Nas – "Stillmatic" Review: The Greatest Comeback Album in Rap History
- Jay Jewels
- May 4
- 3 min read
Quick Verdict
Stillmatic arrived on December 18, 2001, and was received as a creative resurrection — the album Nas made in response to Jay-Z’s “Takeover,” following a period of critical consensus that his post-Illmatic output had been commercially compromised. The album’s opening track “Ads” gave way to “Got Ur Self A…” which gave way to the title track which gave way to “One Mic” — the most ferocious opening four-track run of his career, produced by Salaam Remi and demonstrating the full range of his abilities in the first 15 minutes. “Ether,” his Jay-Z diss, is the most celebrated diss track in rap history. It debuted at number five with 256,000 first-week copies and went platinum. Rolling Stone ranked it among the finest rap albums of the decade. Rating: 9.5/10.
At a Glance
Album Details
Context: Nas Responds to ‘Takeover’ and Reclaims His Throne
By 2001, the critical consensus on Nas had calcified in a way that was deeply unfair but not entirely inaccurate: after the towering achievement of Illmatic, each subsequent album had been more commercially compromised, more inconsistent, and less revelatory. Jay-Z’s “Takeover” on The Blueprint exploited this perception by listing Nas’s post-Illmatic catalogue as evidence of decline, and the attack landed because it was largely unanswerable on factual grounds. Stillmatic was Nas’s response — not just to Jay-Z but to the seven years of criticism that had followed Illmatic. The album reconnects directly to that debut’s production aesthetic: sparse, jazz-influenced, and built for lyrical density rather than commercial accessibility. Salaam Remi’s production provides the sonic framework. Large Professor contributes the most Illmatic-adjacent beat on the record. “Ether” — recorded in response to “Takeover” — is the most celebrated diss track in hip-hop history and the moment that, for most listeners, won the Jay-Z vs Nas beef decisively in Nas’s favour. “One Mic” is the finest single track of his career after Illmatic. The album as a whole is a genuine creative renaissance.
Track-by-Track Review (Key Tracks)
Final Verdict and Rating
Stillmatic is Nas’s finest album since Illmatic and the most compelling creative comeback in rap history. “Ether” is the greatest diss track ever recorded. “One Mic” is the finest track of his post-Illmatic career. “Rewind” is the most formally inventive narrative track he has made. The album’s first four tracks constitute the most ferocious opening sequence in his catalogue. It is essential listening and the definitive proof that the man who made Illmatic never truly went away.
Final Rating: 9.5/10
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stillmatic a good album?
Stillmatic is a 9.5/10 album and the most compelling creative comeback in rap history. It contains "Ether" — the greatest diss track ever recorded — and "One Mic," the finest track of Nas's post-Illmatic career. It went platinum and Rolling Stone ranked it among the finest rap albums of the decade.
What are the best songs on Stillmatic?
The five essential tracks are: "Ether," "One Mic," "Rewind," "2nd Childhood," and "Stillmatic (The Intro)." Ether is the most celebrated diss track in hip-hop history and One Mic builds from silence to one of the most cathartic crescendos in the genre.
Did Nas win the beef against Jay-Z?
The Jay-Z vs Nas beef is the most debated in hip-hop history, but the critical consensus gives the edge to Nas based on "Ether" — a track so comprehensive and personal in its dismantling of Jay-Z's persona that it became the definition of a career-threatening diss. Jay-Z himself has acknowledged "Ether" as the strongest diss track he has faced. The two eventually reconciled.
What is the rating for Stillmatic?
Rap Reviews Daily rates Stillmatic a 9.5/10. Lyrics and flow both score a perfect 10. It is Nas's finest album since Illmatic and the definitive proof that his creative abilities had never diminished.
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