Summer of 1996, Reasonable Doubt and It Was Written were my personal soundtrack

[Newark88]

Now before I start, this thread is NOT about which album is better. I'm bigging both albums up on their own merit. The summer of 96 was a key time for me. I was 18, just graduating from high school. I was on the school tip getting ready for college in the fall but was still out ripping/running in the streets. From the local clubs here in Newark to the nightlife in NYC (The Tunnel, Palladium, Essos, Carbon, Limelight, etc) I was making my rounds all over. 2 albums defined that summer for me and the people I ran with. It Was Written and Reasonable Doubt were the 2 albums that were blasting out every car where I was at. For my Brick City heads, I remember cars riding up and down elizabeth avenue, chancellor avenue, bergen st, springfield avenue, central avenue, south orange avenue, the "number blocks", etc blasting a different song from each album. The Message and Can I Live were hood anthems at the time. I remember me and my man Malik (RIP) riding around in the 600 to Harlem and every whip on 125 st and 7th was either blasting Shootouts, The Message, Take It In Blood, Can I Live, Feelin It, Friend or Foe, etc. It Was Written was a commerical hit and helped brought Nas into the mainstream. Reasonable Doubt wasn't an international smash but it was getting crazy notoriety up here in the tri state. The only dudes I knew that were bumping RD heavy were the local drug dealers from around the way. It was almost like the Bible to them. It was key lines in there that only dudes who were in that lifestyle, at the time, could identify and relate to. The content on both albums were heavy. It Was Written captured the lifestyle of a hustler dealing with the politics that where going on in the hood. Reasonable Doubt captured the hustler in first person, living the lifestyle but battling with the inner demonds and insecurites many hustlers face. Those 2 albums struck a chord with a lot of people, including me. Around this time, I was making a transition or more so playing a tug of war between putting my all in school or still playing the streets with dudes who are no longer here today. That's why they are 2 of my top 5 favorite albums of all time.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws3Ks0FGxYM"]nas the message - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUwJ8WcZ6RY"]Nas-I gave you power - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLJeKCA8Iq4"]Nas- Take It In Blood - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCz75K1OO4c"]Nas - Suspect - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJekc1cVXkk"]Nas - Shootouts - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEA-EBzAmak"]Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt track # 2.Politics as Usual - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJRB9BFx2w4"]Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt track # 4.Dead Presidents - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mnyBp4FzzI"]Jay-Z - D'Evils - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS-ixFKqLXc"]Jay-Z Can I Live - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3ifsQOFiPw"]Jay-Z - Regrets - YouTube[/ame]

 

[kingdizzy01]

summer before 8th grade for me....summer of love.....or summer of finger fukkin bytches at the YA (military kids know what that is)

 

[thekidfromqueens]

Powerful post but I'll have to disagree on one point. I might have a skewed perspective, because I'm younger and from Queens, but Jay was NOT getting burn like that in Queens. Biggie - of course, for the shyt that people in that life could relate to but honestly the first time I heard of Jay was people talking about Brooklyn's Finest, but I didn't hear the song yet, but the first Jay song I heard solo was Ain't No. It Was Written, though? Bumped out of every car in Queens. People don't really understand how truly powerful a record "If I Ruled the World" was. And the last line on "The Message" is probably the greatest rap line of all time. Nas was a powerful movement back then but I just don't remember Jay being big at all. In fact, I was really tight when he did that whole Reasonable Doubt concert series, because it was some revisionist bullshyt. He went around acting like it was a classic and had an immediate impact on the rap game, when in fact it was lost in the crowd when it came out. Don't get me wrong, it's a great album, just wasn't powerful at the time (from my experiences).

 

[kingdizzy01]

Powerful post but I'll have to disagree on one point. I might have a skewed perspective, because I'm younger and from Queens, but Jay was NOT getting burn like that in Queens. Biggie - of course, for the shyt that people in that life could relate to but honestly the first time I heard of Jay was people talking about Brooklyn's Finest, but I didn't hear the song yet, but the first Jay song I heard solo was Ain't No. It Was Written, though? Bumped out of every car in Queens. People don't really understand how truly powerful a record "If I Ruled the World" was. And the last line on "The Message" is probably the greatest rap line of all time. Nas was a powerful movement back then but I just don't remember Jay being big at all. In fact, I was really tight when he did that whole Reasonable Doubt concert series, because it was some revisionist bullshyt. He went around acting like it was a classic and had an immediate impact on the rap game, when in fact it was lost in the crowd when it came out. Don't get me wrong, it's a great album, just wasn't powerful at the time (from my experiences).

edit: i can dig it

 

[Newark88]

Powerful post but I'll have to disagree on one point. I might have a skewed perspective, because I'm younger and from Queens, but Jay was NOT getting burn like that in Queens. Biggie - of course, for the shyt that people in that life could relate to but honestly the first time I heard of Jay was people talking about Brooklyn's Finest, but I didn't hear the song yet, but the first Jay song I heard solo was Ain't No. It Was Written, though? Bumped out of every car in Queens. People don't really understand how truly powerful a record "If I Ruled the World" was. And the last line on "The Message" is probably the greatest rap line of all time. Nas was a powerful movement back then but I just don't remember Jay being big at all. In fact, I was really tight when he did that whole Reasonable Doubt concert series, because it was some revisionist bullshyt. He went around acting like it was a classic and had an immediate impact on the rap game, when in fact it was lost in the crowd when it came out. Don't get me wrong, it's a great album, just wasn't powerful at the time (from my experiences).

Reasonable Doubt wasn't a mega smash all across the board at the time of its release (although it went Gold that same year). However, I can say it was a hit in different towns. People were up on it. And if people weren't up on the album like that, it wouldn't have went Gold like 3/4 months after its initial release. Depends where you was at during that time. RD may not have affected a city like Atlanta like it did Brooklyn or city like Chicago like it did here in Newark. You're from Queens so of course Nas shyt was going to get way more burn off GP. And yes, that IWW movement was crazy out here lol

 

[thekidfromqueens]

Reasonable Doubt wasn't a mega smash all across the board at the time of its release (although it went Gold that same year). However, I can say it was a hit in different towns. People were up on it. And if people weren't up on the album like that, it wouldn't have went Gold like 3/4 months after its initial release. Depends where you was at during that time. RD may not have affected a city like Atlanta like it did Brooklyn or city like Chicago like it did here in Newark. You're from Queens so of course Nas shyt was going to get way more burn off GP. And yes, that IWW movement was crazy out here lol

I actually had no idea it went gold in it's first year. Point taken. Actually pretty surprised at that.

 

[Big Mel]

i said earlier this week the same shyt about RD being religion to those in the know.


to me RD blew IWW the fukk outta the water. i didn't even see it as close and neither did those around me. the contrast in feel between both albums couldn't be more real vs. fake.


one was a genuine article....the other was 'eh'.

 

[HollywoodP]

I didnt bump either album when they first dropped...I was on my westcoast shyt...but I do remember seeing the Feelin It video on TV... ALL THE TIME. And I had the Nutty Professor soundtrack so I was bumpin Aint No nikka alot...both classics tho.

 

[spliz]

i said earlier this week the same shyt about RD being religion to those in the know.


to me RD blew IWW the fukk outta the water. i didn't even see it as close and neither did those around me. the contrast in feel between both albums couldn't be more real vs. fake.


one was a genuine article....the other was 'eh'.

did u miss this?..

Now before I start, this thread is NOT about which album is better.

 

[Big Mel]

you saw the bat signal huh?

 

[spliz]

you saw the bat signal huh?

u talkin bout the same one u saw?..lol...

 

[Big Mel]

i was actually PM'd to view this thread by the author. we aren't the same.

 

[spliz]

i was actually PM'd to view this thread by the author. we aren't the same.

oh ok..so in every thread about Nas or any rapper u don't like it's must be the same deal right?..u stay in threads about rappers u don't like..just to show ya face and hate g...fukk is the point?..lol..u posted in more Nas threads than I have..that's all I know...on top of the fact u came in and did the EXACT opposite of what the threadstarter wanted to happen...

 

[Big Mel]

i don't care. you really like Nas. it's bugged to me to like a dude who has been so...Nassy.

 

[spliz]

i don't care. you really like Nas. it's bugged to me to like a dude who has been so...Nassy.

lol..u funny...