I was late on NaS. Real late. I'll admit I didn't check for Illmatic until The Source put out that greatest albums of all time issue in 1998. Before that, I only really knew of It Was Written NaS. So when they had Illmatic #1, I went and copped.
Blown away.
NY State Of Mind to me was the opposite of If I Ruled The World and the Street Dreams remix with R.Kelly.