It Was Written >>> Illmatic; Nas Best Album

[TMillzy]

IWW is Nas best album. Yes Illmatic is legendary. Yes Nas was only like 19 and made a classic. Yes we know. But if you really examine IWW, its better than Illmatic and every other Nas album. Its lyrically a tad under illmatic but the production is better, the cohesiveness is better, his voice is older and the theme is better. The Message is one of Nas best songs and taking shots at Big, Street Dreams Nas first Top 40 charting single and certified Gold, If I Ruled The World is self explanatory, Nas is Coming a Dre collab in the midst of east/west beef. I Gave You Power is one of the best metaphor rap stories in history, Shootouts is an excellent story telling track, Live nikka Rap and Set Up excellent MD collabs, and of course Black Girl Lost. The weakest song is Suspect. Lupe said this album got him into rap and he studied IWW for Food & Liquor, Drake said he studied IWW, I Gave You Power led to Pac's Me & My Girlfriend. The Lost Tapes is the only LP i'll take over this one but since its technically not an album, IWW is the best. Nas fade on the cover >>

 

[Consigliere]

no

 

[Tuling]

he was a better mc on iww but better album? dunno

 

[Never Broke Again]

my personal favorite album

take it in blood

 

[BlackZilla]

Nope. The World Is Yours, It Ain't Hard To Tell, Life's a bytch >>>>>

 

[BlackZilla]

The weakest song is Suspect. Lupe said this album got him into rap and he studied IWW for Food & Liquor, Drake said he studied IWW, I Gave You Power led to Pac's Me & My Girlfriend. The Lost Tapes is the only LP i'll take over this one but since its technically not an album, IWW is the best. Nas fade on the cover >>

I can agree with this part though. And yeah, the fade on the cover is dope

 

[TMillzy]

It Was Written flows better. Illmatic seems more like just song after song.

 

[Vagina Thief]

Yes. This album is the epitome of Nas at his most focused and cohesive state of mind.

I listen to this album everyday of my life and I still find shyt to about.

The way everysong just flows together is incredible.

Just look at how Street Dreams ends with that skit and I Gave You Power comes in ....


GOAT ALBUM.


SUCK MY dikk IF YOU DISAGREE​

 

[LandryFieldsDad]

No

 

[LiIZaneFan1978]

IWW>I AM>ILLMATIC

 

[Consigliere]

It Was Written is a soulless piece of work where Nas dumbed down for his audience and adopted the trend that other more authentic street emcees were using.


Conceptually:
The Esco persona stunted Nas' growth as an emcee and confused his fanbase to the point where Nas wouldnt recover for 5+ years. NY wouldnt recover from their flagship artist selling out until Mos and Talib brought back real hip hop with the Rawkus movement.

Edit: NY still hasnt recovered

Sonically:
The switch from Primo and Large Pro to the glossy trackmasters production and the inclusion of Dre on Nas is Coming killed off NY homegrown production and pushed NY's grittier boom bap sound to the background.

 

[the rhyme king]

Yo; I never brag, how real I keep it, cause it's the best secret
I rock a vest, prestigious, Cuban link flooded Jesus
in a Lex watchin Kathie Lee and Regis
My actions are one with the seasons
A tec squeezin - executioner, winter time I rock a fur
Mega popular, center of attraction
Climaxin, my bytches they be laughin
They high from sniffin coke off a twenty-cent An-drew Jackson
City lights spark a New York night
Rossi and Martini sippin, Sergio Tachinni flippin mad pies
low price, I blow dice and throw em
Forty-five by my scrotum, manifest the "Do or Die" slogan
My nikkaz roll in ten M3's
Twenty Gods poppin wheelies on Kawasaki's
Hip-Hop's got me on some ol', sprayin shots like a drumroll
Blankin out and never miscount the shells my gun hold
I don't stunt, I regulate
Henny and Sprite, I seperate, watchin crab nikkaz marinate
I'm all about tecs and good jooks and sex
Israelite books, holdin government names from Ness
MC's are crawlin out, ev-ery hole in the slum
You be aight like blood mo-ney in a pimp's cum

 

[FlyGuy]

You are right but I can't agree with Suspect being the worst track (black girl lost) or with Illmatic being more lyrical. Illmatic was some "this is what I see" shiit and IWW was "this is how I feel"

2 of my favorite albums in a catalog I never get tired of. This one's for you Mr. Jones

 

[LucaBrasi]

This is why I can never be a Nas Stan yo some of y'all always say the most ignorant shxt known to hip hop IWW is good musically but almost everything Nas says is

 

[FlyGuy]

This is why I can never be a Nas Stan yo some of y'all always say the most ignorant shxt known to hip hop IWW is good musically but almost everything Nas says is

That's what we gives a fucck about...the music