Did It was written prevent Nas from becoming...

[Alexander Wiggin]

a Canibus, an O.C , Shyheim, Ras Kass, Mic Geronimo, Jeru Da Damaja, or a Kool G Rap, an ill mc but still on the underground tip or irelevant

He got a lot of heat for that album because the transition between illmatic and iww was brutal but he kept the same high lyrical game, and iww was more grimy that what it seems even if it took years for the fans to recognize that. Dude was just adapting to the new times, by the time 96 arrived, rap was dominated by west coast and new york rappers had to drop more commercial tracks, females on hooks were the new norm, pop samples, heavy bass and heavy drums, one year prior you could go gold with dark albums like the infamous and liquid sword, but after that you either had a strong fan base like mobb deep or wo or you had to adapt to a mainstream crowd.

It was written is probably the only reason nas was still in the discussion till 2000 after that he had to comeback with more artistic credibility and he did well but lets be real, in 96 no one was checking for pete rock and large pro even tho there were still great, the beatminerz were not the sound of the moment, same with the lord finesse sound. That was the turn of puffy, timbo, swizz, trackmasters, only primo still delivered on a high profile. All the cats after 96 had a commercial appeal, even oc on jewels, big pun, noreaga with the neptunes, think about big l who was about to drop a roc a fella album, i'm sure his album would have been far from his first. Nas did well like it or not, to be mention king of new york and be in the same league as biggie, illmatic which I think was better than ready to die and one of the best rap album and album all genra ever wasn't just enough, he had te sell strong and he did just that

 

[Fmju]

Yeah I personally feel IWW was more animated than illmatic. It showed he can do a song for any lane at the time. I feel like he could have easily fell into that canibus lane but he flexed his versatility on IWW and wouldn't let them lump him in that category.

 

[Sugar]

best decision of his career

 

[MartyMcFly]

Pretty much. Steve Stoute knew exactly what his career needed and helped make him a star

 

[Surreal]

The true Gift and Curse

Made him relevant commercially but made him diss-able. Nas was untouchable until he showed his flaw at the Source Awards
and became downright obsessed with getting famous and rich. Part of me hates that and another part understands. He was only 21 years.

 

[mortuus est]

Pretty much. Steve Stoute knew exactly what his career needed and helped make him a star

this.

 

[MartyMcFly]

The true Gift and Curse

Made him relevant commercially but made him diss-able. Nas was untouchable until he showed his flaw at the Source Awards
and became downright obsessed with getting famous and rich. Part of me hates that and another part understands. He was only 21 years.

I never even thought about that but you're right. Steve Stoute didn't want him to be like Kool G Rap...a lot of skill but not a lot to show for it from a monetary standpoint and if I'm Nas, at 21 and with a newborn baby, and getting looked over at the source awards and on the charts, I'm probably making the same move he did. I'd love to hear a Nas record produced by Marley Marl like he had planned but trackmasters laced him

 

[Illeye buckmatic]

If he made another Illmatic,we're not talking about him now. We've all heard the story of his demeanor at the 95 source awards. That's the night he realized he needed to reach a broader audience.

They thought I'd make another Illmatic,but it's always forward I'm moving,never backwards stupid,here's another classic:naswon:

 

[Homeboy Runny-Ray]

it may have prevented him from becoming kool g. rap. and with that said, nas would still be the top 10 candidate that he is today. he prolly wouldnt have as many noodle fans tho, but hey, that would be a good thing.

all those other rappers mentioned were never in nas' class.

 

[Homeboy Runny-Ray]

Yeah I personally feel IWW was more animated than illmatic.

nas was way more animated on the mic on illmatic than he was on IWW.

man, yall really think IWW is better than illmatic?

 

[intilectual recipricol]

IWW is kinda like Jay Z in that it gave naS life when nikkaz was forgettin he emcee'd. nikkaz were so disappointed by his first album that they went out by the millions and DID NOT purchase the album. naS knew he had to come back with a heavy hitter, and thus had to ditch the haphazard incoherent lyrics (for the most part) and come up with good actual songs and writing in order to shake the stigma that he was spitting pure unadulterated basura.

 

[atlbound]

nikkaz were so disappointed by his first album that they went out by the millions and DID NOT purchase the album.

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

IWW was a classic. If I Rules The World threw nikkas off. When people heard he was doing a song with Lauren Hill, everyone was like thinking it was going to be an underground classic type song but when it dropped I was like .

1996 was a funny year. I think that was the beginning of the end of the boom bap 90's era. 1997 was the nail in the coffin after Biggie died and even Life After Death was drastically different from Ready To Die. Rap music was becoming diverse and it wasn't about New York hip hop anymore. The west coast was a hip hop super power still and the south started to rise.

 

[Homeboy Runny-Ray]

IWW was a classic. If I Rules The World threw nikkas off. When people heard he was doing a song with Lauren Hill, everyone was like thinking it was going to be an underground classic type song but when it dropped I was like .

1996 was a funny year. I think that was the beginning of the end of the boom bap 90's era. 1997 was the nail in the coffin after Biggie died and even Life After Death was drastically different from Ready To Die. Rap music was becoming diverse and it wasn't about New York hip hop anymore. The west coast was a hip hop super power still and the south started to rise.

the west coast died in 1997.

the west was actually at its peak when albums like illmatic were out.

i think yall are confusing the idea of hip-hop becoming "more diverse" in 1997 with the reality that hip-hop became overly-commercial in 1997.

 

[Fmju]

nas was way more animated on the mic on illmatic than he was on IWW.

man, yall really think IWW is better than illmatic?

You entirely misinterpreted what I posted

Illmatic doesn't have songs like I Gave You Power, Black Girl Lost, Nas Is Coming, If I ruled the world, Street Dreams. Illmatic was more immaculate cohesive boom bap mc'ing than anything, IWW had more themes, more than just straight up spitting, and just more modern sound. That's the point of this thread. It stopped him from being lumped in the canibus lane where all he does is just rip tracks lyrically without direction or themes.