Stillmatic

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Stillmatic
L.E.S.
  • Large Professor
  • Lofey
  • Mike Risko
  • Nas
  • Ron Browz
  • Salaam Remi
  • Trackmasters
  • Precision
    • Nas chronology
    Nastradamus
    (1999)     		Stillmatic
    (2001)     		The Lost Tapes
    (2002)
    Singles from Stillmatic
    1. "Rule"
      Released: October 6, 2001
    2. "
      Got Ur Self A...
      "
      Released: December 4, 2001
    3. "The Flyest"
      Released: December 16, 2001
    4. "One Mic"
      Released: April 16, 2002

    Stillmatic is the fifth

    studio album by American rapper Nas, released on December 18, 2001, by Ill Will and Columbia Records. In contrast to his previous work's gangsta rap themes, the album contains socially conscious and philosophical themes similar to that of his 1994 debut Illmatic. Nas' lyrics address topics such as ghetto life, American politics, and his feud with rapper Jay-Z
    .

    Stillmatic was a commercial and critical success and helped re-establish Nas' career, following a period of critical disappointment with his previous album Nastradamus (released in 1999).[1][2] It debuted at number 8 on the US Billboard 200 and sold over 342,600 in its first week of sales, eventually going on to sell over 2,026,000 copies in the United States.[3] It has been certified Platinum by Recording Industry Association of America.[4]

    Background

    Though he had gained critical acclaim with his classic debut album

    I Am... and Nastradamus were considered mediocre in comparison by critics.[5][6]
    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 left off.

    Feud with Jay-Z

    Jay-Z had previously dissed Nas in his song "

    The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse and the radio freestyle "Supa Ugly."[7]

    Singles

    The first single from Stillmatic was "

    crime drama The Sopranos. The third single was "One Mic", which received acclaim for its content and video.[citation needed
    ]

    Critical reception

    Professional ratings
    Aggregate scores
    SourceRating
    Metacritic69/100[9]
    Review scores
    SourceRating
    AllMusic[10]
    Blender[11]
    Los Angeles Times[12]
    NME7/10[13]
    Pitchfork9.1/10[14]
    Rolling Stone[15]
    The Source5/5[16]
    Spin7/10[17]
    USA Today[18]
    Vibe3.5/5[19]

    Stillmatic was met with generally positive reviews. At

    average score of 69, based on 12 reviews.[9]

    Jay-Z battle, but more seems due to the deeper, internal struggle Nas has waged against the fallout from his early, precocious success".[7] Steve Jones of USA Today stated, "diss songs aside, Nas' strength has always been his incisive lyrical analyses of current events."[18] John Bush from AllMusic said: "Dropping many of the mainstream hooks and featured performers in order to focus his rapping, Nas proves he's still a world-class rhymer, but he does sound out of touch in the process of defending his honor. Despite the many highlights, a few of the tracks just end up weighing him down".[10] Elizabeth Mendez Berry of Vibe called it "infuriatingly inconsistent" but also "an exercise in lyrical courage and musical might".[19]

    Some reviewers were more critical. Rolling Stone magazine's Kathryn McGuire said: "Striving to maintain street cred while reaching for pop success has left Nas vacillating clumsily on past projects, and this record is riddled with similar inconsistencies. One moment he casts himself as a gritty cat who feels most at home on a project bench, calling out neighborhood snakes ('Destroy and Rebuild') and ducking gunshots ('One Mic'). The next, he's delivering dumbed-down verses over the Track Masters' rinky-dink rendition of Tears for Fears' 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World.'"[15] In The Village Voice's "Consumer Guide", Robert Christgau found the release unworthy of a review and instead relegated it to a listing of ungraded "duds" in the column.[20]

    Retrospective appraisals have been relatively positive. In

    Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Colin Larkin commended Nas for "rebuilding his creative and commercial standing" in the early 2000s with Stillmatic.[21] In 2005, Chris Rock compiled a list of his Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums of all time, to which he ranked Stillmatic at number 20, commenting "It's like Mama Said Knock You Out eleven years earlier, where a guy just reclaimed his spot with some great records".[22]

    Track listing

    Stillmatic track listing
    No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
    1."Stillmatic (The Intro)"
    		Hangmen 32:11
    2."Ether"
    		Ron Browz4:37
    3."Got Ur Self a Gun"
    		Megahertz3:48
    4."Smokin'"JonesNas, Precision3:47
    5."You're da Man"
    		Large Professor3:26
    6."Rewind"
    		Large Professor2:13
    7."One Mic"
    		Nas, Chucky Thompson for The Hitmen4:28
    8."2nd Childhood"
    		DJ Premier3:51
    9."Destroy & Rebuild"
    • Jones
    • Lawrence Parker
    • Paul Hendricks
    • Michael Risko
    		Baby Paul, Mike Risko5:24
    10."The Flyest" (featuring AZ)
    		L.E.S.4:38
    11."Rule" (featuring Amerie)
    		Trackmasters4:32
    12."My Country" (featuring Millennium Thug)
    		Lofey5:12
    13."What Goes Around" (featuring Keon Bryce)JonesSalaam Remi4:59
    14."Every Ghetto" (featuring Blitz The Ambassador)
    • Jones
    • Lewis
    		L.E.S.3:28
    Total length:56:34
    Disc 2 (Limited Edition)
    No.TitleProducerLength
    1."No Idea's Original"The Alchemist3:07
    2."U Gotta Love It" (snippet)L.E.S.1:33
    3."My Way" (snippet)The Alchemist1:36
    4."Make It Last" (snippet)L.E.S.1:57
    5."Doo Rags" (snippet)Precision1:22
    Total length:9:35

    Notes

    Samples

    Personnel

    Charts

    Weekly charts

    Weekly chart performance for Stillmatic
    Chart (2001–2002) Peak
    position
    Australian Albums (ARIA)[24] 54
    Nielsen SoundScan)[25]
    		 28
    Canadian R&B Albums (
    Nielsen SoundScan)[26]
    		 9
    Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[27] 40
    French Albums (
    SNEP)[28]
    		 124
    German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 64
    Japanese Albums (Oricon)[30] 95
    Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 56
    US Billboard 200[32] 5
    US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[33] 1

    Year-end charts

    Year-end chart performance for Stillmatic
    Chart (2002) Position
    Canadian R&B Albums (
    Nielsen SoundScan)[34]
    		 37
    Canadian Rap Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[35] 19
    US Billboard 200[36] 31
    US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[37] 5

    Certifications

    Certifications for Stillmatic
    Region Certification Certified units/sales
    Canada (Music Canada)[38] Gold 50,000^
    United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Gold 100,000*
    United States (RIAA)[40] Platinum 1,000,000^

    * Sales figures based on certification alone.
    ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

    References

    1. ^ Ryan et al. Hoard (2004), p. 568.
    2. ^ Leroy, Dan. "Nas Reviews". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
    3. Nielsen Business Media
      ) 120 (27): 33. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
    4. ^ "RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
    5. ^ a b c Birchmeier, Jason. Biography: Nas. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-11-21.
    6. ^ a b The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), p. 569.
    7. ^ a b Hinds, Selwyn Seyfu. Review: Stillmatic. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-11-21.
    8. ^ Billboard Singles: Stillmatic. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
    9. ^ a b Stillmatic (2001): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2010-10-16.
    10. ^
      Allmusic
      . Retrieved on 2009-11-21.
    11. ^ a b Pappademas, Alex (February 2002). "Review: Stillmatic". Blender (5). Alpha Media Group: 114.
    12. ^ Baker, Soren. Review: Stillmatic[permanent dead link]. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2009-11-21.
    13. ^ Needham, Alex (January 11, 2002)."Review: Stillmatic". NME. Archived from the original on October 2, 2002. Retrieved October 16, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) . NME. Retrieved on 2010-10-16.
    14. ^ Thompson, Paul A. (January 29, 2023). "Nas: Stillmatic Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
    15. ^ a b McGuire, Kathryn. Review: Stillmatic. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2012-02-14.
    16. ^ a b "Got Five on It". The Source (150). March 2002.
    17. ^ Ryan, Chris (February 2002). "Reviews". Spin. p. 107.
    18. ^ a b Jones, Steve. "Review: Stillmatic". USA Today: D.06. December 18, 2001.
    19. ^ a b Berry, Elizabeth Mendez. "Review: Stillmatic". Vibe: 120. February 2002.
    20. ^ Christgau, Robert (March 12, 2002). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 17, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
    21. ISBN 978-0857125958
      .
    22. ^ Chris Rock's Top 25
    23. ^ Reid, Shaheem. "Mary J. Blige Track On Nas' Stillmatic To Be Cut For 'Personal Reasons'". MTV.com. January 25, 2002. Retrieved August 11, 2008.
    24. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 199.
    25. ^ "Albums : Top 100". Jam!. January 10, 2002. Archived from the original on December 10, 2004. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
    26. ^ "R&B : Top 50". Jam!. February 14, 2002. Archived from the original on February 14, 2002. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
    27. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Nas – Stillmatic" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
    28. ^ "Lescharts.com – Nas – Stillmatic". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
    29. GfK Entertainment Charts
      . Retrieved November 12, 2013.
    30. ^ "スティルマティック | Nas". Retrieved November 12, 2013.
    31. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Nas – Stillmatic". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
    32. ^ "Nas Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
    33. ^ "Nas Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
    34. ^ "Canada's Top 200 R&B; albums of 2002". Jam!. Archived from the original on October 12, 2003. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
    35. ^ "Top 100 rap albums of 2002 in Canada". Jam!. Archived from the original on October 12, 2003. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
    36. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
    37. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
    38. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Nas – Stillmatic". Music Canada.
    39. ^ "British album certifications – Nas – Stillmatic". British Phonographic Industry.
    40. ^ "American album certifications – Nas – Stillmatic". Recording Industry Association of America.

    Notes

    External links
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stillmatic&oldid=1218986478"