| | Nas It Was Written CD Nas Discography of CDs
 (28 Customer Reviews)
"If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)" was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Nas' 1994 debut album, ILLMATIC, has been called one of the best rap albums of all time, and this followup documents the main reason why: Nas is the supreme lyricist in hip-hop. On the surface he is a gangsta rapper dispensing richly detailed street stories. But Nas speaks in metaphors not easily interpreted, and his songs constantly challenge the listener to see into his innermost thoughts. He dwells neither on what he could be or wants to be, but rather, simply, on what he is. He's one of the few rappers who can fairly be labeled a poet.
IT WAS WRITTEN utilizes the musical talents of street-oriented producers to enhance Nas' feel for reality. Among those producers are Dr. Dre, who collaborates on "Nas Is Coming" in a joint attempt to squash the East Coast/West Coast war.
Producers include: Nas, Trackmasters, Poke, Tone, DJ Premier.
Engineers include: Eddie Sancho, Kelston Rice.
Personnel: Nas (vocals); Lauryn Hill (vocals, background vocals); J. Parker, Ken "Duro" Ifle, Kurt Walker (vocals); Dave Atkinson, Delight (keyboards); DJ Kid Capri (scratches); Joel "JoJo" Hailey (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Ken "Duro" Ifle; Bill Esses; Mike Fronda; Poke & Tone; Richard Travali.
Recording information: Bearsville Studios, NY; Chung King Studios, New York, NY; D&D Studios, New York, NY; Dre's House, Los Angeles, CA; Hit Factory Studios, New York, NY; Sony Music Studios, New York, NY; SoundTracks Studios, New York, NY; Westlake studios.
Photographer: Danny Clinch.
Personnel includes: Nas, Mobb Deep, Dr. Dre, Lauryn Hill (vocals); Delight, Dave Atkinson (keyboards); DJ Kid Capri (scratches); JoJo Hailey (background vocals).
The Firm: Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, Cormega (rap vocals).
Spin (10/96, p.139) - "...It's the production, stupid. Choruses you remember; grainy, pop-savvy loops: When Nas manifests `sleep is the cousin of death,' a line also on ILLMATIC, the sentiment now sounds majestic--worthy of all his Don Corleone street fantasies..."
Entertainment Weekly (7/26/96, p.56) - "...Humor disguises the grim subject matter while Nas' eye for minutiae lends credibility and urgency to his hip-hop short stories." - Rating: A-
Q (9/96, p.118) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...Downbeat funk grooves churn in a foggy wash, heavy on electric pianos and smooth strings that ooze bittersweet menace....Angry, lean and full of drive, Nas is the only rapper capable of challenging the Wu-Tang Clan's dominance."
The Source (8/96, p.95) - 4 Mics (out of 5) - "...Nas reveals himself not only as a rhymer, but also as a thinker....[He] explores the realm of ideas through stories, using example as a device to show rather than tell....IT WAS WRITTEN is an audio anthology of ghetto stories told by one of hip-hop's most prolific writers. If ever there was a straight up genius in hip-hop..."
Rap Pages - "...This joint features the essence of what rap is supposed to be jampacked with--strictly skillz that will pay the billz..."
New York Times (Publisher) (7/28/96, Sec.2, p.30) - "...Throughout the album, Nas stays deadpan as he touts his skills, dispenses advice and places himself within a brutally competitive underworld..."
NME (Magazine) (12/21-28/96, pp.66-67) - Ranked #41 in NME's 1996 critic's poll.
NME (Magazine) (6/29/96, p.51) - 6 (out of 10) - "...Over a series of stark, almost austere backing tracks, Nas' neat, considered lyrics treat the violence that surrounds him with a mixture of remorse, resignation and ebullience....he paints lurid pictures..." It Was Written Music | List Price | $7.94 (You save $1.15) | | Category | Rock/Pop Albums, R&B CDs, Rap, Urban Soundtrack, East Coast Rap | | Label | Columbia | | Orig Year | 1996 | | All Time Sales Rank |  2996  | | CD Universe Part number | 1089428 | | Catalog number | 67015 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Jul 02, 1996 | | Studio/Live | Studio | | Mono/Stereo | Stereo | | Personnel | Nas - vocals
Dave Atkinson - keyboards
Delight - keyboards
D.J. Kid Capri - scratches
J. Parker
Ken "Duro" Ifle
Kurt Walker - vocals
Also: Dr. Dre, Foxy Brown, Mobb Deep, Lauryn Hill, AZ, Lauryn Hill, Firm |
It Was Written Music Review Average Rating: (4.6 out of 5 stars)   List All Reviews One of the best rap albums ever.
A collectors item. If you love rap you have to get "It was written".
Submitted by kalu (doha) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful.
A classic that everyone should have
Nas gives a perspective of everything and paints a picture as clear as day. THis CD is great and not just because " IF I ruled the World".
Submitted by a reviewer (Atlanta, GA, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful. WIth his second release, Nas confirmed his own greatness..
Illmatic set the stage for criticism because after releasing one of the greatest albums of all time with his debut, Nas had reached what most still feel was his high point quickly. Expectations were high and what goes up, must come down naturally, but with Nas this wasn't the case. With his sophmore album, It Was Written, Nas managed to break the rules of gravity in order to stay atop the rap game. In many ways this album was a better listen than its predecessor. Lyrically Nas is at his best with this album. Production was not as rugged or raw as Illmatic, but the beats worked as Nas was able to show versatility in his beat selections and flow. With great cameos by Mobb Deep, Cormega, as well as Foxy Brown dropping her best verse to date, "It Was Written" is consistent in quality and lacking the filler type tracks that you would hear from his lack luster albums like Nastradamus. This is a bonafide hip hop classic from a living legend who has continued to prove himself relevent for more than a decade.
Submitted by pound4pound_01 (Oxnard, California)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful. Perfect example of what 5 stars mean...
This album is classic, period. All you cats who's giving these weak artists 5 stars need to do your homework, because "It Was Written" is the REAL meaning of classic. In my opinion, "It Was Written" is better than "Illmatic" simply because I wasn't around when "Illmatic" was dubbed classic. "It Was Written" defines New York in Nas' perspective and can catch your attention from the intro to "If I Ruled The World". Plus, it was like Nas evolved his game from 'Illmatic", not to say it's not good, but Nas' lyrics was honestly ahead of his time. COP 5 COPIES OF THIS!!!!!!
Submitted by spiderdemon64 (Sacramento, CA, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful. True Hip Hop Poetry
Nuff Said =]
Submitted by Jimmy (Rialto, CA, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No List All Reviews | Have you heard this album? |  |
Purchase It Was Written CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Nas Illmatic CD (1994)
It Was Written album
 $6.09   
Out of a seemingly endless array of hip hop albums, every now and again something fresh and powerful rises to the top of the pile. Hailing from the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Long Island City (home to Marley Marl among others), 20-year old Nasir "Nas" Jones is less concerned with being an impersonator than with being an originator, bypassing adolescent fantasies and B-boy braggadocio in favor of jazzy beats, rap noir realism and new answers to urban despair.
ILLMATIC is his story, a cautionary tale of the inner-city streets, and as Nas makes plain on his opener, "The Genesis," this is what he does, with or without a record contract, and it's going to be served up straight, no chaser. And because Nas has the courage to transcend popular trends, ...
| | Nastradamus CD (1999)
It Was Written CD music
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With his fourth release, NASTRADAMUS, this lyrically inclined street poet further stands his ground in hip-hop. Though his previous two ...
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| | Notorious B I G Life After Death CDs (1997)
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LIFE AFTER DEATH was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. "Hypnotize" was nominated for a 1988 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. "Mo Money Mo Problems" was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.
The double-CD LIFE AFTER DEATH arrives in stores, ironically and tragically, less than three weeks after the Notorious B.I.G. was killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Biggie Smalls, as he was known, quickly became one of rap's most respected MCs after the 1994 release of his debut album, READY TO DIE. His music sparked the comeback of East Coast hip-hop, while his very being added fire to rap's over-publicized East-West rivalry. For ...
| | Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt CD (1996)
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This version of REASONABLE DOUBT contains one bonus track not on the original release.
In the past few years, the hip-hop community has embraced a lot of rappers who falsify their identity with hard-rock gangster images, and created ...
| | Nas Stillmatic CD (2001)
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