Nas

Nas‘ “Ain’t Hard To Tell” was the second single off the rapper’s iconic debut album, Illmatic. It was the only track from the project to enter the Billboard Hot 100 and remains a staple in throwback sets to this day.

The song was produced by the legendary Large Professor, a founding member of the influential group, Main Source. On Mass Appeal’s latest episode of Off the Record, Large Pro recounts how the track came together, which he refers to as a “hood bottle-popping joint.”

Watch above.

Related: The Samples Behind Nas’ ‘Stillmatic’

Following his iconic debut album, Illmatic, Nas took his next three projects in a more mainstream direction. The decision put him under heavy scrutiny and even brought upon JAY-Z‘s infamous 2001 diss track, “Takeover.”

Nas didn’t take long to respond to both his critics and JAY, however, dropping his fifth studio album Stillmatic on Dec. 18, 2001. The project, which is a nod to Illmatic, is widely considered as Nas’ comeback album. It also featured the track “Ether,” his epic response to Jigga.

Stillmatic peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in January 2002. It featured production from the likes of DJ Premier and Large Professor and included the singles “Got Ur Self a Gun,” “One Mic,” and “Rule” featuring Amerie.

To honor its 16-year anniversary, Power 106 has examined some of the album’s classic samples on its Wax Only series.

Watch it above.

Related: The Samples Behind Black Star’s ‘Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star’

On April 19, 1994, a young Queensbridge rapper by the name of Nas released his debut album, Illmatic. Now, to honor its 23-year anniversary, Power 106’s Wax Only series has examined the samples used on the project.

Illmatic is widely regarded as the greatest hip-hop album of all time by critics and fans alike. Wax Only host Vin Rican agrees, naming it his pick for best ever. The album peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and eventually went platinum.

The album was produced by some of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, including DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, and Q-Tip. It sampled artists like Michael Jackson, The Gap Band, Average White Band, Ahmad Jamal, and Donald Byrd.

Watch above to see Vinny go through the samples.

Related: The Samples Behind Eazy-E’s ‘Eazy-Duz-It’

 
After raising eyebrows with a BBC Radio 1-premiered Major Lazer remix, emerging producer Arona Mane has returned with a futuristic flip of Nas‘ “It Ain’t Hard to Tell.” The Sydney native’s bass-heavy rework features most of Escobar’s original vocals over a brand new instrumental.
 
Stream the remix below and download it on DJcity.
 

 
Related: The Samples Behind Nas’ Classics

 
To celebrate Nas’ 42nd birthday, Power 106 has made a video about the samples used in some of the rapper’s most classic joints. The Los Angeles radio station’s Production Director Vin Rican goes through eight samples along with the seven Nas songs that sampled them.
 
Watch the video above, which includes DJ favorites “N.Y. State of Mind,” the Lauryn Hill-assisted “If I Ruled the World,” “Halftime,” and “Made You Look.”
 
We also recommend checking out Aazar’s remix of “Made You Look,” which Diplo included in a Diplo & Friends mix earlier this year.
 
Related: The Samples Behind Kanye West’s ‘Late Registration’