April 28, 2026
Latin Energy, Locked In for Cinco de Mayo
Whether you’re opening, headlining, or bouncing between genres, these Latin playlists give you room to move. DJcity has you ready for Cinco de Mayo with pl...
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.
