Magnetic Memories
A hand-finished, collaborative print series.
Close your eyes, press play in your mind; what music do you hear…?
Maybe it’s the soundtrack to an era, reminds you of someone special, blew your mind, opened up new musical worlds? In an increasingly intangible world, these prints and this space act as visual-gateways to record and celebrate precious memories.
01. Nas ILLMATIC
Greg Lakin
“April 19th 1994. I'm 18 and have been a hip-hop fan since Run DMC’s ‘Walk This Way’ came out when I was 11. An extraordinary debut record is released from a 20 year old rapper from Queensbridge. It starts with echos of his breakthrough verse on Main Source's Nautilus sampling track ‘Live at the BBQ’, along with atmospheric sounds of New York trains and the Wildstyle break from the classic NYC graffiti movie. The introduction neatly puts the listener right onto his doorstep. What follows are 9 classic rap tunes, deep and intense. His flow uniquely effortless, his voice achingly cool, cigar-rough yet merlot-smooth. It sounds like a veteran's work.
Most impressive of all is how Nas poetically illustrates street life in a dangerous NYC housing project, with such detail, intelligence and realness. It’s what I found so exciting 28 years ago and still do today. 39 minutes, 10 tracks, no filler, no skits, only one guest MC and produced by 90s beat royalty: DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Q-Tip.”