Illmatic is highly regarded as one of Hip Hop’s greatest and most influential albums of all time, with good reason. The album ushered in the trend of using multiple producers on a single project, featuring the likes of Large Professor, L.E.S., Q-Tip, and DJ Premier in the early stages of their respective careers. Aside from the stellar production, with only a meager 10 tracks, Illmatic showcased  Nas‘ extensive and unmatched lyrical ability, quickly ascending him to the peak of rap’s elite off of his first offering.

Perhaps the most iconic feature of the album however, was it’s cover which bore an image of a 7-year-old Nas superimposed over his stomping ground, Queensbridge, NY. The cover was the perfect personification for the album, as it embodied the themes, mood, and content of Nas’ narrative. While it’s believed the idea for the cover was influenced from Howard Hanger Trio‘s 1974 jazz album, A Child is Born, Illmatic marked the first time in Hip Hop history that a baby photo was used for cover art. Since Illmatic, several artists have similarly had cover art bearing either baby photos of themselves, or children posing as them. In honor of the 20th anniversary of Illmatic take a “trip down memory lane” with these album covers featuring kids in the pages below.

-Khari Clarke (@KINGCLARKEIII)