Still The Poet, Still The Prophet. Review on Stillmatic - Nas

Illmatic is an album that needs no introduction. Its beats, production, subject matter and lyrics created an album that was undeniably a classic. With that said, many Nas fans were expecting him to top that with the 1996 released It Was Written which was slightly commercial, but was the creation of the Nas Escobar persona which ushered in a new point of view within his https://lyrics. Three years later, he returned with an album that was neither the illmatic scribe nor the Escobar gangster, which held promise from the poorly-received It Was Written. Later in 1999, the same year he released I Am..., however, Nas took a turn that redefined the phrase sell-out. With the Nastradamus LP, he created a persona that said f-ck the point of view and rapped about violence, gangsta posturing, woman, made club-influenced tracks with Ginuwine, as well as overly-commercial beats. Although, the albums only two good tracks, Project Windows and New World seemed uninspired among the commercialism. After the slow transition from street poet, to visionary gangster, to sell-out, I expected nothing from this album. With the copy of Stillmatic I received, I expected more whack beats, lyrics, subject matter and guest appearances. However, it seemingly returned to the days when Nas was respected for his introspective lyrics and storytelling abilities.

Beatwise, Stillmatic is better than the production found on I Am... And Nastradamus. Converting back to the days of light rhythms, sampling and Old School instrumentation, this is the definitive album of what everything after his debut album could have sounded like. Going from simple drum loops and vocal samplings (Got Ur Self A Gun) to darker, melodic rhythms (Stillmatic (Intro)), its a melting pot of ideas and constructive beats. Instead of settling for less, the producers create imaginative backdrops that don't lack in overall quality methodic sounds, but also include lighter, ''chill'' sounds that are more laid back and suited for storytelling and Nas' street poetics. With this said, it creates half of the albums overall atmosphere and identity.

Lyrics, on the other hand, have Nas returning to his socially consciousness and introspective subject matter. Hearing him describing the cons of hood life, the repercussions of the lifestyle, his own struggles and tribulations, as well as his thoughts and comments on Hip-Hop and even society is something that was much needed. After the disappointing It Was Written in 1996, I Am... Returned to his introspective lyrics, but over weak production and some blatant commercialism and clichéd subject matter, it still didn't reach the potential Nas first exhibited. Nastradamus, however, was commercial beyond belief, as were the poor production and beats. On Stillmatic, though he returns to a complex flow, delivery, subject matter and the lyrics to accompany it. Gone is the glossed over flossing, as well as the gangsta posturing. The street anthems, also gone, these are the basics. The descriptive verses take over the album, even the weaker moments (The Flyest and Braveheart Party) can be excused due to this. These are the classic lyrics we've expected Nas to delivery, and with that said, they're more matured and visionary which makes them all the much more listenable.

Introspection is the main source of Hip-Hop the album utilizes. Using descriptive phrases and logical wordplay to express emotions and envisionments creates the overall atmosphere and level of introspection. To say that the lyrics are somewhat bleak and unimaginative would be an understatement. Focusing more on storytelling and classic subject matter/lyrics to craft the albums tracks that utilize this rather than a trademark style, it seems more underground-influenced than of the mainstream as past albums will notify. With this said, as time has passed, you can hear the maturity and advancement of Nas' mic skills, which also play a major part in the descriptiveness and overall quality of the introspective https://lyrics. While the overall craftsmanship is credited to the reformation of Nas' thoughts, its as good as it is due to the fact that, though he may have sold-out on this albums predecessor, his mic skills have gotten noticeably better, and Stillmatic proves this point in many shining moments. Easily topping Illmatic with this form of lyrical mastery, it makes the album all the much better to hear him convert back to his roots and deliver incredibly well mastered lyrics and wordplay that are on-par with his debut album.

Lyrically, this is Nas' best album to date. From battle rap's, introspection, social consciousness, commentary and even the poorly utilized, but far from horrendous, bragging tracks. Most of it is incredibly well written and well thought out. These are the elements that have been missing from past albums. Leaving metaphors and similes behind (with exception of the battle rap's) and focusing on the basics, Stillmatic is a lyrical gem. Its the most consistent and lyrically advanced album of his career.

Guest artists, on the other hand, are poor, with the exception of an unlisted artist. Peculiarly, the artists who create incredibly uninspired verses are credited, but the one that is well written and introspective is left unaccredited. It doesn't matter as two out of the three guest spots are poor. While The Braveheart's verses I would expect to be commercialized, AZ's is poor. Hoping that the commercialism in his latest album, 9 Lives was a fluke, it turns out to be a career move, and a bad one at that.

AZ, while having sold-out, still has fairly good https://lyrics. The subject matter is poor and forgettable. The lyrics, as mentioned above, due remain on-cue, which doesn't make it completely unlistenable. But The Bravehearts are poor lyricists and shouldn't even be given mic time. Rapping over a lukewarm beat doesn't make the lyrics any better. Delivering lyrics with horrible subject matter matches the feel the track they are featured on exhibits.

The unaccredited artist, however, delivers quite good verses. Keeping introspective verses rather than sell-out lyrics and subject matter is a welcome change from AZ and The Bravehearts verses. With this said, it makes the aforementioned verses forgettable and creates a better feel for the album. Although they're not the best, with few guest verses, it leaves more time for the (many) better moments of the album.

This is, quite possibly, the classic album we've been waiting for Nas to make since his debut. Although there are at least two whack tracks, the thirteen make up for these minor missteps and create one of the best albums of Nas' career. This is the album that he should have released right after Illmatic.