Stillmatic is the album many consider to be the greatest comeback of all time. While I am not quite sure if I agree with this statement, this CD still has a great significance to me. After all, this was the first album I listened to by Nas, who many consider to be the greatest rapper of all time. Personally, I wouldn’t give him that title, but he sure comes close. Before he dropped his debut album, Illmatic, many considered him the second coming of Rakim, and that album’s street poetry and lyricism only reinforced those ideas. But Nas’ second album, and every one after that contained worse and worse lyricism, and more and more commercialism. He had just about hit rock bottom, when suddenly he decided to return to his former self, and show his critics he could be still Illmatic, and be quite good at it.
The first track on this album, Stillmatic (Intro), is one of the few rap intros that should not be skipped over, as it contains a dramatic, musical beat and some classic lines by Nas.
Ayo, The brother is Stillmatic/
I crawled up out of that grave wiping the dirt, cleanin my shirt/ They thought I’ll make another Illmatic/
But it’s always forward I’m movin, never backwards stupid/
The next track, Ether, is the famous song in which Nas thoroughly disses his rival, Jay-Z. One of the greatest diss songs of all time, he attacks from many different angles, over a minimal beat that does nothing to take away from the lyrics. Got Ur Self A Gun, proves that Nas can indeed be versatile enough to make an commercial song, without watering down his lyrics. The bouncy beat sounds perfect as Nas drops several great verses, and it makes for an excellent listen.
In Smokin, we find Nas dropping several above average verses, held together by a soft, haunting beat, and a nice hook.
My n!gga smoke with one lung/
If he cough he might die passin me trees/
The liquor bottles almost empty/
we about to collide with the enemy/
Only way you die if it’s meant to be/
You’re Da Man, produced by Large Professor, has one of my favorite beats on the album, and good lyrics to match. The hook is a bit repetitive, as it just repeats the phrase, you’re da man, eight times, and the ending skit does nothing for the song, but this is still a great song.
Rewind is definitely one of my favorite Nas tracks of all time. Over a perfect beat he describes some of the events of a day, in reverse. Starting at the end of the story, he works his way to the beginning, even putting people’s dialogue backwards.
Hung up the phone, then the phone rang/
I’m laid in bed thinkin bout this pretty young thing/
Who left, she came back, her clothes just fell to the rug/
She fell to my bed and gave me a hug/
I told her, “No hell” She talkin bout “Me kiss”/
Bobbed her head than spit the nut back in my d!ck/
It is a little too short, but other than that a classic song.
One Mic is my favorite song on this album, and in the running for my favorite Nas song of all time. Over a great beat that flows perfectly with the song, he spits three verses. The first two he starts out at a whisper, and gradually increases his volume until he is on the verge of screaming, and the last one he starts out loud, and slowly reduces his voice to a whisper.
2nd Childhood is an average song, with an average beat, that really doesn’t do much to grab ones attention. Decent enough that it isn’t bad, but still not great. Destroy And Rebuild, samples Boogie Down Productions song The Bridge is Over, and makes for a good listen.
The Flyest, features AZ, another top notch rapper, who actually outshines Nas when it comes to lyricism. A nice beat accompanied by great lyrics by AZ, and above average lyrics by Nas, makes for a great listen. Rule, another personal favorite of mine, is song about the state the world is in. From the verses, to the hook sung by Amerie, this is just a great song.
My Country has nice production and a great concept, mainly dealing with the ways America has wronged Nas. However it suffers from bad guest appearances, which completely ruin parts of the track.
What Goes Around is another great track, although it does contain a few minor flaws, such as the tinny production. Lastly, the bonus track, Every Ghetto, is another one of my favorite Nas songs, and a great way to end an album.
Track Listing:
Stillmatic (Intro) (3.5 stars)
Ether (4 stars)
Got Ur Self A Gun (5 stars)
Smokin (4 stars)
You’re Da Man (4 stars)
Rewind (5 stars)
One Mic (5 stars)
2nd Childhood (3 stars)
Destroy And Rebuild (4 stars)
The Flyest (4 stars)
Rule (5 stars)
My Country (3.5 stars)
What Goes Around (4 stars)
Every Ghetto (5 stars)
Is it the greatest comeback album of all time? Well, it certainly has some competition in Mama Said Knock You Out, and The Blueprint, but regardless, it still deserves a spot in every rap fans CD or MP3 player. A few weaker moments are more than made up for by the greatness of the rest of the album. I’d give this album 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars).
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![Stillmatic [PA] by Nas](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/98/90/ca/2002211136-177x150-0-0.jpg)
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