Stillmatic is the fifth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 18, 2001 on Columbia Records in the United States. In contrast to his previous work's gangsta rap themes, it contains socially conscious and philosophical themes similar to those of his debut album, Illmatic (1994). Nas' lyrics address topics such as ghetto life, United States domestic and foreign policies, and his feud with rapper Jay-Z.
Stillmatic served as a commercial and critical success that helped re-establish Nas' career, following a period of critical disappointment with the release of Nastradamus (1999). It debuted at number 8 on the United States Billboard 200 chart with sales of 342,600, eventually peaking at number 5 and selling over 2,026,000 copies in the United States. Upon its release, Stillmatic received generally positive reviews from most music critics.
Though he had gained critical acclaim with his classic debut album Illmatic in 1994, Nas' image had been quickly deteriorating in the hip-hop community with his change of theme, from the philosophical topics of Illmatic to the gangsta rap and commercialized sound that became the focus of his later albums. While his second album, It Was Written received fairly positive reviews and introduced him to a greater audience, the follow-ups I Am... and Nastradamus were considered mediocre in comparison by critics. 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 single "Takeover, taken from his September 2001 release, The Blueprint." On Stillmatic," Nas retaliated with the anticipated song, "Ether," a response to "Takeover" which insinuated that Jay-Z had stolen 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."Stillmatic is the fifth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 18, 2001 on Columbia Records in the United States. In contrast to his previous work's gangsta rap themes, it contains socially conscious and philosophical themes similar to those of his debut album, Illmatic (1994). Nas' lyrics address topics such as ghetto life, United States domestic and foreign policies, and his feud with rapper Jay-Z.
Stillmatic served as a commercial and critical success that helped re-establish Nas' career, following a period of critical disappointment with the release of Nastradamus (1999). It debuted at number 8 on the United States Billboard 200 chart with sales of 342,600, eventually peaking at number 5 and selling over 2,026,000 copies in the United States. Upon its release, Stillmatic received generally positive reviews from most music critics.
Though he had gained critical acclaim with his classic debut album Illmatic in 1994, Nas' image had been quickly deteriorating in the hip-hop community with his change of theme, from the philosophical topics of Illmatic to the gangsta rap and commercialized sound that became the focus of his later albums. While his second album, It Was Written received fairly positive reviews and introduced him to a greater audience, the follow-ups I Am... and Nastradamus were considered mediocre in comparison by critics. 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 single "Takeover, taken from his September 2001 release, The Blueprint." On Stillmatic," Nas retaliated with the anticipated song, "Ether," a response to "Takeover" which insinuated that Jay-Z had stolen 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."false2025-11-07 22:48:37Stillmatic20012001-12-182001-12-1861Conscious Hip HopEast Coast Hip HopGangsta RapHardcore Hip HopHip HopPop Rap1118812115039d18f27db-1ed0-4778-807b-421371f7ffbfcfbc0924-0035-4d6c-8197-f024653af823f6893893-e58c-3224-83d9-fe30c3938cd1/media/data/media5/Music/Nas/Stillmatic/folder.jpgNasNasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones (; born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas (), is an American rapper and businessman. Rooted in the New York hip hop scene, he is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time.The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Jones's musical career began in 1989 as he adopted the moniker of "Nasty Nas" and recorded demos for Large Professor. He was a featured artist on Main Source's "Live at the Barbeque" (1991), also produced by Large Professor. Nas's debut album Illmatic (1994) received universal acclaim upon release, and is considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time; in 2021, the album was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. His second album It Was Written (1996) debuted atop the Billboard 200 and charted for four consecutive weeks; the album, along with its single "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill), catapulted Nas into international success. Both released in 1999, Nas's albums I Am and Nastradamus were criticized as inconsistent and too commercially oriented, and critics and fans feared that his output was declining in quality.
From 2001 to 2005, Nas was involved in a highly publicized feud with Jay-Z, popularized by the diss track "Ether". It was this feud, along with Nas's albums Stillmatic (2001), God's Son (2002), and the double album Street's Disciple (2004), that helped restore his critical standing. After squashing the feud, Nas signed to Jay-Z's Def Jam Recordings in 2006 and went in a more provocative, politicized direction with the albums Hip Hop Is Dead (2006) and his untitled 9th studio album (2008). In 2010, Nas released Distant Relatives, a collaboration album with Damian Marley, donating all royalties to charities active in Africa. His 10th studio album, Life Is Good (2012), was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. After receiving thirteen nominations, his 12th studio album, King's Disease (2020), won him his first Grammy for Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards; he then followed it by releasing his 13th studio album, King's Disease II (2021), as the album's sequel. In the same year, his 14th studio album, Magic, was released on Christmas Eve.
In 2012,The Source ranked him second on their list of the "Top 50 Lyricists of All Time". In 2013, Nas was ranked 4th on MTV's "Hottest MCs in the Game" list. About.com ranked him first on their list of the "50 Greatest MCs of All Time" in 2014, and a year later, Nas was featured on the "10 Best Rappers of All Time" list by Billboard. He is also an entrepreneur through his own record label; he serves as associate publisher of Mass Appeal magazine and the co-founder of Mass Appeal Records.
Nas has released fourteen studio albums since 1994, ten of which are certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum in the U.S.