The two-sided 'Thief's Theme'/'You Know My Style' single dropped in summer 2004, several months before the album's release, and was followed that fall by the proper lead single 'Bridging the Gap.' Two years later, Nas returned with Street's Disciple (2004), a double album that delved deeply into various issues, most notably politics and his impending marriage to Kelis. Then, at the end of the year, Columbia released a new studio album, God's Son (2002), and Nas once again basked in widespread acclaim as the album sold well, spawned sizable hits ('Thugz Mansion,' 'Made You Look,' 'I Can'), and received rampant media support. Stillmatic earned immediate acclaim from fans and critics alike and sold impressively, while Columbia furthered the comeback campaign with two archival releases, one of remixes (From Illmatic to Stillmatic 2002), the other of outtakes (The Lost Tapes 2002, which notably included some of the pirated I Am material). Throughout 2002, Nas continued his comeback with a number of guest appearances, among them Brandy's 'What About Us?,' J-Lo's 'I'm Gonna Be Alright,' and Ja Rule's 'The Pledge.' Amidst all of the drama, Nas salvaged his esteemed reputation and reclaimed his status atop the New York scene. These two songs in particular rallied the streets while the moving video for 'One Mic' received heavy support from MTV. The album still peaked at number seven and spawned two charting singles, 'Nastradamus' and 'You Owe Me.' In the late-'90s wake of the Notorious B.I.G.' Originally scheduled by Columbia as a follow-up album comprising the pirated material from the I Am sessions, Nastradamus (1999) - released in time for the holiday shopping season, roughly six months after its predecessor - instead featured almost entirely new material, recorded quickly to meet the late-November release date. Besides 'Nas Is Like' and 'Hate Me Now,' which both broke into the Billboard Hot 100, 'You Won't See Me Tonight' and 'K-I-S-S-I-N-G' also charted as singles. The effort had originally been planned as a double-disc concept album comprising autobiographical material, but when some of the tracks were leaked, I Am was scaled down and released as a single disc, with the DJ Premier-produced 'Nas Is Like' chosen as the lead single. Nas addressed his critics on 'Hate Me Now,' the second single from his next album, I Am (1999). At the same time, though, he delved into street culture and flirted with danger, such experiences similarly characterizing his rhymes. Born Nasir Jones, son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas dropped out of school in the eighth grade, trading classrooms for the streets of the rough Queensbridge projects, long fabled as the former stomping ground of Marley Marl and his Juice Crew as immortalized in 'The Bridge.' Despite dropping out of school, Nas developed a high degree of literacy that would later characterize his rhymes. Such growth made every album release an event and prolonged his increasingly storied career to epic proportions. Nas continually matured as an artist, evolving from a young street disciple to a vain all-knowing sage to a humbled godly teacher, as heard on later work such as God's Son (2002) and Life Is Good (2012). Nas likewise collaborated with some of the industry's leading video directors, including Hype Williams and Chris Robinson, presenting singles like 'Hate Me Now,' 'One Mic,' and 'I Can' with dramatic flair. Such headline-worthy drama informed Nas' provocative rhymes, which he delivered with both a masterful flow and a wise perspective over beats by a range of producers: legends like DJ Premier, Large Professor, and Pete Rock hitmakers like Trackmasters, Timbaland, and will.i.am street favorites like Swizz Beatz, Megahertz, and the Alchemist and personal favorites of his own like L.E.S., Salaam Remi, and Chucky Thompson.
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