It Was Written turns 20 today

[Alexander Wiggin]

To me silent murder is a part of the album. I had it on my copy (European version)

Here in France most of us were introduced to nas with this

 

[NoHalfWay]

Rap hero, black DeNiro
Federal Bureau, tapped my line and got zero

 

[Big Mark]

To me silent murder is a part of the album. I had it on my copy (European version)

Here in France most of us were introduced to nas with this

I find these versions of Nas's songs very interesting. I know he did one with Hate me Now feat, Unique and one with Hate me Now featuring Afrob. There is also a Euro exclusive feature on a version of One Mic too, feat. Brainpower. Are there anymore?

 

[Kyle C. Barker]

Two quotes I live my life by:

I never brag how real I keep it
Cuz it's the best secret

I got no game
It's just some bytches understand my story


Nas is the best rapper ever. No debates.

A thug changes
A love changes
And best freinds become strangers


I've been able to relate to those lines more than I care to admit

 

[IllmaticDelta]

 

[Piff Perkins]

All the more reason I'm still baffled at IWW getting the backlash it did when it came out. I could understand if it was an album like Nastradamus, but IWW was solid for the most part.

I was listening to Combat Jack's Stretch & Bobbito interview and they were talking about how Nas was perhaps the only rapper they immediately knew would be a legend. They briefly talked about IWW and Stretch said he didn't fukk with it at the time. Combat Jack said he listened to it once or twice and didn't revisit it again until a few years ago.


I get that a "real hip hop" fan wouldn't fukk with the mainstream sheen but jesus, how can someone not even recognize Nas did his thing on the album? And if you don't fukk with the singles surely a "real hip hop" would appreciate Take It In Blood, I Gave You Power, Affirmative Action, Live nikka Rap, THE MESSAGE...

 

[Street Knowledge]

The only song I don't like is nas is coming. Everything else is above average or classic

 

[Urbanmiracle]

The transition from Illmatic and its gritty street tales and dusty boom bap to IWW more polished, theatrical soundscape might have turn a lot of folks off to it. I'm glad Nas was able to set aside certain things and let the track masters open him up to things. But mind you, Nas still kept it street but also showed his range. I was young when I first heard IWW I mean I was fresh faced out of high school and the first songs I heard was I Gave You Power and thought the rest of the album was gonna be that. I didn't really appreciate the messages. The quotes. Until I got older. Now honestly, I play this more than illmatic sometimes. Mad gems and grown man raps on that. And he was still in his early 20s with an understanding of a wise old sage.

 

[JYoung24]

My favorite rap album ever

 

[Piff Perkins]

NY rap is full of guys who had great debut albums, or even multiple albums, but never reached that next level. Nas could have easily released an album full of Deja Vu type tracks or let Marly Marl handle things, and I'm sure hip hop purists would love that (as would we). But the fact is that he likely would not have taken that next step, and instead would be another KRS, OC, GZA, G Rap, etc career wise. Illmatic is a classic and arguably the greatest rap album ever, but I agree with others who have said IWW is the album that secured Nas' career and put him on the path to prolonged greatness.

And it's not like he put out a pop rap album or some shyt, or had multiple "rap n bullshyt" tracks. That shyt is more street than Life After Death, real talk.

 

[Kyle C. Barker]

The transition from Illmatic and its gritty street tales and dusty boom bap to IWW more polished, theatrical soundscape might have turn a lot of folks off to it. I'm glad Nas was able to set aside certain things and let the track masters open him up to things. But mind you, Nas still kept it street but also showed his range. I was young when I first heard IWW I mean I was fresh faced out of high school and the first songs I heard was I Gave You Power and thought the rest of the album was gonna be that. I didn't really appreciate the messages. The quotes. Until I got older. Now honestly, I play this more than illmatic sometimes. Mad gems and grown man raps on that. And he was still in his early 20s with an understanding of a wise old sage.

I was the same. I liked it when it came out but I came back a year later and played it all the way through several times and ended up loving it. It's like a concept album in the fact that it plays out like a screenplay to a movie. Truly was cinema on wax

NY rap is full of guys who had great debut albums, or even multiple albums, but never reached that next level. Nas could have easily released an album full of Deja Vu type tracks or let Marly Marl handle things, and I'm sure hip hop purists would love that (as would we). But the fact is that he likely would not have taken that next step, and instead would be another KRS, OC, GZA, G Rap, etc career wise. Illmatic is a classic and arguably the greatest rap album ever, but I agree with others who have said IWW is the album that secured Nas' career and put him on the path to prolonged greatness.

And it's not like he put out a pop rap album or some shyt, or had multiple "rap n bullshyt" tracks. That shyt is more street than Life After Death, real talk.

A marley marl nas album woulda been piff . But you're right that it would've put him in kool g rap territory (ie a dope struggling emcee )

 

[C-Styles]

I still till this day can't understand how people and the media at the time said Nas was going "Mainstream" if for the life of me this album sounded dark and gritty all the way through!! What was so commercial about this album? The only thing that sounded anything commercial was STREET DREAMS REMIX and that wasn't even on the album itself plus it was still A GREAT SONG PERIOD! It was written is a classic since the day it came out and if these "real hip hop" heads knew how rap would sound 20 years after, they would have take their heads out of their as* and embrace it instead of giving it this ridiculous hate just because it wasn't illmatic

 

[newworldafro]

'96 what a year be alive....

 

[Pegasus Jackson]

Very underwhelming to me the day I bought it and listened to it in my grandma's hot ass living room in Dothan, Alabama. I thought it was a tremendous fall off from Illmatic. I've learned to appreciate it more though.

 

[newworldafro]

Very underwhelming to me the day I bought it and listened to it in my grandma's hot ass living room in Dothan, Alabama. I thought it was a tremendous fall off from Illmatic. I've learned to appreciate it more though.

Yeah...that's kinda how I felt when I fist heard it. It's kind of a dark album, versus Illmatic, which is very colorful and jazzy.

The storytelling is crazy, and did show another side to Nas' lyrical abilities.