--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The things Nas' Illmatic was saying were…" description: "\"The things Nas' Illmatic was saying were sometimes hard realities but it was done on such a high level, I felt I could point to him as a representative..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/erik-parker-41220_done_the-things-nas-illmatic-was-saying-were_2904950.jpg" --- # The things Nas' Illmatic was saying were sometimes hard… ![“The things Nas' Illmatic was saying were sometimes hard realities but it was done on such a high level, I felt I could point to him as a representative. Someone who put my struggle and my worldview into poetry.” quote by Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/erik-parker-41220_done_the-things-nas-illmatic-was-saying-were_2904950.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/erik-parker-41220_done_the-things-nas-illmatic-was-saying-were_2904950.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28e/erik-parker-41220_done_the-things-nas-illmatic-was-saying-were_2904950.jpg) > “The things Nas' Illmatic was saying were sometimes hard realities but it was done on such a high level, I felt I could point to him as a representative. Someone who put my struggle and my worldview into poetry.” [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nas’s album captures harsh realities with artistic mastery, becoming a voice for shared struggles. **In simple terms:** Nas expresses struggle through poetry. Key Takeaway Seek art that reflects personal experience. Themes music poetry social commentary Mood reflective inspired Type analytical motivational When to use this quote - listening to albums - writing - community workshops Key Concepts authenticity expression identity Questions to Reflect On - Which songs resonate with your story? - How does art influence personal growth? A Different Perspective Art may not reach all audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [My struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-struggle/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapper/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Representatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representatives/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Worldview](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldview/) ## Related quotes > [Nas' Illmatic blew my mind when I first heard it. The poetry was done on such a high level that in a way, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-parker/nas-illmatic-blew-my-mind-when-i-first-heard-it-the-poetry-was-done/) [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) > [Most people live with pleasant illusions, but leaders must deal with hard realities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-woodward/most-people-live-with-pleasant-illusions-but-leaders-must-deal-with/) [Orrin Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-woodward/) > [“All around the world, the hard realities of a warming world are crashing up against the brutal logic of austerity, revealing just how untenable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/all-around-the-world-the-hard-realities-of-a-warming-world-are/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [It is inevitable that many ideas of the young mind will later have to give way to the hard realities of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/it-is-inevitable-that-many-ideas-of-the-young-mind-will-later-have-to/) [Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/) > [It used to be when a good record was about to drop you heard it out of every car and every kid with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mic-geronimo/it-used-to-be-when-a-good-record-was-about-to-drop-you-heard-it-out/) [Mic Geronimo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mic-geronimo/) > [When I made Illmatic, I was trying to make the perfect album. It comes from the days of Wild Style. I was trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/when-i-made-illmatic-i-was-trying-to-make-the-perfect-album-it-comes/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I'm Ready to Die without a Reasonable Doubt Smoke Chronic and hit it Doggystyle before I go out. Until they sign my Death Certificate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayceon-terrell-taylor/i-m-ready-to-die-without-a-reasonable-doubt-smoke-chronic-and-hit-it/) [Jayceon Terrell Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayceon-terrell-taylor/) > [I get sick of saying how hard everything is. It's hard to get up in the morning. Everything's hard. Everything takes effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-get-sick-of-saying-how-hard-everything-is-it-s-hard-to-get-up-in/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [When u say its hard it actually means I'm not strong enough to fight for it stop saying is hard .think positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikkie/when-u-say-its-hard-it-actually-means-i-m-not-strong-enough-to-fight/) [Nikkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikkie/) > [“People think it's how hard you kick that hurts,' Mr Vandemar's voice was saying. 'But it's not how hard you kick. It's where.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-think-it-s-how-hard-you-kick-that-hurts-mr-vandemar-s-voice/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When you say Its hard, it actually means Im not strong enough to fight for it. Stop saying its hard. Think positive!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-say-its-hard-it-actually-means-im-not-strong-enough-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It goes without saying that it's hard to attain a certain level of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-i/it-goes-without-saying-that-it-s-hard-to-attain-a-certain-level-of/) T.I > [“Saying it's hard being straight is like complaining to the poor that it's difficult being wealthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/saying-it-s-hard-being-straight-is-like-complaining-to-the-poor-that/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [Knowing the truth is the easy part, saying it is the hard part](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/knowing-the-truth-is-the-easy-part-saying-it-is-the-hard-part/) Senoraroy > [I love you,its simple saying,but hard to believe for someone who say it..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madz/i-love-you-its-simple-saying-but-hard-to-believe-for-someone-who-say/) Madz ## More by Erik Parker > [Hip hop is still strong. As an art form, music helps people express themselves, find meaning in their own lives and connect with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-parker/hip-hop-is-still-strong-as-an-art-form-music-helps-people-express/) [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) > [Nas' Illmatic blew my mind when I first heard it. The poetry was done on such a high level that in a way, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-parker/nas-illmatic-blew-my-mind-when-i-first-heard-it-the-poetry-was-done/) [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) > [Older generations can sometimes look down on today's hip hop but I refuse that mindset. I remember how hurt I was when older people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-parker/older-generations-can-sometimes-look-down-on-today-s-hip-hop-but-i/) [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) > [All the songs are pieces to the puzzle. They each represent something different. So it's really difficult to say one song represents the album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-parker/all-the-songs-are-pieces-to-the-puzzle-they-each-represent-something/) [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) > [There are songs and artists now who are trying to do the same thing: be honest to their experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-parker/there-are-songs-and-artists-now-who-are-trying-to-do-the-same-thing/) [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) > [Hip hop has evolved, thankfully. Kids are making music that is important to their lives and outlooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-parker/hip-hop-has-evolved-thankfully-kids-are-making-music-that-is/) [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) > [We need to do stuff we've always done, even though you might not like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-parker/we-need-to-do-stuff-we-ve-always-done-even-though-you-might-not-like/) [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) > [If you see yourself reflected in art, you feel validated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-parker/if-you-see-yourself-reflected-in-art-you-feel-validated/) [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) > [Every piece of music is not for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-parker/every-piece-of-music-is-not-for-everybody/) [Erik Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) [Explore all 10 Erik Parker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-parker/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. 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But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) Browse all 25,653 Done quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The things Nas' Illmatic was saying were sometimes hard realities but it was done on such a high level, I felt I could point to him as a representative. 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