Time Is Illmatic movie review (2014)
The subject of “Time is Illmatic” is the 1994 album, “Illmatic,” the debut work by the rapper whose government name is Nasir Jones. Nas, as he’s known in the musical universe, is the son of Olu Dara, a blues musician from Natchez, Mississippi and Ann Jones, a postal worker from North Carolina. His parents relocated him and his brother Jabari to the Queensbridge Housing Project in Long Island City, Queens, which is where much of “Time Is Illmatic” takes place.
“To survive here with a family was hell,” says Dara of Queensbridge. “Especially if you had no help. We had no help.”
Much of the film is people telling stories as they navigate the sidewalks and inhabitants of Queensbridge—this is more a walking documentary than a talking heads one—and One9’s camera is there with them, drifting around and settling like the proverbial fly on the wall. When the credits roll, viewers will realize that “Time is Illmatic” represents and explores not only the album but also the environment that fostered it.
Walking in, one might expect “Time is Illmatic” to ramble on about how successful “Illmatic” is. After 20 years, the album remains one of the most influential rap albums ever produced. We get the occasional artist like Alicia Keys or Erykah Badu speaking of how the work influenced them, as well as words from the producers of several tracks on “Illmatic.” But the film doesn’t dwell on sales, praise and studio time. The primary question “Time is Illmatic” wishes to focus on isn’t “how did Nas do it?” but “why did Nas do it?” Evidence that the film is part history lesson occurs early on: The first mention of Queensbridge Projects is accompanied by a picture of FDR signing a public housing bill and footage of NYC mayor Fiorello LaGuardia laying cement at the foundation of The Bridge’s first building in 1939.
Footage of Nas prowling the stage as he performs many of the tracks from “Illmatic” are contrasted with the soft-spoken, introspective man who serves as 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. As expected, he is a gifted storyteller, spinning yarns about hanging out with his best friend, Ill Will, and how excited they were when a song by MC Shan about their neighborhood dropped. He speaks highly of his late mother, whose presence and influence haunt “Time is Illmatic,” and is candid about the neighborhood that nurtured, inspired and threatened him.
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