Stillmatic
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Stillmatic is a hip hop album by Nas. It was released in December 2001 and was Nas' fifth studio album, following 1999's I Am... and Nastradamus. Upon its release, Stillmatic was hailed by many hip-hop fans as Nas's best album since his landmark debut, Illmatic.
Overview
Stillmatic marked Nas' reemergence atop of the rap scene, after many said his career was waning following his previous LP, Nastradamus (an album considered by critics and fans to have been the most mediocre album in his discography). The success of the album resurrected Nas' career, as he has since released several successful and critically acclaimed albums. Well received by critics, Stillmatic received 5 mics from The Source magazine–a distinction set aside only for classic hip-hop albums. Since then, Nas remains the only solo hip-hop artist to have two 5-mic albums upon release(Illmatic and Stillmatic). It was also ranked 20th on Chris Rock's 2005 list for Rolling Stone on the Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums of all time.[1]
Stillmatic was one of the most highly anticipated hip-hop albums of the year, primarily due to the fallout from Nas's heated battle with rival Jay-Z. Jay-Z had previously dissed Nas in his single "Takeover", taken from his September 2001 release, The Blueprint. At the time, the song's hard-hitting caliber was such that the song could have potentially ended Nas' career. On the contrary, however, the track seems to have merely served to reinvigorate Nas, as he responded with his own diss track. On Stillmatic, Nas retaliated with the anticipated song, "Ether", a response to "Takeover" that insinuated that Jay-Z had bitten lyrics from The Notorious B.I.G. several times, that he had sold out, and that he was a misogynist, among other things. Several hip-hop aficionados believe Nas won the feud based on this track, which many felt was much more vicious and ruthless than "Takeover", although this is still a subject of debate within hip-hop circles. Jay-Z would respond with the radio freestyle "Supa Ugly", which was not as well received as "Takeover" or "Ether".
The lead single from Stillmatic was "Got Ur Self A...", with a piano loop reminiscent of the music for a king's coronation and a sample from the well-known theme song of the HBO drama The Sopranos. The second single was "One Mic", which received acclaim for its content and video.
While widely-acclaimed in the hip-hop media, Stillmatic received more mediocre reviews from broader music review outlets such as Rolling Stone, Vibe, and All Music Guide. The album was certified platinum, though it failed to return Nas to the commercial peak he had reached in the mid and late '90s with It Was Written and I Am....
It is also noted that this is the first album where Nas collaborates with Salaam Remi and the last where he collaborates with DJ Premier.
Track listing
| # | Title | Length | Performer(s) | Songwriters | Producer(s) | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Stillmatic (Intro)" | 2:11 | Nas | Nasir Jones J. Bynoe J. Backues Neal R. Scott Benny Hull Narada Michael Walden |
Hangmen 3 |
|
| 2 | "Ether" | 4:37 | Nas | Nasir Jones Rondell Turner |
Ron Browz |
|
| 3 | "Got Ur Self A..." | 3:48 | Nas | Nasir Jones Megahertz Jake Black Chestur Arthur Burnett Simon Edwards Piers Marsh Rob Spragg |
Megahertz Music Group |
|
| 4 | "Smokin'" | 3:47 | Nas | Nasir Jones L. Gates |
Nas | |
| 5 | "You're Da Man" | 3:26 | Nas | Nasir Jones Paul Mitchell |
Large Professor |
|
| 6 | "Rewind" | 2:13 | Nas | Nasir Jones Paul Mitchell Rick Rubin Louis Armstrong |
Large Professor |
|
| 7 | "One Mic" | 4:28 | Nas | Nasir Jones Chucky Thompson |
Nas & Chucky Thompson for The Hitmen |
|
| 8 | "2nd Childhood" | 3:51 | Nas | Nasir Jones Chris E. Martin Peabo Bryson |
DJ Premier |
|
| 9 | "Destroy and Rebuild" | 5:24 | Nas | Nasir Jones Paul Hendricks Mike Risko Scott La Rock Lawrence Parker |
Baby Paul & Mike Risko |
|
| 10 | "The Flyest" | 4:38 | AZ, Nas | Nasir Jones Anthony Cruz L. David Lewis S. Thomas |
L.E.S.
| |
| 11 | "Rule" | 4:32 | Amerie, Nas | Nasir Jones Sam Barnes Jean-Claude Olivier Amerie Mi Marie Rogers |
Trackmasters Entertainment |
|
| 12 | "My Country" | 5:12 | Millennium Thug, Nas | Nasir Jones Michael Sandlofer |
Lofey | |
| 13 | "What Goes Around" | 4:59 | Nas | Nasir Jones Salaam Gibbs |
Salaam Remi | |
| *14 | "Every Ghetto" (Bonus Track) | 3:29 | Blitz, Nas | Nasir Jones L. David Lewis |
LES |
|
The first pressing of Stillmatic featured "Braveheart Party", produced by Swizz Beatz and featuring Mary J. Blige and The Bravehearts, as track number eleven, between "The Flyest" and "Rule". "Braveheart Party" was removed from future pressings of the album as Blige stated that her vocals and the instrumental track were culled, without her permission, from unfinished recording sessions for her own album. As "Braveheart Party" was cited by many reviewers and fans as the weakest track on the LP, it was removed from the album without dispute.
The Japanese release of "Stillmatic" features three extra tracks: "No Idea Is Original", "Everybody's Crazy" and "Black Zombies" which are all found on The Lost Tapes, a Nas compilation album.
For a limited time in the U.S., Circuit City sold a version of the album with "No Idea's Original" and "Everybody's Crazy" as additional tracks.
Unreleased songs
- "The Death of Escobar"
- "You Can't Stop Me" (Produced By Kanye West) Samples - Sam Salter's After 12, Before 6 - Confirmed by Kanye West on MTV report Article in 2001[1]
- "Kids Have All the Fun"
Credits
- Executive Producer: Destiny Jones
- Mastering: Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound Studios, NYC
- A&R Direction: Lenny Nicholson
- Album Coordination: Nikki Martin
- Marketing: David Belgrave
- Art Direction & Design: Chris Feldmann
- Photography: Sacha Waldman
- Producer: Daquan Williams
Chart positions
Album
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 5 |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 1 |
Singles
| Song | Chart (2001/2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Ether" | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 50 |
| "Got Ur Self A..." | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 87 |
| "Got Ur Self A..." | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 37 |
| "Got Ur Self A..." | U.S. Hot Rap Tracks | 2 |
| "Got Ur Self A..." | UK Singles Chart | 30 |
| "One Mic" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 43 |
| "One Mic" | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 14 |
| "One Mic" | U.S. Hot Rap Tracks | 10 |
| "Rule" | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 67 |
| "You're da Man" | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 76 |
References
External links
- Nas Discography @ TheRapCella.com