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Nas in Time Is Illmatic
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The Tribeca Film Festival has announced today that it will open with the world premiere of the documentary Time Is Illmatic. It continues the festival's trend for opening with musical documentaries, after last year's Mistaken For Strangers and 2011 opener The Union.
Time Is Illmatic follows the trajectory of rapper Nas’ 1994 landmark debut album, Illmatic - widely considered a hip-hop benchmark. The premiere on Wednesday, April 16 will be a performance by Nas of the entire album. Time is Illmatic, is directed by multimedia artist, One9, written by Erik Parker, and produced by One9, Parker, and Anthony Saleh.
Time Is Illmatic traces Nas’s influences and the insurmountable odds he faced in creating the greatest work of music from hip-hop’s second golden era. The film tracks the musical legacy of the Jones family - handed down to Nas from his jazz musician father, Olu Dara, the support of his Queensbridge neighborhood crew, and the loyalty of his younger brother Jabari “Jungle” Fret.
“I want to thank the Tribeca Film Festival for supporting the film with the incredible platform they've built over the years,” said Nas. “It's an honour to premiere this film in my hometown. I also want to thank One9 and Erik Parker for their persistence and hard work. Those guys and I come from the same place and era, which gives the doc an authenticity that is important to me. We wanted this film to represent the real, from the storyline all the way down to the directors and producers.”
Festival CEO co-founder Jane Rosenthal added: “Like the Festival itself, Time is Illmatic and the groundbreaking body of work it recognises has roots grounded in New York City, but represents and reaches communities far beyond.
“The film spotlights a musical journey with community and family at its core and we look forward to celebrating this pivotal moment in hip hop history as we open our 13th edition.”
“Throughout the journey, we see the metamorphosis of Nas as a young street poet, full of a rich musical legacy, transforming the pain and isolation of growing up in Queensbridge Houses into raw, honest lyrics, illuminating a spirit that inspired generations from the past, present, and the future. Experiencing the stories, passion, and energy of a modern day alchemist shaping lyrical dust to diamonds was truly an honor and we are extremely proud to premiere the film at Tribeca,” said One9. “I want to thank Nas, Jungle, Olu Dara, The Jones family, the Tribeca Film Institute, and Ford Foundation for allowing Erik Parker and me to create an authentic and unfiltered documentary film.”
The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival will announce its feature film slate the first week of March. Read our coverage from previous years here.
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Nas in Time Is Illmatic
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