Nas: Time Is Illmatic Full Documentary

 There are moments in "Time is Illmatic" where the camera work flows like the smoothest MC navigating a difficult verse; you marvel at the technique without ever being distracted from the story being told. Director One9 and co-editors David Zieff and John Kane opt for a style that is neither kinetic nor flashy. Instead, they establish a sense of presence, of being so present that even the occasional visual effect feels natural and unaffected. The camera wanders as the human eye would, but it knows the power of stillness, of letting the image linger and rest. These documentary filmmakers masterfully construct their vision to elevate and serve their subject. The result is more subdued than one might expect from a film about rap. It's also more powerful, bypassing the expected braggadocio of the artist to stand on the rarely visited street corner of sociology and hip-hop music.

Nas Time Is Illmatic Full Documentary

The subject of "Time is Illmatic" is the 1994 album, "Illmatic," the first work by the rapper whose government name is Nasir Jones. Nas, as he is known in the music business, is the son of Olu Dara, a blues musician from Natchez, Mississippi, and Ann Jones, a North Carolina postal worker. His parents moved him and his brother Jabari to the Queensbridge Housing Project in Long Island City, Queens, where much of "Time Is Illmatic" takes place.

"Surviving here with a family was hell," says Dara of Queensbridge. "Especially if you didn't have help. We didn't have any help.

Much of the film is people telling stories as they navigate the sidewalks and residents of Queensbridge - it's more of a walking documentary than a talking head - and the One9 camera is there with them, drifting and settling like the proverbial fly on the wall. As the credits roll, viewers will realize that "Time is Illmatic" represents and explores not only the album but the environment that fostered it.

Going in, one might expect "Time is Illmatic" to say how successful "Illmatic" is. After 20 years, the album remains one of the most influential rap albums ever produced. We sometimes hear artists like Alicia Keys or Erykah Badu talk about how the work influenced them, as well as the words of the producers of several tracks on "Illmatic." But the film doesn't dwell on sales, praise and studio time. The main question "Time is Illmatic" wants to focus on is not "how did Nas do it?" but "why did Nas do it?" Evidence that the film is part of the history lesson comes early on: the first mention of Queensbridge Projects is accompanied by a photo of FDR signing a public housing bill and images of New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia laying cement on the foundation of the first bridge building in 1939.

Nas: Time Is Illmatic Full Documentary 

Images of Nas prowling around the stage as he performs many of the songs on "Illmatic" contrast with the soft-spoken, introspective man who is our main character. "Time is Illmatic" films him in several locations, from the couch in his house to his car to his old stomping grounds in the projects. Predictably, he's a gifted storyteller, talking about hanging out with his best friend, Ill Will, and their excitement when an MC Shan song about their neighborhood dropped. He eulogizes his late mother, whose presence and influence haunt "Time is Illmatic," and is candid about the neighborhood that nurtured, inspired and threatened him.

Nas: Time Is Illmatic Trailer

The filmmakers interview Nas' second grade teacher, Mrs. Braconi, which at first glance seems like a cute device to shed light on what young Nas was like. In reality, it's a jumping off point for commentary on the public school system in the 1980s. Ms. Braconi points out how enthusiastic and artistically expressive Nas was, and then we learn that Nas left school in the 9th grade. "When schools don't have money, you get an education without money," Nas tells us, comparing his high school to an overcrowded prison where students learned little. A no-money education leads to a no-money post-education, which leads to some of the hard choices Nas talks about in his songs.

Regarding these songs, Nas and several of his producers talk about how their environment shaped what "Illlmatic" means about the lives of the disadvantaged and underrepresented. The lyrics and songs are examined with a level of introspection and detail rarely seen in media discussions of rap. Nas explains why "One Love" takes place in epistolary form, and why Brian DePalma's "Scarface" influenced "The World Is Yours." People like Pete Rock and Q-Tip remind us that, long before rap cared about being fancy, a famous rapper once said it was "CNN for brown people." It's easy to dismiss the violent, profane lyrics on "Illmatic" as mere thuggery only if the album is abstracted from the harsh realities experienced by Nas and other rappers. Q-Tip wisely draws our attention to the bursts of hope that keep popping up in the album's most turbulent songs.

Watch also: Biggie I Got A Story To Tell Full Documentary

In addition to the celebrities and producers, we also meet Nas' brother, Jabari, who goes by the name Jungle. As any brother is wont to do, he provides colorful commentary and objective, clarifying details about his famous brother. One9 follows him around the neighborhood as he talks about some of the daily events and routines that eventually populated many of the lyrics on "Illmatic." It's Jungle who is responsible for some of the most effective moments on "Time is Illmatic," from previewing Ill Will's tragic fate to revealing what happened to many of the people who posed for a group photo during the shoot for "Illmatic."

One9 also follows Nas to Queensbridge, where his comfort level has no trace of tampering. As I know firsthand, when you leave your hood, you take it with you into your heart. When you return, you easily fall back into its cadences as if you never left. As you wander, memories of joy coexist with more traumatic ones, and you reconnect with those you knew. Nas talks to people without any hint of celebrity, stopping to give a few inspiring words to a child who shares his name. "All Nasirs are kings," he tells the child before bending down to take a picture with him.

"Every neighborhood is haunted by the brothers who have passed through it," Nas tells us. "The essence of them is still there." He says he wrote "Illmatic" as "something that was proof that I was here." Moments like this provide "Time is Illmatic" with a strong representation of how his world influences his art, and as someone who shared some of the same experiences that "Illmatic" describes growing up in my own "hood," I was extremely moved. Viewers and fans will surely have their share of sing-along moments in the concert footage, but they will leave more informed or reminded of the culture from which these great songs evolved.