Maps of Music

Stillmatic (2001)

Where the lyrics of Stillmatic take you, and where it was really made.

Nas' fifth album was an attempt to win back his standing after Illmatic, and its title says it would continue where that record left off.

Key places

Recording location: Right Track Recording (2001)

Recording site MSR Studios — Listed as a recording location for Stillmatic in the album's credits. The point uses the candidate's building-level coordinate and does not confirm exact placement. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording location: The Hit Factory (2001)

Recording site The Hit Factory — Listed as a recording location for Stillmatic in the album's credits. The point uses the candidate's building-level coordinate and does not confirm exact placement. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Mixing location: Sony Music Studios (2001)

Recording site Sony Music Studios — Listed as a mixing location for Stillmatic in the album's credits. The point uses the candidate's building-level coordinate and does not confirm exact placement. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Stillmatic: fifth studio album by American rapper Nas
• Released December 18, 2001 by Ill Will and Columbia Records
• Themes are socially conscious and philosophical, similar to the 1994 debut Illmatic
• Departs from the gangsta rap themes of his previous work
• Lyrics address ghetto life, American politics, and his feud with Jay-Z

Background

• Illmatic earned critical acclaim in 1994, but Nas' image declined in the hip-hop community after his change of theme
• The follow-up It Was Written received positive reviews and introduced him to a wider audience
• I Am... and Nastradamus were considered mediocre by critics in comparison
• Stillmatic was an attempt to reestablish his credibility in the hip-hop community
• The title signals his intention to continue where Illmatic left off
• Jay-Z dissed Nas in the song Takeover, from The Blueprint (September 2001)
• Nas answered with Ether, which insinuated that Jay-Z had stolen lyrics from The Notorious B.I.G. several times
• Several hip-hop fans believed Nas won the feud on this track, although that remains debated

Recording

• Recording location recorded in the source: Right Track Recording and The Hit Factory
• Mixing location recorded in the source: Sony Music Studios
• Later pressings dropped the track Braveheart Party at Mary J. Blige's request

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones on September 14, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York City; raised in the Queensbridge Houses, Queens.
• Son of jazz and blues musician Olu Dara; began as "Nasty Nas" in 1989 and recorded demos under Large Professor.
• Made his recording debut on Main Source's 1991 song "Live at the Barbeque"; signed with Columbia Records in 1992.

Career

• Debut album Illmatic (April 19, 1994) is regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums; selected for the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
• It Was Written (1996) debuted atop the Billboard 200; single "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" featuring Lauryn Hill brought mainstream success.
• Feud with Jay-Z (2001–2005) via the diss track "Ether"; Stillmatic and God's Son helped restore his critical standing.
• Released Hip Hop Is Dead (2006) and Distant Relatives (2010) with Damian Marley, whose royalties went to African charities.
• King's Disease (2020) won his first Grammy for Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
• Released King's Disease II, Magic, King's Disease III, Magic 2 and Magic 3, all produced by Hit-Boy.
• Announced Light-Years with DJ Premier, a 2025 collaborative album.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• The Source gave the album a perfect five-mic rating
• Blender's Alex Pappademas praised it as a surprising return to form
• Metacritic average score 69, based on 12 reviews from mainstream critics
• The Village Voice's Selwyn Seyfu Hinds wrote that it is not merely a reunion or rehash of Illmatic themes
• AllMusic's John Bush wrote that Nas proves he is still a world-class rhymer, though a few tracks weigh him down
• Rolling Stone's Kathryn McGuire called the record riddled with inconsistencies
• Vibe's Elizabeth Mendez Berry called it infuriatingly inconsistent but also an exercise in lyrical courage and musical might

Reappraisal

• The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004): Chris Ryan wrote that Nas sticks with what works
• Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Colin Larkin praised Nas for rebuilding his creative and commercial standing
• In 2005 Chris Rock ranked it number 20 on his Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums list

Records

• Debuted at number 8 on the US Billboard 200
• Sold over 342,600 copies in its first week of sales
• Sold over 2,026,000 copies in the United States
• Certified Platinum by the RIAA

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The first single Rule was not heavily promoted, had no video, and was issued on CD, so many people do not know it was a single
• Got Ur Self a Gun was believed to be the first single; it samples the theme song of The Sopranos
• The clean version retitled Got Ur Self a Gun as Got Ur Self A...
• The Japanese release adds three tracks that also appear on The Lost Tapes, a 2002 compilation
• The Discogs credit lists Chris Gehringer as mastering engineer, with mastering done at Sterling Sound

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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