There’s
a scene in the documentary Time is
Illmatic where the frame is filled with photos taken for the cover of Nas’
seminal album Illmatic. They are snapshots
of an era. Queensbridge. New York. 1994. In many ways, those scenes will never
be captured again but they also haven’t changed. Set against the backdrop of
this groundbreaking album, these first time filmmakers, One9 and Erik Parker, take
the viewer on a trip from the Great Migration, through redlining, to the beginnings
of hip hop and the takeover of crack to show the audience how Nasir Jones made
an album that would become a defining experience for many.
