Okay, so maybe the timing isn’t perfect, but in light of the holiday season, we’ll be putting together an online gift guide for all of you last minute shoppers. Think clothes, gear, sneakers, music, video games and basketball products… basically everything us at Dime are really feeling at the moment. Today is the first submission in Dime’s 12 Days Of Christmas…
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On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:
1. NAS – ILLMATIC “GOLD EDITION” DELUXE BOX SET
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Yep, we’re kicking this off with the classic ’94 debut from the greatest rapper of all time (in my eyes), Nas. Luckily for younger hip-hop fans, GetOnDown.com re-released Illmatic as a limited edition “Gold Edition” deluxe box set earlier this week. This was probably one of the most hyped albums ever upon its release. Nas was well known at that time, having already murdered beats on “Live at the BBQ” and “Half Time” on the Zebrahead soundtrack, and people were literally foaming at the mouth to see if he could come with a record that was hot enough to take the spotlight away from the West Coast.
Once “N.Y. State Of Mind” hit, it was on. Not only did Nas’ debut feature some of the most incredible lyricism I’ve ever heard, it featured a rotating cast of producers (Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Q-Tip and L.E.S.) who laced Nasty with the perfect beats.
[RELATED: Happy Birthday Nas! The Legend’s 39 Best Songs]
This release includes the music that still sounds dope to this day – so good that’s it’s literally impossible to come up with a favorite song – but there are also some special extras included.
The Deluxe “Gold Edition” CD set features the “24k Audiophile Gold Disc” CD with re-mastered audio and an actual 24-karat gold embedded in the CD. It’s all placed in a “Cherrywood Trophy Box” with gold plaque, which is limited to 2,000 CD sets. There’s also a 48-page full-color, hardcover book that has liner notes from The Source founder Jon Schecter, extended artwork and full album lyrics. You’ll also receive a black 2-piece outer box with 1994 “Nas” red-on-white logo sticker, a reproduction of the original press release along with two 8 x 10 glossy original promo photos, and a rare 1994 promo poster that has the album lyrics printed on the back.
For $49.94, you can cop the CD and LP bundle here. For those of you on a budget, and without the ability to play LPs, for $34.94, they also have the CD-only Deluxe package available.
This isn’t exactly Christmas music, and your family may not be clamoring to hear it when you wake up on December 25. But seriously, who’s complaining? Go out and grab the greatest collection ever associated with arguably the greatest hip-hop album ever.
*Get On Down is an acclaimed Boston-based record label and premium online boutique that offers all kinds of incredible rare products and collections.
Is this the best hip-hop album ever?
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