Better Sophomore Album: It Was Written or ATLiens? [Poll]

Better Sophomore Album?

  • ATLiens

    Votes: 31 54.4%
  • It Was Written

    Votes: 26 45.6%

  • Total voters
    57

Wiirdo

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This is really tough. Nas is my favourite rapper ever and I love IWW, but ATLiens is also :wow:

I give ATLiens the edge because it was more adventurous and IWW has a couple meh tracks in there.
 

mobbinfms

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Great thread.
I went with IWW. I think in a head to head comparison, it's the superior album.

That being said, I can see a case for ATLiens as the superior "sophomore album".

Both albums broadened and existing fanbase, but Kast did it organically while Nas went to the Trackmasters to get that commercial love.

Dre and Big Boi both ramped up tremendously on the mic, but still trailed IWW Nas. So that's sort of a push, yeah Nas didn't improve on the mic on IWW, but he didn't need to, shy of :pdahell:he was the best rapper in the game at that point.

Dre and Big Boi started producing on this album as well. :wow:
Nas started singing hooks from pop songs :tochilol:
 

Conan

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I hate you for making me have to choose.

IWW is extremely underrated. Yes Nas went pop with the production, but he had little choice after being blown away by Puffy and Biggie on the charts. And for the most part, the lyricism isn't diluted. The standout tracks (Affirmative Action, I Gave You Power, The Message) are Nas at his best. The biggest flaw of IWW was that it followed Illmatic, and I can count the amount of albums that wouldn't suffer in that predicament on one hand with a finger chopped off.

Still though, IWW had a few missteps in production and themes. ATLiens is damned near perfect. I have to reluctantly choose ATLiens. No knock on Nas, but Outkast in 1996 were out of this world. The production, the lyricism, storytelling... :banderas:
 
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