Nas: Time Is Illmatic

The New York rapper Nas grew up in Queensbridge: counting almost 7,000 residents, it's the largest and most infamous housing project in the United States. A place where dodging stray bullets was a part of everyday life, and where young peoples' futures faced threats from many sides: if the trigger-happy cops or drug dealers didn't get you, the incompetent teachers might. Influenced by his musically gifted father, jazz musician Olu Dara, young Nas – born Nasir Jones in 1973 – started to make socially aware hip-hop. After leaving school at 14, he entered the rap scene with his friend and neighbor Ill Will. When Ill Will was killed by a stray bullet, Nas decided to focus on music. At the time, the charts were dominated by lightweight R&B and danceable hip-hop; Nas gave a voice and a face to his generation of black youth from Queens. His first record was released in 1994 and immediately became a milestone for the socially and politically aware stream of urban hip-hop. The film follows Nas in his old neighborhood and features interviews with his father, friends and colleagues from the music business. At the same time, this musical biopic is an engaging portrait of the “ghetto” in Queens, and the demotivating lives of its residents.