So I think I'm a bit disappointed with Nas' latest effort, so like I do all too often with rappers/artists I like a lot, I just listen to the originals when they drop a subpar album.

My favorite verse from Illmatic is probably not even from nas, but AZ on Life's a Bitch:

"It's like that, you know it's like that
I got it hemmed, now you never get the mic back
When I attack, there ain't an army that could strike back
So I react never calmly on a hype track
I set it off with my own rhyme
Cause I'm as ill as a convict who kills for phone time
I'm max like cassettes, I flex like sex
In ya, stereo sets, Nas'll catch wreck
I used to hustle - now all I do is relax and strive
When I was young I was a fan of the Jackson 5
I drop jewels, wear jewels, hope to never run it
With more kicks than a baby in a mother's stomach
Nasty Nas has to rise cause I'm wise
This is exercise 'til the microphone dies
Back in eighty-three I was an MC sparkin
But I was too scared to grab the mics in the parks and
kick my little raps cause I thought niggaz wouldn't understand
And now in every jam I'm the fuckin man..."   -Halftime

smooth criminal on beat breaks,

don't put me in your box if ya shit eats tapes ,