Nas

Stillmatic

Nasty Nas Is Back And Is 'STILLmatic'

Review Score:

(10/10)
People have criticised Nas for not being able to produce another illmatic, but my question to those critics is 'Who in the rap industry can?'. Illmatic is definitely a classic, and is deifinitely in my opinion in top 3 best rap albums of all time. Stillmatic in my opinion is also a classic, and was the best rap album of 2001, by far. It may not be as good as Illmatic, but it definitely earns the title Nas gave it, "Stillmatic".

Nas opens the album, in a great fashion, by blatantly telling the world that he is back. He states, " I crawled up outta that grave, Wipin' that dirt, Cleanin' my shirt, they thought I'd make another Illmatic, but it's always forward I'm moving, never backwards, stupid here's another classic."

The second track, he makes a reply to Jay-Z's 'The Takeover'. Here he disses Jay-Z, with absolutely no pity. This is in my opinion the best diss in rap, along side Pac's 'Hit Em Up'& Ice Cube's 'No Vaseline'. He talks about Jay-Z copying Biggie's lyrics - 'How much of Biggie's rhymes is going to come out of your fat lips.' ...
He even goes further by saying that Jay-Z was called ugly during his youth, & being a sex slave to Foxy Brown. To some it all up, it is obvious that Nas won, and is definitely a better rapper.

His first single from this album was 'Got Ur Self A...' This single is really good, he mentions coming back to the rap industry to save it, from most of the poor rappers on the scene now. 'Every word is like a sawed off blast, cause ya'll are all soft and I'm the black hearse that came to haul ya'll ... in.'

Nas also shows his true rap skills and inner feelings, in probably the best song of the album, 'One Mic'. He says he doesn't need the cars, the jewellery, the cash, all he needs is one mic. True Nas fans know that this the truth. 'All I need Is One Mic, One beat, One stage, One nigga front, my face or on the front page' He just lets all his feeling out, with no exceptions, 'Women left me cause they thought I was finished,
Shoulda knew she wasn't true she came to me when her man caught a sentence, Diamonds are blindin, I never make the same mistakes.' How many rappers would say that.

He also displays his political side in the 'Rule' feat. Amerie, and also 'My Country'. In 'Rule', he makes reference to September 11th, and other important issues. In 'My Country', he talks about the Government lying to him. He mentions how when he was young he considered himself as part of the country, but not anymore. He talks of Martin, Malcolm & Patrice Lamumba, which all wanted peace and equality, but were destroyed by their own countries. (ie. USA)

As we know he is very creative, but nobody would have thought he could write a rap backwards, with the words also in reverse. This is in 'Rewind'.'I spit a story backwards, Which just starts at the endin'. As I said, he even puts in quotations which are in reverse, for example, 'My brother, Jungle, utters out something crazy like "go he There"'. The rap skills are incredible, this is first time someone in rap history has done this.

He even takes out time to dis other rappers from his own hood, like Cormega and Prodigy, in the song 'Destroy & Rebuild'. He states 'Since we on the subject, of traitors and flunkies
Mega ain't the only fag*ot in my hood, dummies.' He says how people are jealous of his success, even he friend Prodigy. Prodigy of Mobb Deep I don't think took offense, but Cormega and Nature have made reply's (obviously not as good).

To some it all up this album is GREAT, if someone says it is better than Illmatic I wouldn't argue against them. It is incredible, if this is the only Nas album you got do as Nas says and 'Hit the record store, never let me go get my whole collection, yo.'

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