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<p class="MsoNormal"><img width="260" height="79" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CF2199.85221530" alt="Press Here Logo.JPG"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><img width="216" height="119" id="_x0000_i1027" src="cid:image002.png@01CF2199.85221530" alt="http://www.officialpsds.com/images/thumbs/Nas-Logo-psd10146.png"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-size:38.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Announces the Year of<u>
</u></span></b><b><i><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-size:45.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Illmatic XX<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">A Celebration of the Landmark Album That Made Him an Icon<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><u><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">“It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Stink Mix)” Now Streaming Exclusively on
<a href="http://rapgenius.com/">RapGenius.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-size:21.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Documentary
<i>Time Is Illmatic </i>to be Released in 2014<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">“A densely textured, deeply lyrical portrait of life in Long Island City's Queensbridge projects, the record signaled the resurgence of the moribund
New York hip-hop scene and helped pave the way for Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z and a new generation of New York rappers.”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">-<b><i>NEW YORK TIMES</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">February 4, 2014 -- Nas</span></b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""> has announced that his seminal debut album,
<b><i>Illmatic, </i></b>will be released as a special 20<sup>th</sup> Anniversary Edition, titled
<b><i>Illmatic XX</i></b>,<b><i> </i></b>on <b>April 15<sup>th</sup> </b>by <b>SONY Legacy.
</b>This exclusive collection will feature several rare remixes, unreleased demos and freestyles to commemorate the anniversary.
<b>RapGenius.com </b>is now exclusively streaming the <b>“It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Stink Mix).”
<u><a href="http://rapgenius.com/Nas-it-aint-hard-to-tell-stink-mix-lyrics">PRESS HERE</a></u>
</b>to listen now. In addition, fans can now pre-order the 2CD set on <b><a href="http://smarturl.it/illmaticxx_itunes">iTunes</a></b> and both the
<a href="http://smarturl.it/illmaticxx_amzn">2CD</a> set and <a href="http://smarturl.it/illmaticxxv_amzn">
1LP vinyl</a> via <b><u><a href="http://smarturl.it/illmaticxx_amzn">Amazon.com</a></u></b>. Nas has also announced that he will be touring the U.S. and performing the groundbreaking
<i>Illmatic </i>from front to back to celebrate the release. The tour will kick off with special performances this spring at both the
<b>John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts </b>as well as this year’s<b> Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival</b>. Further details surrounding the tour will be released in the coming weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">“With
<i>Illmatic</i>, I didn't think about it. I just did it. I believe everybody has good instincts. Now I’m a man from that past and I'm supremely grateful. There's a Nigerian proverb ‘What is past is prologue’. I'm here today because of
<i>Illmatic</i>.” - Nas <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><u><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Tracklisting:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">Disc 1: Remastered original album<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">1. The Genesis </span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">2. N.Y. State Of Mind</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#222222"> </span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">3. Life's A Bitch </span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">4. The World Is Yours </span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">5. Halftime </span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">6. Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park) </span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">7. One Love</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">8. One Time 4 Your Mind</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">9. Represent</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">10. It Ain't Hard To Tell </span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">Disc 2: Demos, Remixes & Live Radio</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">1. I'm A Villain (previously unreleased<b>)</b></span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">2. The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR October 28, 1993 (previously unreleased freestyle)</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">3. Halftime (Butcher Remix)</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">4. It Ain't Hard To Tell (Remix)(promo single)</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">5. One Love (LG Main Mix)</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">6. Life’s A Bitch (Arsenal Mix)(promo single)</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">7. One Love (One L Main Mix)</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">8. The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">9. It Ain't Hard To Tell (The Stink Mix)(UK single)</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">10. It Ain't Hard To Tell (The Laidback Remix)(UK single)</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">In conjunction with the release,
<b><i>Time Is Illmatic</i></b><i> </i>– a feature length documentary film that examines the album – will be released in 2014. The movie, from first-time filmmakers
<b>One9 </b>(director/producer) and <b>Erik Parker </b>(writer/producer), delves into the making of
<i>Illmatic</i>; the social conditions that created it; and the music legacy passed down from Nas’ Mississippi-born father and celebrated jazz musician, Olu Dara.
<i>Time Is Illmatic </i>is supported by The Ford Foundations’ <i>Just Films</i> and
<i>Tribeca All Access.</i> More information will be released on the film in the coming months. For more information go to
<a href="http://www.TimeIsIllmatic.com">www.TimeIsIllmatic.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">With the release of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Illmatic,
</i>Nas quickly established himself as a hip hop icon and has become one of the hottest artists on the music scene today. The landmark album has been lauded by critics as one of the most exemplary hip hop recordings of all time. <i>Illmatic
</i>contributed to the revival of the New York City rap scene and has been consistently ranked near the top of many “best album” lists. Today, the collection remains one of the most widely celebrated and influential albums in history with
<b><i>Rolling Stone</i></b> proclaiming, </span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">"a portrait of an artist as a hood, loner, tortured soul, juvenile delinquent, and fledgling social critic… [the album] still stands as one of rap's crowning achievements.”
<b><i>NPR Music </i></b>called the collection “[a] masterwork of story-telling, lyricism and beat-making,” while upon the album’s release,
<b><i>The Village Voice </i></b>gave Nas the title of, "one of the most important writers of the 20th century."
</span><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify"><strong><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-weight:normal">Nas</span></strong><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""> emerged from the Queensbridge neighborhood
of Long Island City, a hotbed of rap artists since the ’80s. The son of jazz trumpeter Olu Dara, he has since gone on to sell over 20 million albums worldwide over the span of his legendary career, and has acted as an ambassador for hip-hop culture throughout
the globe. Since the release of <i>Illmatic, </i>he has released 9 solo albums and 3 compilations all of which have been certified double-platinum, platinum and gold. His most recent release was 2012’s
<i>Life Is Good, </i>which debuted at <u>#1</u> on the <i><u>Billboard </u></i><u>Top 200</u>, marking the sixth
<u>#1</u> album that Nas has produced in his career. The collection also received four GRAMMY nominations bringing the rap icon’s GRAMMY recognition count to 13 overall.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">For more information, please go to
<a href="http://www.nasirjones.com">www.nasirjones.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif"">PRESS CONTACTS:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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