast, Black Bird, 18 1/2, H.P Lovecraft’s Witch House, 11th Hour Cleaning, Sh*t Saves the World, Stay Prayed Up, Final Caller, Girl in the Picture, Hello, Goodbye, Everything in Between, Confessions from the Hart, The Prey: Legend of Karnoctus, Moon, 66 Questions, Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel, The Road to Galena, Incantation, Dangerous Liaisons, Jewel, Warriors on the Field, Fair Play
Worldwide gross: $164,540
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $205,633
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,926
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 22,425
US/Canada gross: $164,540
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $205,633
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,542
US/Canada opening weekend: $23,200
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $28,994
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,376
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Cornel West – self
Pharrell Williams – self
Swizz Beatz – self
Busta Rhymes – self
Alicia Keys – self
Anthony Saleh – producer
One9 – director, producer
Erik Parker – producer, writer
Director(s)
One9
Writer(s)
Erik Parker
Producer(s)
Anthony Saleh, One9, Erik Parker
Film Festivals
Tribeca
Awards & Nominations
1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (1)
Time Is Illmatic is well-informed but inessential, a making-of featurette barely expanded to feature length at a trim 74 minutes.
July 15, 2020 | Rating: C+
Charles Bramesco
Movie Mezzanine
TOP CRITIC
Just as “Illmatic” brought people from all across the globe a little closer to Queensbridge, Nas: Time is Illmatic draws audiences closer to hip-hop.
September 1, 2017 | Rating: A-
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
An essential celebration of the New York rapper’s groundbreaking 1994 album.
October 30, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Alex King
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
A strikingly photographed and genuinely revealing exploration of the early influences that formed one of the most distinctive voices in rap.
October 23, 2014 | Rating: 3/5
Wendy Ide
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Flirts with glamorising the rags-to-rap-to-riches story, but in doing so stays true to its subject.
October 23, 2014 | Rating: 3/5
Henry Barnes
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Here’s 74 minutes well spent.
October 20, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Nick De Semlyen
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Parker and One9 deserve huge credit for treating their subject with suitable, but unusual, respect and reverence.
May 18, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Angus Batey
NME
Time Is Illmatic lovingly and honestly chronicles the making of an album that would influence many generations after its release.
July 15, 2020
Toni Tileva
Brightest Young Things
One9 opts for celebration over cultural discourse. It proves a minor shortcoming when you allow yourself to revel in the raw energy of Time Is Illmatic’s predictably perfect soundtrack.
April 3, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Tom Watson
CineVue
Brief, informative and direct, the historical details post-Illmatic grow less interesting, yet the film’s first half is electric and engaging.
February 26, 2016 | Rating: B
John Fink
The Film Stage
The result, directed by graffiti artist and first-time director One9 is less an ordered history of facts than an emotional snapshot of the artist’s childhood and thoughts about where he is today.
January 4, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film
As humbling as hagiographies come.
December 1, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5
Simon Miraudo
Quickflix…
Plot
Time Is Illmatic is a feature length documentary film that delves deep into the making of Nas’ 1994 debut album, Illmatic, and the social conditions that influenced its creation. Twenty years after its release, Illmatic has become a hip-hop benchmark that encapsulates the socio-political outlook, enduring spirit, and collective angst of a generation of young black men searching for their voice in America.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Time Is Illmatic includes rapper Nas, Cornel West, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz, Busta Rhymes, and Alicia Keys.
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