72
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Time OutJoshua RothkopfTime OutJoshua RothkopfThe final third is a crush of genius, with several Nas tracks (including his lovely, Michael Jackson-sampling “It Ain’t Hard to Tell”) receiving the kind of detailed breakdowns rare in pop-artist conversations.
- 75Slant MagazineSteve MacfarlaneSlant MagazineSteve MacfarlaneWhile the trivia value may feel tremendous, only One9's interviews with Nas, his father, Olu Dara, and his brother, Jungle, manage to make the doc legitimately moving--a history lesson in popular culture.
- One9 applies enough emotion and visual flourishes to steer clear of hacky Behind The Music territory.
- 70VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasThis brisk, stylish and extremely heartfelt portrait of Nas’ rise from the housing projects of Queensbridge to the heights of hip-hop royalty ably stands on its own, marked by an admirable focus on the man and his music rather than hype and hagiography.
- 70The DissolveNathan RabinThe DissolveNathan RabinTime Is Illmatic is a documentary worthy of its subject. It’s no masterpiece, but it’s a strong, substantive look at an album whose greatness was apparent immediately, but that’s still grown in stature since its release.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceTime Is Illmatic goes remarkably deep.
- 70The New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe New York TimesNicolas RapoldDespite some conventional moves here and there and a weakness for the cult of genius, the documentary sustains that uneasy mood cast by Nas’s expression as a child on the “Illmatic” cover, sobered by experience and wisdom before his time.
- 67The PlaylistRodrigo PerezThe PlaylistRodrigo PerezTime Is Illmatic is comprehensive, even wisely holistic, but still feels as though something is missing; it’s as if in trying to cover the history, the music, the ecosystem, the upbringing and the man itself, each cancels out the other out, leaving only a surface exploration.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeOne of the aspects that keeps Time from projecting an advertorial vibe, its indifference to outside voices, may also leave casual fans wanting a bit more.