| Stillmatic | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by Nas | |
|
Released |
18 December 2001 |
|
Recorded |
1999-2001 at Right Track Recording (NYC), Lobo Recording (Long Island, NYC), The Hit Factory Studios (NYC), Sony Studios (Santa Monica, CA), D&D Studios (NYC), Compass Point Studios (Nassau, Bahamas), Patchwerk Studios (Atlanta, GA) and Playpen Recording Studios (NYC) |
|
Genre |
60:17 |
|
Label |
Ill Will, Columbia/SME |
|
Producer |
Baby Paul, DJ Premier, Hangmen 3 Productions, Destiny Jones (exec.), L.E.S., Large Professor, Lofey, Megahertz Music Group, Nas, Precision, Salaam "The Chameleon" Remi, Mike Risko, Ron Browz, Staff, Swizz Beats, Chucky Thompson, Track Masters Entertainment |
| Nas chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Previous |
Nastradamus (1999) |
|
Next |
The Lost Tapes (2002) |
Stillmatic is the fifth studio album by American rapper Nas, released in 2001 on Columbia Records and Ill Will Records. Though he had gained critical acclaim with his classic debut album Illmatic in 1994, Nas' image had been quickly deteriorating in the hip community with his change of theme, from the philosophical and conscious topics of Illmatic to the commercialised sound that became the focus of his later albums. Some criticised Nas' inability to continue his critical success, including Jay-Z on his song "Takeover" with a line claiming that Nas had "a one hot album every ten year average". The release of Stillmatic was an attempt by Nas to reestablish his credibility in the hip hop community, with the title signifying his intentions to continue where Illmatic finished.
Nas' lyrics address topics such as ghetto life, domestic and foreign policies in the United States, and his feud with rapper Jay-Z. The album includes the notorious diss track "Ether", which is a scathing attack on Jay-Z and is remembered as one of the most influential diss recordings in hip hop history.
Stillmatic served as a commercial and critical success that helped to re-establish Nas' career, following a period of critical disappoinment with his last two albums. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and sold over 2,026,000 copies in the United States. Upon its release, Stillmatic received mixed reviews from most mainstream music publications, but it achieved a fair amount of acclaim from within the hip hop community, who viewed it as a comeback album.
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stillmatic (The Intro)" | Nas | Bynoe, Hull, Jones, Neal, Scott, Walden | Hangmen 3 Productions | 2:15 |
| 2. | "Ether" | Nas | Jones, Turner | Ron Browz | 4:35 |
| 3. | "Got Ur Self A..." | Nas | Black, Burnett, Edwards, Jones, Marsh, Megahertz, Spragg | Megahertz Music Group | 3:49 |
| 4. | "Smokin'" | Nas | Gates, Jones | Nas, Precision | 3:48 |
| 5. | "You're da Man" | Nas | Jones, Mitchell | Large Professor | 3:26 |
| 6. | "Rewind" | Nas | Armstrong, Jones, Mitchell, Rubin | Large Professor | 2:14 |
| 7. | "One Mic" | Nas | Jones, Thompson | Nas, Chucky Thompson | 4:29 |
| 8. | "2nd Childhood" | Nas | Bryson, Jones, Martin | DJ Premier | 3:52 |
| 9. | "Destroy & Rebuild" | Nas | Hendricks, Jones, Parker, Risko, Sterling | Baby Paul, Mike Risko | 5:24 |
| 10. | "The Flyest" | Nas, AZ | Cruz, Jones, Lewis, Thomas | L.E.S., Staff | 4:38 |
| 11. | "Braveheart Party" | Nas, Mary J. Blige, Bravehearts | Swizz Beatz | 3:43 | |
| 12. | "Rule" | Nas, Amerie | Barnes, Jones, Olivier, Rogers | Track Masters Entertainment | 4:32 |
| 13. | "My Country" | Nas | Jones, Sandlofer | Lofey | 5:13 |
| 14. | "What Goes Around" | Nas | Gibbs, Jones | Salaam "The Chameleon" Remi | 5:00 |
| Bonus Track | |||||
| 15. | "Every Ghetto" | Nas, Blitz | ? | L.E.S. | 3:29 |
Notes
- The track "Braveheart Party" was removed from later pressings of Stillmatic at Mary J. Blige's request.