Nastradamus is Nas’ fourth studio album released under Columbia Records, and his first album to be released under his new imprint Ill Will Records. The LP was released to the public in November 1999 and was originally intended to be a release of the bootlegged second disc of I Am…, but it was instead decided, seven months after the release date of I Am…, to record an entirely new LP. It debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 selling 232,000 copies in its first week.

The resulting Nastradamus album has therefore been almost unanimously regarded as Nas’ worst LP, receiving his weakest ratings from many publications such as Allmusic and The Source. However, despite the criticism leveled at the album it still managed to receive a Platinum certification by the RIAA.