Nas to Celebrate 20 Years with Release of ‘Illmatic XX’ + Official Cover Art admin Thursday, February 6, 2014 The Studio Twenty years ago, Nasir Jones (aka Nas) released Illmatic, which has been revered as one of the best hip hop/rap albums ever. Well, for the 20th year anniversary of its release, Nas will be re-releasing the album as Illmatic XX. #IllmaticXX – TIME FLY’s. Never thought i’d be making music this long. Appreciate the fans and the love. 2014 is the year of Illmatic XX. Album rerelease 4/15/2014! 20 years! WOW! – NAS The remastered album will feature all the original songs, plus demos and live radio. It will released as a double-CD. On March 29, Nas will commemorate the occasion with a special performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.