'Nas: Time Is Illmatic' is endlessly watchable, but lacks context

"I NEVER sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death," spits emcee Nasir Jones, a/k/a Nas, on his seminal 1994 hip-hop album, "Illmatic," solidifying the dramatic, bleak tone that pervades the piece. However, in many ways, our hero was merely reflecting on his upbringing and, ultimately, continuing the tradition of hip-hop in the '90s - what Public Enemy's Chuck D once called "black America's CNN."

Information, after all, is power.

Fast forward 20 years, and it appears that that sentiment has paid off, with Nas counting himself among rap's most honored luminaries thanks to the now-fundamental album. Gone are the days when young Nas eschewed sleep in favor of perpetual wakefulness, his worry for simple survival now replaced with musings about his legacy. Indeed, both the master and his form have evolved.

The answer to how a scrappy kid from Queens ended up in this situation is - no doubt - a complicated one. Still, a comprehensive explanation is at the heart of "Nas: Time Is Illmatic."

Directed by multimedia artist One9 and written by former Vibe and The Source music editor Erik Parker, "Time Is Illmatic" opens with Nas stepping into a limo to attend a news conference promoting his new Nasir Jones Fellowship as part of Harvard's Hip Hop Archive. It is a far cry from the cramped Queensbridge projects where Nas started out hustling.

No stone - sociopolitical or otherwise - is left unturned, thanks to the eclectic cast of interviewees, with the film tracing the influences of "Illmatic" back to not only the popular rap of the day, but also New York's burgeoning (at the time) crack epidemic and the city's failing school system. Primarily, though, "Time Is Illmatic" intently examines Nas' upbringing during one of New York's toughest times, with events like his parents' divorce and the murder of friend "Ill" Willie Graham.

The result is a decidedly gloomy account of one star's rise, though the film isn't without its humor. Brother "Jungle" Jones provides laughs throughout, even when discussing "Ill" Will's murder, which left Jungle himself injured and shaken for months afterward. Of greater comedic note is Nas' reaction to recounting the old-school rap battles between the South Bronx's KRS-One and The Boogie Down Productions and the Queensbridge-based Juice Crew, headed up by the famed Marley Marl.

But while "Time Is Illmatic" offers a substantially nuanced, intimate perspective on what led to 1994's "Illmatic" release, there is nary a hint of what came after, robbing the audience of a larger context in not only Nas' life, but hip-hop as an art form. This leaves it up to the audience to know why the album is important. The film lacks the insistence and drive that made "Illmatic" a great album in the first place. It's more of a love letter to a great album rather than an explanation of that album's greatness. But what a love letter it is.

"Time Is Illmatic" emerges as an endlessly watchable account of one of hip-hop's greatest releases. Replete with interesting characters, heartfelt reminiscing and impressively intimate camerawork that speaks to the namesake album's personal tone, the film ultimately is an engaging one, whether you're a superfan or just a casual observer.

Of course, if you want to know more, you can always listen to the album.