Ceasar Mancuso's definitions
ill means to be sick. -matic means willing to perform. So sickly willing to perform. But language can be fluid. Willing to perform could be the same as driven(ambitious). In this sense it means to be sickly driven. Sickly because of the environment that Nas grew up in.
The times are illmatic.
by Ceasar Mancuso September 9, 2020
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