One Mic

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Lore & Background

In an interview for Rolling Stone, Nas discussed the theme of "One Mic," stating it's "just about the power." He referred to commentator Bill O'Reilly's criticism of "Shoot 'Em Up," a song from Nas's fourth album *Nastradamus* (1999), saying: "If I didn't have a microphone, I could never talk about 'Shoot 'Em Up,' and I was talking about Queens, New York, being shot up." Nas continued: "'One Mic' just gives me the ability, no matter how much ignorant people are mad that I'm exposing or talking about our country, no matter what the language is, I'm talking in a language that the people can hear, I'm not sugar-coating it." The lyrics discuss Nas's desire for a simple life ("Only if I had one gun, one girl, and one crib/One God to show me how to do things his son did") and obstacles that prevent it. Music critic Cynthia Fuchs described the song's lyrical scheme as "building slowly to a crescendo of declaration and rage, then coming back, to seek a way to make a difference, with that precious one mic."

In Their Own Story

The music video for "One Mic" was directed by Chris Robinson and released on December 17, 2001, receiving heavy rotation on MTV and 2002 MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best Rap Video and Video of the Year. Robinson wanted to feature references to the 1976 Soweto uprising, ultimately persuading Nas to include it. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the video's production ran into difficulties due to restrictions on international travel; the riot scene was instead filmed in Los Angeles with participants from a local inner-city baseball team playing the rioters. The scene of the rock being thrown was taken over 10 times before post-production work managed to complete the desired effect. The video begins with a montage of scenes from inner-city areas of New York City, then centralizes upon Nas reflectively rapping with a single microphone in a bare apartment room. As Nas shouts "The Time is Now!" the scene cuts to Soweto at the beginning of the 1976 uprising, where a protester rallies a crowd against the government while soldiers prepare for the crackdown. The scene ends with the silent scream of a little bystanding Soweto girl.

Reader's Guide

When "One Mic" was released as a single, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 79 on April 20, 2002, ultimately peaking at number 43. On June 8, it debuted on the Hot Rap Tracks chart at number 9, before eventually reaching number 7. The single also peaked on the Hot Rap Singles at number 23, the Rhythmic Top 40 at number 32, and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks at number 14. A remix featuring a sample of Mtume's "Juicy Fruit" (1983) was later released on the remix album *From Illmatic to Stillmatic: The Remixes* (2002). "One Mic" was well received by critics. Marc L. Hill from PopMatters cited it as *Stillmatic*'s "standout track." Exclaim! magazine's Del F. Cowie described it as the album's "centrepiece epic." Writing for Sputnikmusic, Nick Butler cited it as "the best rap song of this decade," saying it "blew me away on first listen, and it's still having the same effect now. Not many rap songs can send chills up my spine. This is one of them." Brett Berliner from Stylus Magazine was particularly favorable of the song's use of a siren, calling the concept "truly incredible, and one of the best ideas for a song I've ever heard in my life." In 2005, "One Mic" was ranked number 54 on About.com's list of the 100 Greatest Rap Songs.

Did You Know?

• Nas stated he was inspired by Phil Collins's 'In the Air Tonight' for the vibe of 'One Mic'.
• The music video for 'One Mic' was nominated for Best Rap Video and Video of the Year at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.
• The riot scene in the music video was filmed in Los Angeles with participants from a local inner-city baseball team due to international travel restrictions after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
• The rock-throwing scene in the video took over 10 takes before post-production completed the desired effect.
• A remix of 'One Mic' featuring a sample of Mtume's 'Juicy Fruit' (1983) was released on the remix album *From Illmatic to Stillmatic: The Remixes* (2002).