On
this
day
in
Hip-Hop
history,
Nas
released
his
sixth
studio
album,
God’s
Son,
in
2002.
This
may
be
Nas’
most
emotional
album
coming
at
a
rough
time
in
his
personal
life.
With
the
passing
of
his
mother
and
his
bout
with
fellow
New
York
rapper
Jay-Z
at
its
height,
Nas
catered
his
lyricism
to
be
more
introspective
in
relation
to
his
own
trials
and
tribulations.
Nas
crowned
himself
“God’s
Son”
in
tribute
to
his
mother’s
legacy
and
to
point
out
a
self-acclaimed
likeness
to
Jesus
Christ.
The
production
Nas
collected
for
this
project
was
astounding.
Working
with
The
Alchemist,
Salaam
Remi,
Eminem,
and
even
Alicia
Keys
helped
to
create
a
sound
true
to
New
York
Hip-Hop
with
its
own
modern
twist.
Salaam
Remi
produced
the
bulk
of
the
album
and
in
a
time
when
rap
was
something
for
the
club
and
a
Neptunes’
beat
was
a
signature
this
soulfully
classic
sound
was refreshing.
The
beats
alone
were
critically
acclaimed
being
mentioned
in
Vibe
and
Stylus
Magazine
and
by
countless
critics.
Lyrically,
Nas
went
in
the
opposite
direction
of
what
was
popular
at
the
time.
As
always,
there
was
a
true
and
necessary
message
behind
everything
that
was
said
on
the
album,
not
to
mention
his
flow
and
delivery
were
impeccable.
The
content
was
also
deeply
connected
to
what
was
going
on
in
his
own
life.
His
references
on
songs
like
“Warrior”
and
“Last
Real
N*****
Alive”
were
in
reverence
of
his
recent
past
mother.
He
even
dedicated
the
track
“Dance”
to
his
mom.
There
were
also
a
lot
of
Christian
undertones
throughout
the
album.
Whether
it
be
through
titles
of
a
song
or
metaphorically
in
bars
spat,
Nas’s
religious
views
were
intertwined
with
the
majority
of
this
album.
Some
of
the
other
lyricists
featured
on
the
album
were
Alicia
Keys
and
Nas’s
ex-wife
Kelis.
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Commercially,
this
album
was
successful
as
well.
It
was
certified
platinum
on January
14,
2003,
and
peaked
at #18 on
the
US
Billboard
200
chart.
It
also
claimed
the
#1
spot
on
the
Billboard
Hip
Hop/
R&B chart.
The
singles
from
this
album,
“Made
You
Look”,
“I
Can”, and
“Get
Down,”
were
also
hits.
Two
of
the
Three
released
claimed
spots
on
the
Billboard
Hot
100.
“Made
You
Look”
peaked
at
#32
and
“I
Can”
peaked
at
#12.
“I
Can”
has
become
a
timeless
song
in
Hip
Hop
over
the
years
being
an
anthem
of
lifelong
success
for
children
in
the
black
community.
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