Fans of Queensbridge rapper Nas’ debut album Illmatic, will receive a different take on the release from best-selling author/activist.
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, the educator, who is an avid fan of the rapper’s “intellectual genius,” revealed details on a forthcoming book he is working on about Illmatic in published reports.
“Every song on Illmatic will be analyzed, interpreted and then re-articulated in a kind of intellectual sense from his own base in Hip-Hop and we’re trying to deal with that seriously,” Dyson revealed.
Dyson continued to praise Nas during the interview as he cited the rapper’s “intellectual philosophy and the political relevance” in terms of “speaking truth to power in these post modern, post industrial urban spaces where truth is being squeezed out.”
“This brother is rising up with a rebellion and a kind of serious, serious political power that is necessary,” continued the activist, who sought to have a face to face meeting with Nas to discuss one of Illmatic’s best known songs, “One Love.”
The track holds a special place for Dyson, who’s brother Everett, is currently serving a life sentence for a murder he says Everett didn’t commit.
The siblings were recently profiled and featured together on the CNN special “Black in America. ”
Released on April 19, 1994, Illmatic is regarded as a classic among Hip-Hop fans and critics who rank it as one of the best Hip-Hop recordings of the 1990s.
No release date was available for Dyson’s book Illmatic as of press time.
