I’ve been listening to a lot of Elmatic lately, it really is a fantastic tribute to a classic. The recreated beats by Will Sessions are amazing, the live instrumentation really gives the music some new life. Elzhi’s reinterpretation of Illmatic is very tasteful/respectful and carries over the same kind of vibes that are present in Nas’ album as well. There was a lot that could have gone wrong with this concept, but in the end the amazing talent shared between Elzhi and Will Sessions was more than enough to ensure that this album may be considered a classic in its own right.