Nas: Time Is Illmatic
Tribeca Film | Release Date: October 1, 2014 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
RogerEbert.comOdie HendersonOct 2, 2014
These documentarians masterfully construct their vision to elevate and serve their subject. The result is more low-key than one might expect from a movie about rap. It is also more powerful, bypassing the expected artist braggadocio to stand on the rarely visited street corner of sociology and hip-hop music. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesMartin TsaiOct 2, 2014
Since many of the themes from Illmatic have become mere clichés in contemporary rap, this film serves as a reminder of the potential and the promise that hip-hop truly holds. Read full review
80
Time OutJoshua RothkopfSep 30, 2014
The final third is a crush of genius, with several Nas tracks (including his lovely, Michael Jackson-sampling “It Ain’t Hard to Tell”) receiving the kind of detailed breakdowns rare in pop-artist conversations. Read full review
75
Washington PostStephanie MerryOct 9, 2014
The movie is inspiring and tragic, and, directed by street artist One9, it’s captured in an artful, emotional way that will speak to an audience beyond rap fans. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubAndrea BattlegroundSep 30, 2014
One9 applies enough emotion and visual flourishes to steer clear of hacky Behind The Music territory. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineSteve MacfarlaneSep 29, 2014
While the trivia value may feel tremendous, only One9's interviews with Nas, his father, Olu Dara, and his brother, Jungle, manage to make the doc legitimately moving--a history lesson in popular culture. Read full review
75
IndieWireEric KohnSep 27, 2014
Like a gesture from the rapper acknowledging his crowd, "Time Is Illmatic" is competent bait for Nas fans that leaves the door open just wide enough for newcomers to appreciate the fuss from afar. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldSep 30, 2014
Despite some conventional moves here and there and a weakness for the cult of genius, the documentary sustains that uneasy mood cast by Nas’s expression as a child on the “Illmatic” cover, sobered by experience and wisdom before his time. Read full review
70
Village VoiceIan S. PortSep 30, 2014
Time Is Illmatic goes remarkably deep. Read full review
70
The DissolveNathan RabinSep 29, 2014
Time Is Illmatic is a documentary worthy of its subject. It’s no masterpiece, but it’s a strong, substantive look at an album whose greatness was apparent immediately, but that’s still grown in stature since its release. Read full review
70
VarietyScott FoundasApr 17, 2014
This brisk, stylish and extremely heartfelt portrait of Nas’ rise from the housing projects of Queensbridge to the heights of hip-hop royalty ably stands on its own, marked by an admirable focus on the man and his music rather than hype and hagiography. Read full review
67
The PlaylistRodrigo PerezApr 17, 2014
Time Is Illmatic is comprehensive, even wisely holistic, but still feels as though something is missing; it’s as if in trying to cover the history, the music, the ecosystem, the upbringing and the man itself, each cancels out the other out, leaving only a surface exploration. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJim FarberOct 2, 2014
The album lives as a touchstone, and a turning point, in New York hip hop. The film may be far less significant, but it does bear witness to the music’s greatness. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeApr 17, 2014
One of the aspects that keeps Time from projecting an advertorial vibe, its indifference to outside voices, may also leave casual fans wanting a bit more. Read full review
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