Stillmatic

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Stillmatic
Studio album by Nas
Released	December 18, 2001 (US)
Recorded	2001
Genre	East Coast hip hop Political hip hop
Length	60:27
Label	Ill Will/Columbia
Producer(s)	Nas Large Professor Chucky Thompson DJ Premier Ron Browz Salaam Remi Trackmasters Entertainment L.E.S. Baby Paul Mike Risko Hangmen 3 Megahertz Music Group Lofey
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Q Rolling Stone January 8, 2002 Spin Magazine Stylus Magazine (A-) The Source Vibe Magazine HipHopDX.com link
Nas chronology
Nastradamus (1999)	Stillmatic (2001)	The Best of Nas (2002)

Stillmatic is a hip hop album by Nas. It was released in December of 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.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Track listing 3 Album singles 4 Album Chart Positions 5 Singles Chart Positions 6 External links 6.1 Lyrics links

[edit] Overview

In what was perhaps the most significant comeback in hip hop history since LL Cool J's Mama Said Knock You Out, Stillmatic marked Nas' reemergence atop the rap scene, after many said his career was waning following his previous LP, Nastradamus (an album considered by critics 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 one of the few hip-hop artists to have two 5 mic albums (Illmatic and Stillmatic).

Stillmatic was one of the most highly anticipated hip-hop albums of the year, primarily due to the fallout from Nas' heated battle with rival Jay-Z. Jay-Z had previously insulted 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. On Stillmatic, Nas retaliated with the anticipated song, "Ether", a response to "Takeover" that labeled Jay-Z as both a sell-out artist, a hypocrite, and of stealing lyrics from Biggie. 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.

[edit] Track listing

#	Title	Performer(s)	Songwriters	Producer(s)	Samples
1	"Stillmatic (Intro)"	Nas	Nasir Jones J. Bynoe J. Backues Neal R. Scott Benny Hull Narada Michael Walden	Hangmen 3	Contains samples from "Let Me Be Your Angel" by Stacy Lattisaw, written by Narada Michael Walden and Benny Hull
2	"Ether"	Nas	Nasir Jones Rondell Turner	Ron Browz	Contains samples from "Fuck Friendz" by 2Pac, written by 2Pac, Quincy Jones III and Sean P. Young
3	"Got Ur Self A..."	Nas	Nasir Jones Megahertz Jake Black Chestur Arthur Burnett Simon Edwards Piers Marsh Rob Spragg	Megahertz Music Group	Contains samples from "Woke Up This Morning" by Alabama 3, written by Chester Arthur Burnett, Simon Edwards, Piers Marsh, Rob Spragg and Jake Black
4	"Smokin'"	Nas	Nasir Jones L. Gates	Nas
5	"You're Da Man"	Nas	Nasir Jones Paul Mitchell	Large Professor	Contains samples from "Sugar Man" by David Holmes, written by Jesus Rodriguez
6	"Rewind"	Nas	Nasir Jones Paul Mitchell Rick Rubin Louis Armstrong	Large Professor	Contains samples from "It's Yours" by T La Rock, written by Rick Rubin and Kevin Keaton Contains samples from "I'm Not Rough" by J Geils Band, written by Louis Armstrong
7	"One Mic"	Nas	Nasir Jones Chucky Thompson	Nas & Chucky Thompson	Contains samples from "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Babe" by Isaac Hayes
8	"2nd Childhood"	Nas	Nasir Jones Chris E. Martin Peabo Bryson	DJ Premier	Contains samples from "Born To Love" by Peabo Bryson, written by Peabo Bryson
9	"Destroy and Rebuild"	Nas	Nasir Jones Paul Hendricks Mike Risko Scott La Rock Lawrence Parker	Baby Paul & Mike Risko	Contains samples from "The Bridge is Over" by Boogie Down Productions, written by Lawrence Parker and Scott La Rock
10	"The Flyest"	AZ, Nas	Nasir Jones Anthony Cruz L. David Lewis S. Thomas	L.E.S.
11	"Rule"	Amerie, Nas	Nasir Jones Sam Barnes Jean-Claude Olivier Amerie Mi Marie Rogers	Trackmasters Entertainment	Contains samples from "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears, written by Chris Hughes, Roland Orzabal, and Ian Stanley
12	"My Country"	Millenium Thug, Nas	Nasir Jones Michael Sandlofer	Lofey
13	"What Goes Around"	Nas	Nasir Jones Salaam Gibbs	Salaam Remi
*14	"Every Ghetto" (Bonus Track)	Blitz, Nas	Nasir Jones L. David Lewis	L.E.S.

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.

[edit] Album singles

Single cover	Single information
	"Got Ur Self A..." Released: December 4, 2001 B-side: "You're Da Man"
	"One Mic" Released: April 16, 2002 B-side: "2nd Childhood"

[edit] Album Chart Positions

Year	Album	Chart positions
		Billboard 200	Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
2002	Stillmatic	#5	#1

[edit] Singles Chart Positions

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Billboard Hot 100	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles	Rhythmic Top 40	Hot Rap Tracks
2001	Got Ur Self A...	#87	#37	#2	-	-
2001	Ether	-	#50	-	-	-
2002	One Mic	#43	#14	#10	#32	#7
2002	Rule	-	#67	-	-	-
2002	You're Da Man	-	#76	-	-	-

[edit] External links

[edit] Lyrics links

• from The Original Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive (OHHLA) - includes most other Nas lyrics, including remixes and cameos, as well as lyrics of many other rappers.
• Nas Discography @ TheRapCella.com

Nas view • talk • edit
Discography
Albums and EPs: Illmatic • It Was Written • The Firm: The Album • I Am... • Nastradamus • QB's Finest • Stillmatic • The Best of Nas • The Lost Tapes • From Illmatic to Stillmatic: The Remixes EP • God's Son • Street's Disciple • Hip Hop Is Dead • The Lost Tapes 2
Singles: "Halftime" • "It Ain't Hard to Tell" • "The World Is Yours" • "Life's a Bitch" • "One Love" • "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" • "Street Dreams" • "Nas Is Like" • "Hate Me Now" • "Nastradamus" • "Got Ur Self A..." • "One Mic" • "Made You Look" • "I Can" • "Get Down" • "Thief's Theme" • "Bridging the Gap" • "Just a Moment" • "Hip Hop Is Dead"
Other
Belly • Nas vs. Jay-Z • Ill Will Records • The Bravehearts • AZ • Foxy Brown • Nature • Cormega