The Making of Nas' 'It Was Written'

[Whips-n-Chains]

On "The Set-Up" feat. Havoc:

"I must admit, I said something stupid on that record. I was high and changed words around and I said a word that didn’t make sense. I didn’t realize it until the album was mastered. But I won’t put a spotlight on it—I’m not going to tell you what it was. The word makes sense but it didn’t make sense on what I said I was doing. I overthought it."


Anyone know what Nas is referring to here?

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

Blew me away..

 

[IllmaticDelta]

did you read the article in full?

Yes I did. The album wasn't aiming for a white crowd as much as it was just trying to expand the listening audience. The biggest reason why an album like RTD sold more than Illmatic was because it was able to hit with the casual listening, urban female crowd with songs like "Juicy" or 'Big Poppa" with which are not really songs that you would aim towards white people.

 

[SirBiatch]

Yes I did. The album wasn't aiming for a white crowd as much as it was just trying to expand the listening audience.

Tone's exact words: "That was how we made sure the album had hard appeal but was broad enough that it didn’t discourage white America."

I get what you're saying. Modern Hip hop panders to white America on unprecedented levels, and it wasn't like that with It Was Written. But there was watering down and some pandering nonetheless

 

[kingofnyc]

great read







the pinnacle of subliminal disses

nas hit my nikka hard
They let me let y'all nikkas know one thing.
There's one life, one love, so there can only be one King....



then my nikka came back to crush da buildings
Ain't no other kings in this rap thing
They siblings, nothing but my children
One shot they disappearin'
It's ill when MC's used to be on cruddy shyt
Took home Ready to Die, listened, studied shyt
Now they on some money shyt, successfully outta the blue....

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

Nas shouting out capone n noreaga..

 

[drugxglory]

I still listen to this album as if it came out yesterday, damn good read.


Always wanted to know if "Shootouts" was based on true events

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

On "The Set-Up" feat. Havoc:

"I must admit, I said something stupid on that record. I was high and changed words around and I said a word that didn’t make sense. I didn’t realize it until the album was mastered. But I won’t put a spotlight on it—I’m not going to tell you what it was. The word makes sense but it didn’t make sense on what I said I was doing. I overthought it."


Anyone know what Nas is referring to here?

I thought it was beamers beamin..?

 

[blazn101]

Hopefully Nas will do something for It Was Written..

Great read..

 

[UpAndComing]

GOAT Hip Hop album

 

[patscorpio]

Subs

 

[patscorpio]

My thoughts of IWW. It had to grow on me a little even though I did like it on initial listen

 

[JuvenileHell]

His 2nd best album. To a degree I get why this album was hated on at first, I'm just glad it's getting the props it deserves. It's a classic album

 

[T.he I.nformant]

I hear you breh, but the intro is like 1/15th of the album. what about the rest of it?

shyt don't sound like pandering to white people to me. Definitely not from a lyric or content perspective. I mean check out a record like Black Girl Lost. If you disagree, please give me some examples of how you feel he's speaking to a white audience. Beat-wise maybe it sounds a little glossier and cleaner here and there but there's some grittier, dirtier shyt too. And I get they were trying to create something that was sonically appealing and accessible for a broader audience but I just don't get the whole he was making music for white people angle.

 

[SirBiatch]

shyt don't sound like pandering to white people to me. Definitely not from a lyric or content perspective. I mean check out a record like Black Girl Lost. If you disagree, please give me some examples of how you feel he's speaking to a white audience. Beat-wise maybe it sounds a little glossier and cleaner here and there but there's some grittier, dirtier shyt too. And I get they were trying to create something that was sonically appealing and accessible for a broader audience but I just don't get the whole he was making music for white people angle.

I hear you. Part of me says: "well, White people were infatuated with that gangsta talk and IWW was a huge step up on the gangsta talk from Illmatic" but another part of me says it wasn't aimed at them lyrically.