June 2, 2026
🏆 The Ultimate Sports Playlist Pack For DJs
DJcity curated a collection of six playlists to help you soundtrack every moment of this sports season. Any sport, any crowd, any venue - we've got you cov...
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
The Samples Behind Nas’ ‘Illmatic’
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.
