Nas God's Son Album Zip 12
After another New York City rapper, Jay-Z, attacked Nas in his album The Blueprint, Nas released Stillmatic in 2001 with a track responding to Jay-Z's attack along with two singles that once again made the top ten spots of the Billboard rap chart, "Got Ur Self A..." and "One Mic".[1] Nas's 2002 album God's Son included "I Can", his most successful single on the Hot 100 that charted at number 12 there.[3] However, Nas's 2004 album Street's Disciple failed to attract much hype. After Nas settled his feud with Jay-Z by performing with Jay-Z in the rival rapper's "I Declare War" concert in October 2005, Nas was signed to Def Jam Recordings Def Jam label in 2006 and debuted on Def Jam with Hip Hop Is Dead, his third album to reach number 1 on the American Billboard 200 album chart.[4] In 2008, Nas released an untitled album that he controversially almost titled Nigger.[1]
Nas God's Son Album Zip 12
Nas has also participated in three non-solo albums. In 1997, he teamed up with rappers AZ, Cormega, Foxy Brown, and Nature to form supergroup The Firm, whose self-titled album reached the top of the Billboard 200 and included two modestly charting singles "Firm Biz" and "Phone Tap". With his new imprint Ill Will Records, Nas released in 2000 the collaborative compilation Nas & Ill Will Records Presents QB's Finest, which included "Da Bridge 2001" and "Oochie Wally". A few mixtapes were released, as well. In 2010, Nas and reggae singer Damian Marley released the collaborative studio album Distant Relatives. Among the singles in which Nas did guest performances, four of them reached the top ten of the Hot 100: "Hot Boyz" by Missy Elliott (whose remix also featured Lil' Mo, Eve, and Q-Tip), "Did You Ever Think" by R. Kelly, "Thank God I Found You (Make It Last Remix)" by Mariah Carey and "I'm Gonna Be Alright" by Jennifer Lopez. Nas also appeared in singles and tracks by his ex-wife Kelis, Sean Combs, The Game, Ludacris, and Mobb Deep among others. Nas has sold over 15 million records in the United States alone.[5]
With an ever-widening gap between mainstream and underground Hip Hop, 2002 was a year of contrasts. On the one hand there was the pop-rap of Nelly (his Nellyville would end up in the top 20 of best-selling Hip Hop albums ever), on the other hand there were underground gems by the likes of El-P, Mr. Lif, and others. Presented here are our top 40 Hip Hop albums of 2002. Agree? Disagree? Drop your opinions in the comments!