Illmatic, the 1994 debut album by Nas, made a significant impact on the hip hop genre. The album has been credited as one of the pivotal works that returned East Coast hip hop, particularly Queensbridge's hip hop scene, to prominence in a time when public attention was focused on West Coast releases. Nas' lyricism and storytelling on Illmatic has been regarded as setting a new standard for lyrical sophistication in major hip hop releases. The production of Illmatic has also been viewed as influential in cementing the characteristic sound of New York hip hop.
Many other hip hop artists have described Illmatic as having influenced them. Additionally, the album has received substantial discussion in academic and literary fields, including in the 2009 book Born to Use Mics. When reviewing Nas' later albums, critics have frequently compared those albums to Illmatic; in particular, Nas' albums from the later 1990s were often criticized for their departures from Illmatic's style.