There are two moments that were particularly beautiful. The first was when we see a close up shot of a fence and then the lens switches its focus to the bridge far off in the distance past the fence. The patterns seemed to align in process. It almost seemed as if the fence became the bridge. Not only was it beautifully executed, it also stands as a stunning metaphor for Nas’ life trajectory from being stuck in the hood to attaining superstar status, from feeling imprisoned to a life rife with bridges out of the hood. The second moment that I found particularly beautiful was the b-roll during his Harvard visit. We look upward toward the edge of a stone fence and we see the leaves of the tree overhead as Nas waxes poetically about having made it to Harvard. It captured the mood very well. But apart from these two moments, I really enjoyed the director’s placement of Nas and his brother in the hood. In fact, we rarely get glimpses of his life now. I think it was exceedingly important to put Nas in the place where Illmatic took form, watching Nas and his brother’s live reactions as they walked through the hood and recounted stories from their childhood gave this film a sense of authenticity.