“Don’t Call It A Comeback”

By Raging Tosh

Okay, I admit I’m a fair-weather fan.  I thought Nas’s career was done after hearing Jay-Z rip him on “The Takeover” and I still remember the bitter taste left in my mouth from his last two releases I Am… and Nastradamus.  After hearing his latest effort, Stillmatic, I have gotten a good seat on
the bandwagon that I’m sure most of you will soon be on.  With his back against the wall, the prophetic one has come out swinging and put out his best work since his debut album, Illmatic.

Before I begin reviewing this album, I am going to clearly state that this is not another Illmatic.  I repeat, this is not another Illmatic.  So all you fans that are stuck in 93’, just relax and appreciate the growth and lyrical progression that is displayed by one of hip-hop’s best lyricists. A sign of the new maturity Nas displays on this album is evident from one listen to “2nd Childhood”, a banga laced by DJ Premier.  On this track, Nas takes a very interesting look at himself and two other individuals who are having a hard time developing a more-mature and responsible lifestyle (although their age would indicate the need to).  The beat is crazy, with a dominant guitar-string driven baseline and a scratch-laden hook that we’ve come to expect from Primo collaborations.

More social commentary is discussed on tracks such as “My Country” and “What Goes Around”.  On the latter track, complex topics such as religion and the effect of society’s perceptions on African-American women are discussed with the last verse describing the graphic fate of a man knowingly infecting women with herpes.  His lyrics display a level of social awareness that he
showed the potential of developing on his debut album. Another interesting track that shows Nas’s artistic inventiveness is “Rewind”, which Large Professor lends assistance to.  A murder scenario is told from the end to the beginning in a very witty and at times humorous fashion that would be much easier for the listener to hear then for me to try and describe.

The Large Professor also assists Nas on “You’re Da Man”.  With well-placed violins and harmonicas, Nas vents frustration about fame he didn’t ask for “But look at me now/ ten years deep/ Since the projects bench with crack in my sock sleeve/I never asked to be top of rap’s elite/ Just a ghetto child trying to learn the traps of the street”.  With such spectacular results, one is left to wonder why 9 years (“Halftime”, “One Time 4 Your Mind” and “It Ain’t Hard to Tell” from Illmatic) passed before these two collaborated again.

While a more mature side is shown for a majority of Stillmatic, the lyrical ferocity that Nas brought to Jay-Z on the response record “Ether” does surface on some occasions.  Nas has found himself the target of numerous rappers over the past year and shows signs of being fed up.  The aforementioned “Ether” has been dominating airwaves and shows Nas attacking Jay-Z and Roca-fella records with such precision and heartlessness that violence seems an inevitable outcome of this conflict.

This fire carries over to “Destroy and Rebuild”, where MC’s reppin’ the infamous Queensbridge projects are scolded for being fake.  After a commentator invites you to “Listen while Nas saves his hood from the most cowardest rappers”, he lights into obvious foes such as Cormega and Nature.  However, a surprise target is Mobb Deep’s Prodigy, who Nas claims has always been envious and waited for his downfall.  This is a surprising turn from the unity that was shown on QB’s Finest, but well done nonetheless.However, there are stumbling blocks along the way that prevent this album from reaching the five mic status that Illmatic achieved.  An appearance from Mary J. Blige can’t save the horrendous pop-friendly beat and subject matter of “Braveheart Party”.  “Smokin’” boasts a boring beat accompanied by a corny hook that sounds more reminiscent of that Escobar guy we all came to hate so much.

Another track that detracts from the final output is “The Flyest” which reunites Nas with AZ.  While it is nice to hear these two on a track together, this is one collabo that should have been left off the final track listing.  The hook is not very creative and ruins the slow L.E.S. and Staff track, which is nice.  It’s a shame because Nas drops a dope verse where he pays respect to Mase’s decision to leave the game and touches on the dangers of allowing bad sprits or karma into one’s heart.

Nas shows that he is more than capable of battling all the criticism that has been thrown in his direction and can still deliver quality product.  This is an album that fans such as myself have been waiting for and will definitely not be disappointed with.  Bringing in producers that ontributed to Illmatic and shedding the Escobar persona was a step in the right direction.  Stillmatic is a solid album that shows the maturation of one of the best lyricists to ever wield a mic.

Buy Stillmaticl NOW!