Nas-It Was Written 25 Years Later
By: Andrew Kenekham
Tags: Hip Hop, East Coast, Culture, Rap, Nas

Nas The Goat

Without any introduction, Nas has to be your favorite rappers favorite rapper. He has the delivery, cadence, and intelligence to deliver the streets classics. Born in Brooklyn but raised in Queens in 1985, he developed a staple for his name in the area kicking up knowledge and making himself a top flight lyricist. Making his debut in 1991 on Main Source’s single, Live At The Bar B Que, who knew young Nasir Jones would be the GOAT. When Illmatic dropped in 1994, this was the manual to how to be an MC. With the ever growing New York rappers making history, young Nas at the age of 20 put together a well pieced album with the singles, One Love and It Ain’t Hard To Tell.

On July 2nd, 1996, Nas drops his sophomore album, It Was Written. This album was the first Nas CD I bought in life and it spread the hit, If I Ruled The World feat. Lauryn Hill. When I first opened it up and let it play, I felt a mafioso feel to the album. This was the midst of the East Coast West Coast war in which you had to pick a side, East or West. On the East Coast, rappers like Notorious B.I.G, Mobb Deep, and Wu-Tang Clan were moving records. On the West Coast, artist like 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop, and Ice Cube ran the coast flooding the streets with music. Nas was overlooked for his debut and I felt this CD gave him more recognition as an artist. It was hard in the 90’s to choose a coast because in my opinion, both of them had something to offer if you are a true hip-hop fan, and with that being said, I felt Nas It Was Written held it down for the culture rather than East Coast rap.

Today, I will dig track by track to clarify how each song went down. And today, on July 2, 2021, Nas himself dropped an expanded version which included the singles, Silent Murder and Street Dreams Remix feat. R.Kelly. Lets explore how it all started.

Nas drops It Was Written in 1996

Album Intro

The intro begins with Nas playing the slave role but if you pay attention, the record industry is slavery because they want you to do what they want. I think Nas was talking about being free with his creativity so he used the slavery theme to explain how the industry works and how the slave masters is the label owners.

The Message

Nas started the song off right. The second track on this album is called The Message for a reason. I felt that he was giving off a feel for what he is trying to kick. The drug era where there is tv’s in the Lexus, he decided to stand out and not act flashy. Nas never was, he is just an OG spitting that life.

Street Dreams

Great interpolation of Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics to reach the streets. He does what he does best which is tell a great story using his mafioso persona to get the story off real well.

I Gave You Power

One of the best metaphoric songs ever. He raps about using himself as a gun and how he seen murders and robberies from the tale of the barrel. This reminds me of other hip hop classics like 2Pac, Me and My Girlfriend where he raps about his gun being his girlfriend. Hip-Hop need more metaphorical songs and apparently right now, WestSide Gunn and Conway are the only ones doing it well with the wrestling metaphors. Other than that kids, if you are learning how to craft a perfect metaphoric song, play this on repeat. This will teach you how it works and how to pen a great rhyme

Watch Dem Niggaz feat. Foxy Brown

Nas preaching about how you should always watch your surroundings and how to keep your guard up. And think about it, one thing me and Nas have in common, we are both Virgos and we like keeping small circles so it be easier for us to watch our surroundings. This is Virgo rap because it talks about trust issues and as a Virgo, I have a lot of those.

Take It In Blood

Dope beat with mafioso rhymes killing it from beginning or end. This made me wonder why Kool G. Rap wasn’t on this beat because he would either make a great feature or even a remix.

Nas is Coming

Dr, Dre did the beat and this song is the countdown to the millennium. Nas over a Dre beat proved he can move into the millennium as the MC everyone listens to or looks up to.

Affirmative Action Feat. AZ, Cormega, And Foxy Brown

The beginning of the firm, All four did excellent but honestly, Cormega murdered the whole song with his gangster cadence. AZ started off the song right and Foxy Brown actually ended the song well with her mathematics in her lyrics.

The Set Up Feat. Havoc

Queensbridge stand up. Havoc killed them beats and honestly, I thought he was the illest producer to step on the MPC. Nas doing his story telling over Havoc beats is a monument for QB and for those who don’t understand the Queens connection, they all unite and become titans.

Black Girl Lost

A tale of a lost little girl. There are many of those and Nas is telling his story about a girl who is lost and needed guidance but keeps making mistakes. A great way for woman empowerment to stand strong and not fail in what they do.

Suspect

Great story telling about crime, violence, and robbery. Nas telling stories about what is going on with what happens in Queens with robbers running around.

Shootout

Nas got the illest crime stories. Don’t believe me, listen to this track and tell me if you change your mind.

Live Nigga Rap feat. Mobb Deep

Didn’t I tell you when Queens unite, they all become monsters. Even though I am showcasing Nas’s album, Prodigy’s verse outshines all and he has the best feature in my opinion.

If I Ruled The World feat. Lauryn Hill

Conscious rap at its finest with a catchy hook. Nas with Lauryn Hill on the hook made this song one of the best hits in the 90’s with the story he is telling. If Nas ruled the world, he would change a lot of things like he was explaining in this song.

Silent Murder

If you had the cassette back in the 90’s you would be familiar with this song but a song about murder and extortion. Nas crime stories never get old.

Street Dreams Remix feat. R.Kelly

My favorite R.Kelly hook of all time. Newer and different lyrics but this time about survival, a subject we all look up to now and then. This song is a great song because of its vibe and the feel for it.

Overall

After the release of Illmatic, this album should of also got 5 mics because it had more street tales, a concept, and theme to deliver the best sophomore Hip-Hop ever heard. Nas is a consistent MC who sometimes takes time on his work but he does craft it perfect. Nas grows on every album and on this sophomore, he showed maturity aside from the street mentality he came to the game with in 1994.

This is a great album to study because there are story telling and one thing about Nas is you can understand him and what he is talking about. He is the best MC in my opinion and he has the talent to hang in any generation. This is an album people will look at 50 years from now because of the impact and concept it has. This album is also an influence for many MC’s in the rap game because this is one of those CD’s that you can play and not skip.

Nas releasing the 25th Anniversary of this album with 2 additional songs has shown how monumental this CD is and how this album still has an impact, especially in this day and age where kids listen to mumble rap about substance abuse and other immature subjects. This album was the reason I started thinking more consciously because at the time of the millennium, there were a lot of party records but educational albums like this never got studied. This is a album you must keep in your music library because there are gems that can reach a mind.

Live From The Stove Top,

Andrew Kenekham AKA Druski Dru

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