Made You Look

Lore & Background

Lyrically "Made You Look" is similar to much of the material Nas was releasing in the early 2000s with its loose, complex, free-associative rhymes conveying obscure, wide-ranging themes: partying, boasting, hyping Nas and his legacy. The beat for "Made You Look" was also used on the song "In My Bed" by British singer Amy Winehouse from her 2003 album *Frank*. Both songs were produced by Salaam Remi. The official remix features new additional verses by Jadakiss and Ludacris. Q ranked it as the 903rd best song ever in 2003.

In Their Own Story

The single's A-side features the explicit version of "Made You Look" at 3:22 and an instrumental with guns at 3:14. The B-side includes "The Cross" (explicit version) at 3:47, produced by Eminem, and its instrumental at 3:47. The song's reliance on intricate lyricism and an old-school aesthetic helped establish Nas' direction after his battle with Jay-Z and the *Stillmatic* album.

Reader's Guide

To understand "Made You Look", focus on its samples lifted from the Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache" and its production by Salaam Remi. The track's loose, complex, free-associative rhymes convey themes of partying, boasting, and hyping Nas and his legacy. It reached commercial success comparable to "I Can" and remains one of the more popular tracks on *God's Son*. Note that the same beat was used for Amy Winehouse's "In My Bed" from her 2003 album *Frank*, also produced by Salaam Remi. The official remix adds verses from Jadakiss and Ludacris.

Did You Know?

• "Made You Look" is the first single from Nas' 2002 album *God's Son*.
• The song is built around several samples lifted from the Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache".
• The beat for "Made You Look" was also used on Amy Winehouse's song "In My Bed" from her 2003 album *Frank*.
• The official remix features new additional verses by Jadakiss and Ludacris.
• Q ranked it as the 903rd best song ever in 2003.