How Nas Became A Superstar 

whoever gave Stillmatic a 69/100 needs to be fired.

It Was Written might be the most underrated album of all time

Nas will be remembered, revered, and recognised as a purist, a poet, a lyricist, and a torch bearer for the artform. Jay will be remembered as a rapper that made some great songs, and was a great businessman. Nas didn't sell out and that's why he's the GOAT imo

Nas stillmatic is a classic, what's wrong with these reviewers? , I rate it a 9.5 / 10

Time is illmatic keep static like wool fabric Pack a 4matic to crack your whole cabbage

stillmatic was classic

he wanted nas to sell his soul but nas said fuck that shit

Jay could never make a "Nazareth Savage"...Nas is more lyrically lacerating

Nas is more of a level headed down to earth dude... he kinda did a Dave chappelle move... I don't blame him...

Nas is the GOAT. Everybody who knows Hip Hop knows that. Just look at how many people are stating that here.

This dude is cool. I like how he just puts the info out there without being biased or corny. #Salute

It is very tragic that Kool G Rap is so unknown. His name should be recognizable even to the young generation but it isnt. Great lyricist who didnt go far. But he gets mad love from hip hop heads and hip hop royalty.

real hop head will pick nas over jay z any day i believe.

Jay-Z became what nas didn't want.

Nas is the GOAT. No debate.

Stillmatic is one of my favourite hip hop albums

whoever critics gave Stillmatic such a low rating bugging it's classic & Jay wanted Nas spot back when they were younger on the large professor tour with jaz-o they both said when Nas would come out to do his live at the BBQ verse Jay would stare wanting that shine and respect Nas was getting both great artists but Nas is goat to me

Nas knows when to stop... greed destroys great things

Nas > Jay now gimme a fuckin T-shirt! 😂😂😂

Well done love the review

These breakdowns are so amazing

I love these. Thank you Justin.

Another great Saturday Breakdown which has made me think again of Hip Hop a bit differently.

DOPE! Aye yo Jus man, thanks for the knowledge homie. I'm a big fan of your work... peace and respect from the Mile High

Nas is such a gem for music and Hip Hop because his music kept evolving. Life Is good. Such a great musician.

Keep up brotha good vid. Keep real hiphop alive. Did even knew about Stoute making Nas and Jay-z to to of Greatest in the game.

Great bit of journalism here. Gotta peep the rest of your vids!

You deserve a lot more subscribers man. You put a lot of effort into your videos and always do your homework. Good for the culture

Your breakdown videos are so dope man. I like that you stick to the facts and express opinions with a grain of salt. Objectively interesting to think about, and subjectively amazing to watch. Keep coming with the cream content HipHopDX!

man idk if ull even read this but i just found ur channel abt 2 months ago. i was born in 92 and have loved rap hip hop n rnb since i was ten n i watch the game change around me. i been tryina find a rap critic/channel that i feel amd respect and so far ur it. other rap media outlets are so rapped up in the politics of the game that an honest oponion of the medium is hard to find. but i feel you are truly unbiased and i appreciate that. i love what you do and i hope you continue this path as rap evolves. much love brother. peace

i didnt know that thank u ill def check em out. man i love hiphopdx i just wanna thank yall for all that u do representing real hiphop always salute

Love this channel so much. Specially this dude. He knows his shit.

Nas once upon a time looked like he lost the war with Jay Z but we should all be reminded of this one line as Nas' legacy & trajectory seems to be moving forward in stealth mode in a major way. "Much success to ya even if you wish me the opposite, sooner or later we'll all see who the prophet is" -Nas is Like (Nas 1999)

DX... very insightful so with me being a Nas fan this was dope ! Thanks

Love these videos. Take some notes Complex!

The older I get the more I APPRECIATE what Nas has done as a lyricist. Best catalogue in Hip Hop since live at the BBQ

This channel is so well put together. Subbed.

Nas GOAT, no doubt about it. But he's way too laid back with his attitude and not very focused to be on his best many times. But as talent goes, he is the greatest Hip Hop has ever known.

Very insightful video man makes you really wonder what could have been. You deserve more subscribers really enjoying your stuff thanks bro.

Dope... amazing... thoughtful, substantive. Keep up the great work.

Nas album done.... I really hope his next project will take the culture by storm. I understand his output is pretty damn consistent but I want that next late career undeniable classic

Mad Props...Articulate, Concise, I will show my team these episodes...Aspirational. Continued Success.

This was a very inspiring breakdown , the art vs the business , you put a new perspective on the Jay-z vs Nas thing.

Good stuff, sir. you're really good at what you do. keep doing it.

Dope post. Nas is the epicenter... A man of balance.

This guy is so cool and enthusiastic in what he is talking about. I subscribed :)

I love your breakdowns

That was dope & informative for us fans.

Wow. Such a good point about an artist focusing on their art or an artist focusing on outside ventures and their art suffering.

Thanks for this fascinating piece. Sounds like those of us who are Nas and Jay fans owe a lot to Mr. Stoute. I love these cool little history stories. Also shocked at the Stillmatic hate, but I can't trust anything Rolling Stone says about hip-hop after they left 2pac out of their top 10. One Mic is one of my favorite songs ever.

great vid, great backgrounds too, anywhere you can get those framed pics?

Learned a lot. Good job.

kinda loving this channel man!👊 #Hiphop

just watched it...subbed

damn, i REALLY want a video on the jay z vs Nas story.

Nice little breakdown. And I love Stillmatic, the critics are drunk of that 🍷

El Priest from Nigeria. Love your analysis man

Yo you should do a breakdown on UK rap (grime) comparing it to American hip-hop and seeing if it has any merit, luv the show man!

Belly is the most underrated gangster movie ever

Very Impressed ,, Hes Such a great Guy ,,, He Dreams big amd big Dreams. he Makes It Real )) Brings The Story for His/ Her Characters to Life ))) Love

Nas is a Marathoner and Jay is an all around athlete but life's a marathon so guess who'll win the race.

Marketing is so important in Hip Hop, you posed so interesting questions.

good look this podcast was dope...

I knew this, but this video provided more context. Nas is a lyricist and true to the art form of Hip Hop. It wasn't all about money to him. He has to be passionate and inspired to create music, not just record bs. We also have to acknowledge when Nas got with Steve, that's when everyone said that "Nas is falling off", "He's losing his street cred", and/or "He's selling out". Nas knows that he was doing pop records that deep down, he did not want to do. He got tired of it and wanted to chill, plus he saw the deadly effects of Hip Hop. Two of his peers were murdered (Biggie & Tupac). How do you continue to pursue music and not feel like your life is on the line next? Lastly, HIS MOM WAS DYING. Like the timing was all wrong. How can anyone be focused and travel with their mother in her last days? Steve does seem like the instigator in this Nas vs. Jay Z battle. But still lyrically, Jay Z don't want it with Nas.

great work dx! well done! (what did we learn), simply put, Steve, great business man! Nas, G.O.A.T.! Jay, would be nuttin' without Steve!

Pound for pound the greatest rapper ever. Our generation needs to be exposed to his greatness.

Great breakdown.

That beat in the background always hypnotizes me

I like your vids. do something on the Lox and Onyx for me ;) btw how do I access the critical score website? I can't find it.

Nice video. 1+ Subscription. From where did you get both pictures hanging behind you?

I absolutely loved this segment and learned a lot about the development of both artists career through time and Stoute's involvement in both. As a teen, I had always been intrigued by how Jay (suddenly) became the business mogul that he is now, and I clearly had no insight on the actual power behind the throne. Lastly, if I was the one that made the segment, I think I would've quoted Jay's second verse on "Moment of Clarity" (right after the metacritic scores comparison) as a nail in the coffin. Jay literally tells you the musical transition he made and why : "I dumbed down for my audience to double my dollars They criticized me for it, yet they all yell "holla" If skills sold, truth be told, I'd probably be lyrically Talib Kweli Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense But I did 5 mill' - I ain't been rhyming like Common since"

Nice Video !

This made me love hip hop even more.

Great video i've had so many arguments on who's better Nas or Jay-Z and of course nas is better but this brings even more insight into the rivalry I really didnt know steve stoute was that important to nas.

I never planned to be top of raps elite

I love this series

I was waiting for Steve Stoute to come out from the back and accept his award.

Thank you for the incite. I was finishing up High School when Nas releasing Nastradamus, Jay-Z released Blueprint, and their beef started. I wore Nas' Willie Esco clothing line, as well as Wu-Wear. Rocawear hadn't yet released when I got out of wearing rapper's garments. I did notice the shift in popular culture presence. IMO, the only reason people think Jay won the battle was because he was more prominent in respect to popular awareness. Meaning, he was on MTV more, he was making more radio friendly songs, he was making his name in other industries beyond music. Nas is one of the best lyricists to ever grace the mic. So as far as a rap battle / beef is concerned, Jay could never truly compete. As far as the "What If" question, I think Jay-Z would have faded out had he not had the help of Steve Stoute. I don't think he could have attracted the talent to help him build his empire without the help. Maybe I'm wrong, who knows. However, I also wonder if Nas' music would have become pop-rap drivel if he didn't step back from the business moves to concentrate on his artistry. While, I remember liking Nastradamus when it released, I don't think it was critically acclaimed. It is definitely a Nas album, but it's a Nas album with a heavy "Big Willie" influence. Had he not stepped back, would he have continued down that slippery slope that a lot of rappers slide down to make money by sticking to radio friendly, pop music? Look at 50 and Ja-Rule. Both were great artists in their own right, but once they got a little bit of fame they turned into love song, pop song, TRL rappers.

Stillmatic to me represents more than just a good hip hop album. It represents creativity, art, making a comeback, and it represents showing doubters that no matter what, you can overcome in the face of defeat. Stillmatic stands out the most to me when i think of Nas albums.

I loved it when nas pointed out the RENEGADE ,And ethered jay

Thank you. Good topics. Carter G Woodson already told use decades ago that we have to educate ourselves and stop depending on the gov to educate our children.

those pictures of hip hop legends...i need them, where can i buy?

Yeezus!..That was perfect! Made me actually laugh out loud.

Genius Justin!

Interesting, good research n well spoken. I like to see ppl enjoy speaking about what they love. HERES AN IDEA A LIVING LEGEND TRACK WITH ALL BIG TIME RAPPERS IN THE GAME FEATURED N CALL IT "THE CONCEPT" WHERE EVERY RAPPER WRITES A VERSE SPEAKING IN THEIR PARTICULAR CONCEPT WITHOUT TELLING ANY OF THE OTHER ARTISTS WHAT THEYRE WRITING ABOUT, EVERYONE GETS THEIR TURN N GETS IN THE BOOTH TO Spit something legendary. Eminem, 50 cent, dr dre, nas, jay z, mobb deep, G unit, snoop dogg, DPG, maybe puff? Lol, there'd have to be an entry level...like you had to have sold a certain number of units to be considered legendary in the track...or even have Em all battle it out n diss eachother n have the fans judge who's the best emcee based on their disses or level of content they spoke on w the best concept./voice of opinion. I mean hip hop needs a track like that, before these guys pass on one day n you ever wonder what it would be like to have your favorite artists on a track together whether

Stillmatic is a top 3 Nas album. goes to show fans know and critics dont know shit. no wonder Nas doesnt have a grammy

Nas got 5 Mics for Stillmatic and to me that’s all that matters. When he released Stillmatic Jay was at his Apex and no one wanted to upset him so only The Source (The HipHop Bible) gave him the review that he truly deserved.

in Europe Nas I can was a bigger hit than any songs on the Blueprint people respect Jay successful business but when it comes to music outside the USA he isn't the biggest rap star at all even in his prime

they fucking crazy giving stillmatic a 6.. clearly that album was fire str8 through... 2nd childhood, my country, the flyest, rewind!..

those paintings behind him r pretty cool

This is golden nuggets

For me Nas is the goat

jay z more commercial as a result but nas ends up with a better catalog of music according to metacritic and fan ratings. jay ends up business oriented but Nas ends up as more music oriented while stil doing business and it shows in the music. guess thats why i always preferred Nas to Jay-Z musically speaking

Stillmatic is a classic. love that album.

I need those minimal hip hop pictures on the wall in the background lol

I want that Ice Cube pic behind ya!

Anymore news about The Standard? I want to know more of when that group is going to release something.

Nas is definitely top 5 D.O.A. Hands down.

I don't usually comment, but this was really interesting stuff. I might have been too dismissive about Steve Stoute in the past because my least favorite Nas albums were done with his involvement, but the points made in this video as far as business prowess and mogul achievements are undeniable. Really awesome to think what might have happened differently with Nas AND Jay had Nas stayed on course with that plan. Love the way it played out though. Jay makes a great God of the game while Nas stays the rapper's rapper legend.

Congratulations