Its Still "Ill"

By Brian Salkowski

(I Originally wrote this in 2002)

If hip hop was known for dramatic preambles, this would be it.

Its December 2001, America was at war with Afghanistan following the September 11th Terrorist attacks. At this very same time, a brewing battle in the hip-hop world exploded after Queensbridge rapper Nasir “Nas” Jones released the scathing diss "Ether," aimed at Brooklyn's own Jay Z. The latter emcee was fresh off the release of his critically-acclaimed The Blueprint album, which was released on the very same date as the aforementioned attacks on the U.S. The album put up great numbers, selling 420,000 copies in its first week. It also became Hov's fourth consecutive album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart and its soulful production launched the careers of then-budding producers Just Blaze and Kanye West.

But perhaps the gusto of the album was the Yeezy-produced "Takeover," which took direct aim at Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Nas Escobar. The origin of the Jay Z-Nas feud is cloudy, but after years of tension, and possible jabs at each other on wax, the story took an interesting turn when rumors circulated that Jay Z had slept with Nas' girlfriend, Carmen Bryan.

Shortly thereafter, Jay Z launched a direct diss during Hot 97's 2001 Summer Jam Concert. After displaying embarrassing photos of Prodigy on the now notorious Summer Jam big screen, Hov debuted "Takeover" and ended it with the line, "Ask Nas, he don't want it with Hov. NO!"

Nas responded with a freestyle entitled "Stillmatic," which had quite a few heavy jabs at Jay, but didn't pick up much traction in the streets. The album version of "Takeover" that Jay Z recorded for The Blueprint would later have a full verse complete with scathing insults and criticisms directed at Escobar.

Enough With The Preambles...

Thus, when it was time to release his album, Nas had a laundry list of things that needed to be addressed. Stillmatic the album was released on December 18, 2001. It was Nas' fifth studio album and a nod to his classic 1994 debut Illmatic. Aside from the beef, Nas was also being heavily criticized for his work following his debut. While his 1996 sophomore effort It Was Written was well-received by critics and a hit with fans, many considered his follow up releases I Am and Nastradamus—both released in 1999—to be ultimately lackluster relative to their precursors.

Nas opens the album with "Stillmatic (The Intro)," produced by The Hangmen 3, a production team consisting of Johnny Bananas, Jeff Two Times and Benzino. Over an exquisite sample of Stacy Lattisaw's classic 1980 single "Let Me Be Your Angel," Nas silences his critics and addresses those who had written him off. He raps: "I crawled up out of that grave / wipin’ the dirt, cleanin’ my shirt / They thought I'd make another 'Illmatic,' / But it's always forward I'm movin' / never backwards.”

With impeccable imagery, he also describes his humble beginnings and the rebirth of his career: "Walking very thin lines, ages seven and nine / That's the age I was on my album cover this is the rebirth / I know the streets thirst water like Moses / Walking through the hot desert searching to be free / This is my ending and my new beginning – nostalgia / Alpha and Omega places, it's like a glitch in 'The Matrix.'"

"Ether” comes in at track two on the album—curiously the same spot as “Takeover’s” placement on The Blueprint. Opening with a “Fuck Jay Z” sample lifted from 2pac’s “Fuck Friendz,” Nas rips Jay Z with ferocious attacks. “What you think you getting girls now ‘cause of your looks? / Ne-gro please! You no mustache having with whiskers like a rat / compared to Beans you whack / and your man stabbed Un and made you take the blame / your ass went for Jaz to hangin’ with Kane / to Irv, to B.I.G”

Nas, often considered the underdog of the battle, raised the stakes upon the track’s release. While Hov released “Super Ugly” shortly thereafter, his response didn’t seem to garner as much hype as “Ether.” As a result, via a hyped up contest live on hot 97, DJ's polled and determined that Nas became the victor in the battle on that rainy evening in Manhattan. The topic is still heavily debated upon almost 2 decades later. After a few other minor shots at each other, the feud ended when the pair came together and performed at Power 105.1’s Power House concert in 2005.

Nas ditched the catchy hooks and glitzy production when choosing the singles for Stillmatic. “Got Ur Self A…” retools a sample from Alabama 3’s “Woke Up This Morning,” which was also used prominently in the HBO series The Sopranos. Over hard-hitting drums and twirling keys, Nas glides over the track with boasts of his lyrical panache and reasons why he’s rap royalty.

He gets deeper on “One Mic” and delves into the ills of the hood, while calling for simplicity. Chucky Thompson crafted the beat for the mellow/volatile anthem and it features a sample from Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” With its initial smooth groove sound that gradually morphs into a boisterous thunder, Nas sought to capture the essence of Collins’ 1981 hit. He told Rolling Stone in 2007 that he wanted to create a song that had a similar vibe.

Unbeknownst to many, the Amerie-assisted “Rule” was also a single from Stillmatic, though it was not heavily promoted. Produced by the Trackmasters and built on an interpolation of Tears for Fears’ 1985 single “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Rule” addresses the social and political climate of America following 9/11. While the production sounds solid & mildly dated, it still remains a incredible effort and notable track for the era.

Cuts like “Smokin,’” “What Goes Around,” “You’re da Man,“ “Rewind,” and “2nd Childhood” are reminiscent of classic Nas. On the latter, the emcee depicts a tale of his past and references others who never grew up over a DJ Premier beat that’s chopped to perfection. On “The Flyest,” Nas links back up with his longtime partner AZ for a flashy anthem replete with braggadocio rhymes about being the flyest gangsters in the game.

Nas wasn’t finished addressing his opponents after “Ether.” On “Destroy and Rebuild,” he uses a Slick Rick styled narrative to diss friend-turned-foe, Cormega. Nas had previously worked with the fellow Queensbridge rapper, as he was one of the members of the rap supergroup The Firm that also included Foxy Brown and AZ. However, their relationship grew strained over the years after he was ousted from the group and replaced with Nature. Nas reflects, “Back to Cor, got him a deal but his rhymes were wack / Def Jam mad that he signed the contract / now he got jealous and mad at my shine / making silly tapes, I’m always on his mind.” He also throws shots at Prodigy for falsely repping Queensbridge and getting robbed.

"Rewind" showcase us Midway through the album on how innovative this certain MC is. he does a whole song 100% backwards starting at the end from the beginning narratively. Its a brilliant technique that can rarely be mastered. The track is a tounge dance backwards, from blunts, bras and guns. Nas makes "rarely" disappear.

Though Stillmatic is widely considered Nas’ comeback album, it’s not 100% devoid of missteps. I wasn't heavily in agreement with the consensus. Some said “Braveheart Party” featuring Mary J. Blige seems quite forced and stale when pitted against many of the other standout tracks on the album. I agree that it was definitely my least favorite collaboration between the two. Also, “My Country” speaks poignantly on America’s ills, but its dated production wears thin.** I understand why one can say that & can mildly agree but I am sure the critic neglected to see perspective.

Favorite Songs

For me, my favorite songs on this album center more around Nas' growth as an artist and a man than anything else. The disses are an evil indictment to his detractors not just Jigga. The creativity behind the main dagger, "Ether", just shows that absolute creativity and genius. To damage your opponent in a lyrical War, there's nothing like slapping the diss with a theme; comparing it all to a chemical compound that is lethal. It was a new battle rap song. Weapon in my opinion. But I have other favorite songs here. The songs that stand as my favorite here feature him at his most focused, like the momentum building and lyrically sound "One Mic", the reflective "2nd Childhood", and the slight storytelling and conscious karmic anthem "What Goes Around", which showcases Nas at his very best. The intro is one of his most reflective tracks to start an album off and the lyricism is as profound as any Nas song we've heard before. I think what makes these particular songs stick out to me the most is the differing content of them all.

For example, the stories told in "2nd Childhood" really paint a picture of the neighborhood, the people in them, and some of their refusal to grow. Nas is at his best when he's vivid and make no mistake about it, this was his most vivid moment on the album from a storytelling point. On "What Goes Around", Nas is in full conscious mode, but also remorseful in a way about the imaging and perception that hip hop gives off. I'd pick a top 5 of "You're Da Man", "2nd Childhood", "What Goes Around", "One Mic", and "Smokin" for the best songs on this album. The real surprise was the Revelation that I owned the Expanded Edition. In the initial days of the release, two versions of the album were released (natural occurrence at the time done by record companies with music stores) the one version having a bonus disc containing the original produced version of "No Ideas Original", which is one of his most underrated unreleased songs. It later was added to the "Lost Tapes" (02) but the production changed. It is a great word fest, playing with the inability to deal with truth. I felt the production was mixed matched on the Lost Tapes version. The 3 other tracks on the bonus CD were snippets from the upcoming album "The Lost Tapes".

What Goes Around, like i said is a masterpiece I didn't expect. One of his best displays from a lyrical standpoint, one of my favorite Salaam Remi tracks, and one of my personal favorite Nas tracks as well. Nas takes a fierce position on pretty much all the downsides of life, especially in the hood. He does it with allegorical precision, making it almost like a rapper-surgeon. This track is flawless and to make it even better, Nas is utilizing his storytelling once again. Its jam packed with the social ills that only a writer like Esco could articulate. I'll let the Lyrics speak for itself:

"The China-men built the railroad

The Indians saved the Pilgrim/

And in return the Pilgrim killed em/

They call it it Thanksgiving, I call your holiday hellday/

Cause I'm from poverty, neglected by the wealthy/

Me and my n****s share gifts/ every day like Christmas/

Slay bitches/

And party everyday like this is the last/

I'm with my heckles connecting and we hitting the lab/

This is my level, f**k if it get you mad/

It's all poison, all of my words to enemies it is poison/

Rappers only talk about ki's, its all poison/

How could you call yourself emcees, you ain't poison/

Think about the kids you mislead, with the poison/

And any thoughts of taking me down is all poison/"

"This n***a Ike with the Iverson jersey/

Light skin with herpes/

F****n' sisters in Harlem, Brooklyn and D.C./

This is the problem cause he never tell em he got it from letting f**s suck him off Rikers Island in nine-three/

Drives in Benz, hangs in all the parties/

All the concerts/

Backstage where the stars be/

Rocking their shirts in bitches faces like clockwork/

Whats your name, where you from/

Chain blinging, Thinking girls everywhere is dumb/

Taking pride in ruining their lives/

So they could never have babies, and they could never be wives/

He never used a condom, give him head he got ya/

Met the wrong b***h and now he dead from the monster/

AIDS, I contemplate, believing in karma/

Those on top could just break and wont be eating tomorrow/

I know some b*****s who be sleeping on n***"s dreams/

They leave when they n***a blow she the first bitch on her knees/

Knowing dudes thats neglecting their seeds/

Instead of taking care of em, they spending money on trees/

I pray for you deadbeat daddies, cause when them kids get grown/

It's too late for you, now you old and you getting s*****d on/

Its all scientific, mystic, you know the Earth and the stars/

Don't hesitate to say you heard it from Nas/

What is destined shall be/

George Bush killer till George Bush kills me

Stillmatic peaked at number 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and went platinum, selling over 2,026,000 copies. Commercial success aside, the album also placed Nas back in the conversation about hip-hop’s kings. All in all, the album was a chess move that worked in Escobar’s favor and a decade and a half later, it still remains a vital piece within Nas’ vast catalogue.