Nas: Time is Illmatic

Nas: Time Is Illmatic

(A Black History Month Special)

One9 and Eric Parker, 2014, 74 min.

21 years after the release of Nas’s groundbreaking debut album "Illmatic,"  Nas: Time Is Illmatic takes us into the heart of his creative process. Returning to his childhood home in Queensbridge, Nas shares stories of his upbringing, his influences — from the music of his jazz musician father Olu Dara to the burgeoning hip-hop scene in New York City — and the obstacles he faced before his major label signing at age 20. Featuring interviews with his ‘Illmatic’ producers (Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and DJ Premier) and musical peers (including Pharrell Williams and Alicia Keys), Nas: Time Is Illmatic is a thrilling account of Nas’s evolution from a young street poet to a visionary MC.

Skype Q&A with filmmakers One9 and Eric Parker to follow the screening on Friday, February 20th.
Q&A with producer Martha Diaz to follow the screening on Saturday,  February 21st.

Martha Diaz is a community organizer, educator, media producer, archivist and social entrepreneur. She has been dedicated to advancing social justice, cultivating leaders and artists, and mentoring youth for over 15 years. She was a production assistant for the late Ted Demme, the TV and film producer/director behind Yo! MTV Raps (1988), Life (1999), Blow  (2001)  and  A Decade Under the Influence (2003). In 1999, Diaz produced and directed, H2O [Hip-Hop Odyssey] , a short documentary on the evolution and global impact of Hip-Hop culture. In 2002, Diaz formed the H2O International Film Festival and subsequently developed the Hip-Hop Association [H2A]. For seven years, Diaz served as president and executive director of the H2A; she is currently its chair. Diaz launched H2ONewsreel , the first Hip-Hop media distribution label dedicated to the education field, in collaboration with Third World Newsreel.  As a 2008 NYU Gallatin Graduate student and a Catherine B. Reynolds Fellow, she founded the Hip-Hop Education Center for Research, Evaluation and Training, in partnership with Dr. Pedro Noguera of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Behavior.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VNFCnS9c1E

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/923276851040229/

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1257396