At the age of nineteen, Nasir Nas” Jones began recording tracks for his debut albumand changed the music world forever. Released in 1994, Illmatic was hailed as an instant masterpiece and has proven one of the most influential albums in hip-hop history. With its close attention to beats and lyricism, and riveting first-person explorations of the isolation and desolation of urban poverty, Illmatic was pivotal in the evolution of the genre.
In Born to Use Mics, Michael Eric Dyson and Sohail Daulatzai have brought together renowned writers and critics including Mark Anthony Neal, Marc Lamont Hill, Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., and many others to confront Illmatic song by song, with each scholar assessing an individual track from the album. The result is a brilliant engagement with and commentary upon one of the most incisive sets of songs ever laid down on wax.

Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic

Biographies & Memoirs

Michael Eric Dyson

Sohail Daulatzai

Arts & Literature

Civitas Books

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Books by Sohail Daulatzai

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Sohail Daulatzai. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic