Music consumption and discussion in 2024 bears little resemblance to fandom from one decade ago, let alone three or four. Old songs gain new life on TikTok; AI creates original music trained on data from the world's most popular artists; drill rappers post a song on YouTube on Tuesday, and by Friday it's thumping in the dormitories of elite colleges. Many have considered how this digital ecosystem influences the buying and selling of music. But a related question has mostly escaped inquiry: How does it impact the way music is honored and remembered' Few albums demonstrate the stark contrasts in music appreciation as well as Nas' 1994 genre-defining Illmatic, widely recognized as one of the most important albums ever made. Today, the 30th anniversary of its release, offers an opportunity to reflect not only on the album, but on how the modern music industry and the technology that drives it (streaming, social media, artificial intelligence) has changed the landscape in a manner that...
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