As previously stated, It Was Written marks the first step in the long path of trying to reach the success of Illmatic. Unfortunately, that is a path Nas is still taking to this day and the end doesn't appear to be in sight. I know we all get caught up in riding the figurative dick of Illmatic but its important to remember that it didn't sell all that well when it first hit the shelves. Critical acclaim kept the career of young Nasir going, though, and a sophomore album obviously came to fruition. Doing the logical thing, Nas took that critical acclaim and was able to turn it into a major label contract. He was able to keep up some of his famous lyrics but the big deal with Columbia required that the new album have something slightly radio friendly. I'm fine with that. You don't want to be, like, dropped from your label.
One of the most notable changes is that Nas changed up his management, abandoning MC Serch and flipping to Steve Stoute, who is more or less known for being hit with a glass bottle by Puff Daddy. Nas also aligned himself with The Trackmasters, one of the genres leading mainstream producers, an obvious attempt to crossover to a new fan base. The promotion for this album largely took care of itself but it did manage for produce a huge single, "If I Ruled The World". The track featured vocals from Lauryn Hill, who was still on fire from her debut album with The Fugees. Not to give too much away, but it was also pretty damn good for a radio single. Furthermore, the single was blessed with the magic touch of Dr. Dre. At the time, Nas was one of the first east coast artists to have rapped over an Andre Young production.
It Was Written was judged unfairly harsh. Because Illmatic was the only other work of Nas, it was the only real thing they could compare it to. While its not right to judge these two albums next to each other, its in the nature of us bloggers to do so. Nowadays the album is looked back on very fondly, as critics and fans realized what this album was going for: keeping the grimy lyrics and stories, while throwing in a more mainstream touch. Although it may be a testament as to how disappointing Nas' career has ended up being, this is widely regarded as Nasir's second best album. Its been a few years since I've given this a listen, so my opinions will be fairly fresh.
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1. Album Intro
The album opens up with Nas being a slave, I guess. He eventually rises up from it and escapes before the two minute mark. This whole situation adds nothing to the album, and I'm having a very hard time justifying its existence. That's only half of the intro, though. This second half is the same type of deal that was present in the Illmatic. (I'll try really hard to make sure that's the last time I mention his debut) AZ is mindlessly yelling across the room, while Nas attempts to just play it cool. Overall its decent.
2. The Message
Thankfully Nas goes straight into one of the best tracks of the album. If anything, he needed something that would set the tone for the following songs. "The Message" was playing at the beginning if the "If I Ruled The World" video, a place where most people first heard this song. Most surprisingly, Trackmasters actually produced this shit, which is a polar opposite from the rest of their work. Our host vividly describes the complexities of the ghetto over a brilliant guitar loop. He doesn't come of too rough, though, and leaves you thinking that he's become a little preachy.
3. Street Dreams
If you're wondering where the hell you've heard that sample from, it was used in 2pacs "All Eyes On Me". Thankfully, Nas puts it to much better use and that's not a shot against pac. The hook incorporates Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams", which is a highly questionable choice but its nothing that ruins the track. Nas rhymes about what most people consider to be living it up and how he's choosing to go another route. Kind of generic, but it good enough. I also highly recommend checking out this video, at the very least it will entertain you for a few minutes.
4. I Gave You Power
At track four, we've reached the peak of the album. I'm not a saying the rest is bad, but this song is one of Nas' greatest creations. Quite frankly, I'd put it up against most of the songs on Illmatic. (I already fucking mentioned it again) Nas imagines himself as a semi-automatic Desert Eagle and reflects on all he has witnessed as a gun. The story reaches its climax when he refuses to shoot, as he's become tired of killing people. You really need to hear it for yourself, Nas is truly brilliant in this one. As an added bonus, this is also a Primo produced track, which complements the tone of the song perfectly. Great song.
5. Watch Dem Niggas (Feat. Foxy Brown)
This probably isn't as bad as I think it is, but I'm just never in the mood to hear it after that last song. Nas talks abut being lied to and people being killed by their friends, saying that it isn't personal, but that's just the way things are. Kind of a depressing topic, but that's Nas' thing. Think about it, when's the last time you've heard an upbeat or uplifting Nas song? I'll be waiting.
6. Take It In Blood
Nas recovers quite nicely here, with what is one of the better songs in his entire catalog. The Trackmasters use a really classic golden age drum sample, in which Nas sounds great over. The drums aren't the only thing that has an old school feel to them, Kool Keith even makes an appearence. Well, its a sample, but its certainly one of the most unexpected twists of the album. Nas sounds pretty nice lyrically, but that's a given. Top notch track.
7. Nas Is Coming
Here's one of the more notable song on the album, but that doesn't mean its any good. This was the Dr. Dre produced track and, at the time, that was a huge deal. The east coast/west coast feud was in full effect and it was unheard of for two of the biggest figures in hip hip collaborating like this. Its quite disappointing that this song is so damn bad. Nas sounds like he isn't even trying, which is a bad thing when rapping. Dre's beat is horse shit, which was expected. All Dre seems to do nowadays is disappoint me. The hook is terribly annoying and everything just sucks. Sorry.
8. Affirmative Action (Feat. Foxy Brown & Cormega)
The first mention of Nas' stupid ass group, The Firm. Foxy Brown isnt the best choice for this song, but I know they had to thrown her in somewhere. Cormega actually turns in a pretty nice verse, sounding up to par with out host. I'd really like to know what in the world that man is doing with himself right now, he had a bit of talent. This posse cut has an Italiano feel to it and is one of the best efforts of The Firm. Very pleasing to the ears.
9. The Set Up (Feat Hovoc)
Nas meets up with fellow Queensbridge rapper and one half of Mobb Deep, Hovoc. Its always nice to see these two work together, as they have made some classic records over the years. This one in particular isn't one of their best, but its good enough to keep the album flow rolling. The most memorable part is the booming instrumental, but that's not that memorable itself.
10. Black Girl Lost (Feat. Jojo Hailey)
This track left left me feeling very indifferent. "Black Girl Lost" is a surprisingly optimistic ode to young black women, in the hope of leaving the ghetto. Obviously I'm not a black female, so I'm not in the best position to judge how accurate or touching the lyrics are but I can't imagine its all that great. I'm feeling kinda indifferent on the album as a whole right now as well, as the second half has yet to match up with some of the brilliance displayed in the first half.
11. Suspect
Holy shit this song is boring. I'd be talking right out my ass if I tried to say anything about. All criticism or praise would be unwarranted, as I can't remember a single thing about it.
12. Shootouts
A little better than the previous track, but this song is still pretty boring. I did really enjoy the beat, though. For the most part, The Trackmasters have been quite impressive on their songs. Not that they've been great, but I was expecting much less when I first came into this thing. Nas' lyrics are really nice, as he tells another street story about street, drug dealing type of shit. All that seems nice, but this song still left me feeling pretty unemotional.
13. Live Nigga Rap (Feat. Mobb Deep)
And just like that, my interest for this album came right back. Remember this kids, all you need is a little Mobb Deep if you want to spice up your album. I know that Havoc made an appearance a few songs ago, but this one is much, much better. This is a perfect case of how well Nas and Mobb Deep work together. Sounds like it came straight out of a Mobb Deep album, but that's hardly a knock. The Infamous was a fantastic album and this would've been a great addition. This song was much needed, as my interest was quickly fading.
14. If I Ruled The World (Feat. Lauryn Hill)
You know, for a forced radio single with Lauryn Hill, this is a great fucking song. Nas rhymes about what the world would be like if he was the ruler, making for some very interesting and entertaining perspectives. I guess I'd call myself a fan of Lauryn Hill, but I'm always impressed by her contributions. Terrific song that helped Nas jump right onto the mainstream scene. It was eventually dominated for a Grammy, which says absolutely nothing about the song, but this was actually good. This, along with "Live Nigga Rap" helped the album close on a great note.
Rating: 4/5
Nasir Jones' second album sounds much better than I remember. Some of Nas' finest moments are found in the depths of this album, and it helps that the singles hold up extremely well. Regardless of how this sounds, it was still a huge mark in the mans career, and remains one of his highest selling albums. Since it would inevitably be compared to Illmatic, anything he out out would be shit on and I'm sure he knew that. Instead of selling out, Nas comes back with a highly cohesive album with lines that are all dependent on each other. Repeated listens will show the thought process and concentration put into each bar. It Was Written had some shitty songs, no doubt, but it carry some great street and mafioso songs told by one of hip hops greatest and most prolific writers. On his second effort, Nas proved himself to be more than just someone who could tell a mean story and had a great ear for beats. Instead, he showed that he can be a genius philosopher that was able to it out some nice radio singles. There's more than a few flaws and the album ends up being boring at times, but I'm in a good mood so I won't go too deep into my problems. Overall, its a great album that just falls short of excellence. You should probably go out and buy this one. The best songs outweigh the shitty ones and should be able to entertain you for at least a few listens, just don't pay more than ten dollars for it.