Stillmatic 2001 Album

Nas

All I Need Is One Mic! Out of all of Nas' albums, what to rate this has taken the most thought. While there are some great tracks present, enough of the production on enough tracks makes me second guess myself. I have often felt that this is a bit overrated based on his other albums, but as I go through the songs there isn't much not to like. It starts off brilliantly with Nas performing triumphantly on 'The Intro' which follows on throughout the album, and while 'Ether' is immature at times, and lyrically Nas clutches at straws, just as Jay did on Takeover, Nas' rapping on it means you have to enjoy it. Track three is one of my favourite Nas tunes, ‘Got Ur Self A…’ with the 'Alabama 3' sample working to perfection. 'One Mic' is another must mention with it being completely different to anything Nas has done and a very original hip hop song altogether as is 'Rewind' where Nas tells a story back to front. These are two reasons in itself that make Nas stand out as a hip hop artist and better than Jay-Z. 'What Goes Around' is also a favourite from the disc, for its lyrics particularly, and is one of his more underrated tunes. Apart from the terrible mess that is 'Braveheart Party', which wins the worst song on a Nas album award in a canter--that was removed from later pressings of the album at Mary J. Blige's request--everything else is good. The '2nd Childhood' beat is a tad monotonous, and as mentioned in my God's Son review, the production of tunes on 'Flyest' and 'Rule' leave a bit to be desired, but all in all it is another essential rap release thanks to its strengths which are some highly creative moments and lyrics. Beats: ★★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★★ Hooks: ★★★★ Best Tracks: Stillmatic (The Intro), Got Ur Self A..., Smokin', Rewind, One Mic, What Goes Around