Late Reg. is a great album for fall & winter.
Illmatic is up there with 36 Chambers and Midnight Marauders when it comes to early '90s NYC must haves, and I love it to death. But I never have and never will share the fairly common belief that it's the best hip-hop album of all time. Still, no denying its power. It sounds as fresh and as perfect now as it did then.
I wish Nas had more albums that hit the mark the way Illmatic did. I kinda think about half of his discography just kinda blows.
