{"product_id":"9780786727650","title":"Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic","description":"At the age of nineteen, Nasir “Nas” Jones began recording tracks for his debut album—and changed the music world forever. Released in 1994, \u003ci\u003eIllmatic\u003c\/i\u003e was hailed as an instant masterpiece and has proven one of the most influential albums in hip-hop history. With its close attention to beats and lyricism, and riveting first-person explorations of the isolation and desolation of urban poverty, \u003ci\u003eIllmatic\u003c\/i\u003e was pivotal in the evolution of the genre.\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eBorn to Use Mics\u003c\/i\u003e, Michael Eric Dyson and Sohail Daulatzai have brought together renowned writers and critics including Mark Anthony Neal, Marc Lamont Hill, Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., and many others to confront \u003ci\u003eIllmatic\u003c\/i\u003e song by song, with each scholar assessing an individual track from the album. The result is a brilliant engagement with and commentary upon one of the most incisive sets of songs ever laid down on wax.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Basic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47107134128368,"sku":"9780786727650","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780786727650_p0.jpg?v=1763664039","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780786727650","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}