Nas - It Was Written

After the release of the indisputable hip-hop classic Illmatic, Nasir Jones was thrust into the spotlight of the music world, with every fan wondering "what is he going to do next? How can he follow up such an album?". And, indeed, Nas was now in a very difficult position. He basically had to make an album that was as good as the last, and yet sounding different and building upon it, rather than just making an outright copy. And this was exactly what Nas attempted to do with his second LP, It Was Written, released in the middle of 1996, around the same time a certain Shawn Carter was making his debut in the game as well... 

The album was, inevitably, met with quite poor reception from fans at the time of its release, since all the heads were after, apparently, was Illmatic Part 2, and weren't concerned with anything else that Nas could cook up. Nasir wasn't concerned with expectations, though, as he clearly didn't want this one to ape Illmatic (musically at least): the project was largely done by The Trackmasters, who were steadily rising to prominence at the time of this album's release, and there were only small contributions from previous collaborators DJ Premier and L.E.S., meaning that the project inevitably had a slightly more mainstream sound than his last effort. It also had a lead single that was far more fitting for radio than anything on Illmatic - "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)" with Lauryn Hill, which today remains one of Nas' most notorious songs. The album itself, despite a lot of fans criticism of it, was a complete success, charting at no. 1 on the Billboard 200, and becoming the highest selling album of Nasir's entire career. The fact that the album cover showed a clear evolution of the artwork of a certain Illmatic probably helped with this, but we can't say for certain now, can we? 

And, as the clock ticked on through the new millennium, and quickly after into the 2010s, people slowly but surely started warming up to this album, to the point where there are a lot of people nowadays (including Cordae, apparently) who think that this is Nas' finest hour. Quite a turn around from the days when this was referred to as "ehh" by Jay-Z of all people, then (at least it wasn't referred to as "doo", whatever that means). But, how does this album stand up to yours truly? Well, let's take a look.

The features aren't really listed properly in the booklet (except for The Firm), so I'll just be listing whatever vocalists are present as the features on this one (rather than what I usually do, which is follow the liner notes to a tee, spelling mistakes and all).

1. Album Intro (prod. Nas & Trackmasters)

Why is it that rap albums not by Shawn Carter always seem to start with some kind of goofy and pretentious intro skit? What's the bloody point? The bit with the slaves seemed unnecessary, mainly because it relates to barely any of this album's actual content, but the second half of the intro with AZ was fine, I guess...

2. The Message (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))

Even though it takes its title from the classic hip-hop track "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, this still stands, to me at least, as arguably THE BEST HIP-HOP SONG EVER MADE. The beat (which samples "Shape Of the Heart" by Sting, later sampled in Juice WRLD's "Lucid Dreams", a song that makes this one sound even better if that's possible) is poignant, menacing, and you can nod your head to it - basically the perfect hip-hop instrumental. The high-pitched synths in the hook are probably attempting to recapture that "N.Y. State Of Mind" magic, but he needn't have bothered - this song is better. The storytelling in the second verse is intense and exciting, and also introduces us to the new, mafioso-focused Nas that was probably influenced by his time recording a verse for Raekwon's "Verbal Intercourse" the year before. The scratches on the hook from Kid Capri (mostly taken from the aforementioned "N.Y. State Of Mind", as well as "Halftime") are just the cherry on top. If someone asked me my favourite song of all time, then this song would be my answer - it's truly incredible.

3. Street Dreams (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))

Following up that masterpiece was a difficult job, and I think Nas pulled it off pretty well. The production on "Street Dreams" is wavy as hell, and just smooth, you know? Meanwhile, Nas sounds just as good as he always seemed to back in this era, and the hook (which interpolates Eurythmic's "Sweet Dreams"), which should sound awful, manages to work incredibly well. The music video is entertaining too. Another track to prove Nas as a worthy addition to the mafioso era, and that single cover is bloody lovely as well (I love the '90s BMW 8-Series). Is that 50 Cent echoing Nas in the final chorus?

4. I Gave You Power (prod. DJ Premier)

Nas decides it's time to bridge the gap between his "conscious rapper" and "mafioso rapper" sides, making a track that refers to himself as a "motherfuckin' gun", and it's yet another iconic song. That final verse is easily the best, as Nas' storytelling is engaging as hell, as well as actually being quite shocking, even if he does lose the metaphor for himself as a gun pretty quickly, and this changes to simply a song about imagining being a gun. The beat from Preemo is a little headache inducing if you have headphones on, but it does sound a lot better on the speakers. I won't look past the line "my abdomen is the clip, the barrel's my dick uncircumcised, pull my skin back and cock me", but that final verse more than makes up for it. Classic track.

5. Watch Dem Niggas (feat. Foxy Brown) (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))

Surprisingly only alright. Nas sounds good over this instrumental, and the beat itself is pretty chill, but it invokes not even the tiniest bit of replay value. I also feel like Foxy Brown should have been given a verse, rather than just speaking over the hook that Nas is already performing. Damn, Foxy used to get fucked over a lot (see Jay-Z's first two albums, where her credit was messed up both times). This ain't bad, but the gap in quality between this and the last three tracks is noticeable.

6. Take It In Blood (prod. Live Squad, Top General Sounds & Lo Ground)

Definitely one of the best songs on this whole album. The beat (from Live Squad, famous for their work with 2Pac among others) is rather unsettling, yet still chilled out, and the "I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin' like that" hook is pretty smooth if I'm honest. Nas sounds more energised on here than he did on the last track as well. I do hate the line "you be aight like blood money in a pimp's cum", though - I don't really like the thought of blood and cum at the same time, thanks very much.

7. Nas Is Coming (feat. Dr. Dre) (prod. Dr. Dre)

Dr. Dre pops up for an interlude to let listeners know that Nas is too busy masturbating to get his arse in the studio and start recording (hehehe!).

That was a cheap joke, I know.

This is one of the songs on this album that most people seem to hate the shit out of, and not just because Dr. Dre showed up on here, which probably angered the blood up of those that cared about the fully active at the time East Coast vs. West Coast beef (read: idiots). No, people hate this because apparently it's boring, something I don't understand at all, as I find this beat to be smooth as a muh-fucker, and Nas sounds very engaging over this decidedly more futuristic sounding production than the other material we've heard so far. The outro with Dr. Dre was also necessary, as it fully addressed the (at the time) controversial meet up of NY's Nas and LA's Dre. Dope track.

8. Affirmative Action (feat. The Firm) (prod. Dave Atkinson & Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))

The infamous introduction of The Firm, who at the time consisted of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown (who actually is allowed to kick a verse this time) and Cormega, the latter being kicked out of the group before they recorded an album, replaced with the decidedly less impressive Nature, but that's a story for another day. I do find it interesting how Dre popped up on the last song, and then would go on to executive produce The Firm's only album. Hmmmm. This track is very good, despite Foxy's apparent incompetence at simple mathematical equations, and it does sound very much like "Action" is taking place, with the lack of a hook allowing for the energy to be kept all the way through. Great stuff, and Foxy, annoyed at her minimal appearance on "Watch Dem Niggas", actually steals the show, and on a track with Nas and AZ, which is quite shocking. Sadly, in the booklet (which, in an odd move, has all the lyrics printed in it), half of Foxy's verse is credited to Nas for some reason. The fuck?!

9. The Set Up (feat. Havoc) (prod. Havoc)

Having appeared on Mobb Deep's track "Eye For A Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)" the previous year, Nas returns the favour by allowing not one but TWO Mobb Deep collaborations on his sophomore effort, this being the first (well, it only features Havoc and not P, but you get the point). The beat on here is as rugged and guttural as it gets, and sounds like an outtake from Mobb Deep's The Infamous album if I'm honest, which makes sense, as Havoc was behind the boards on this one. The hook from Havoc is very long, but that just makes it seem like a verse, so that's alright (until he repeats it again at the end). Nas' rugged rhymes are nice as well, making this stand out as a lot better than I had thought when I had first listened to the album. Also, Foxy Brown is back, speaking on the outro (and over the final hook), so that's interesting.

10. Black Girl Lost (feat. Jojo Hailey of Jodeci) (prod. L.E.S., co-prod. Poke and Tone)

Put simply, what is the damned point?! This album has so far been all about being a thuggish criminal, and hearing this radio-friendly beat with some R&B crooning from Jojo Hailey (the fuck is that name?) sounds about as out of place as the sounds of someone being sick all over the microphone would on such a hard album. Nas' singing on the hook is also pretty unpleasant, and this track just doesn't feel... enjoyable. Still, could be worse. Could be "Big Girl".

11. Suspect (prod. L.E.S.)

The beat on here is nice as hell, and Nas manages to engage the listeners with his rhyming during the song's runtime, even if the long-ass skit at the start heavily stunts replay value. The drawly, moaned hook is also very sinister, and this is probably the most convincing hardcore track on the whole record. This track gets better and better with every listen, and Nas fits so well over this instrumental it's unbelievable. I can't believe L.E.S. produced this AND the last track as well - it doesn't make any sense! Oh, right - Trackmasters co-produced the last song. I see...

12. Shootouts (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters) & Kirk Goddy)

This is fine, but I'm left completely unsatisfied listening to this song. The beat is just, well, there, and Nas just doesn't sound like he's bothered, which is the complete opposite of the last song. Probably the most dull song on this album, but it isn't terrible either, so that's good.

13. Live Nigga Rap (feat. Prodigy & Havoc) (prod. Havoc)

The second Mobb Deep track, and this time they are thankfully both featured. The beat on this one is OK, but the rapping from the three is really stellar. I definitely think this is one of the least replayable songs on the album, but in the moment it's very impressive, and Nas especially KILLS this one. Good track.

14. If I Ruled The World (Imagine That) (feat. Lauryn Hill) (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters), co-prod. Rashad Smith)

The aforementioned lead single, which also appears as the final song on the album, and it's absolutely excellent. The beat from Trackmasters is catchy and intense, and Nas flows over it as if that was specifically what he was birthed to do. Lauryn doesn't do any rapping on this one sadly, but she more than makes up for it with her wonderful singing throughout the track. Nas' opening line of "Imagine smoking weed in the streets without cops harassing" sets the perfect tone for the song, and his conscious rapper side is at its most potent here. Very good and catchy way to end the album.

The following bonus track was only included on European pressings of the album, which means I have it of course. Take that, Yanks!

15. Silent Murder (prod. Live Squad, Top General Sounds & Lo Ground)

This beat is quite menacing, and Nas brings back his mafioso and murderous side on this one with some seemingly effortless rhymes about how he'll "smoke a nigga like a Hughes Brothers motion picture" - pretty scary stuff. The beat on this one is quite weird, and might take some getting used to, but this song should probably have replaced "Black Girl Lost" on this tracklist if we're being perfectly honest.

Overall, It Was Written IS a slight step-down from Illmatic, but that's with emphasis on the word "slight". This album is still bloody GREAT, and could easily be considered a classic - it has my favourite song of all time on it, for God's sake. I do think that it does have its weaker moments, though, especially the ill-advised "Black Girl Lost" - who told him THAT was a good idea? The album does start to lose a bit of steam in the second half, specifically around the time "Black Girl Lost" starts scraping its way past your eardrums, and you can probably see my lack of enthusiasm with tracks 10 to 13 in the writing (with the exception of "Suspect", of course). This album is a mixed bag, then, but when it's good, it's REALLY good, and I feel that the first 9 tracks, teamed with "Suspect" and "If I Ruled The World" are enough to push this one into "classic" status. And whether or not it's a classic, it's still worth your time - I think every hip-hop fan should introduce themselves to this one at some point. Just don't expect Illmatic 2, and you'll be perfectly satisfied by this diverse and exciting album. This is a great sophomore effort.

Best Tracks: The Message, Street Dreams, I Gave You Power, Take It In Blood, Nas Is Coming, Affirmative Action, Suspect, If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)

Worst Tracks: Black Girl Lost, Shootouts

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Nas - Illmatic