it was written is nas best album technically speaking in terms of writing lyrics imo

[ronnie46]

He was the best mc in 96 after pac passed with this album

this album came out in july 2 of 1996 ...........

 

[Mike the Executioner]

There's nothing commercial sounding about It was written besides "if i ruled the world" and maybe "Black girl lost'. It still has the deep gritty sound like the "the set up", "Shootouts" "Live n**** rap" "take it in blood" "the message" i mean sh*t, what else you wanted him to do, get lost in the "Back packer underground" shuffle with the likes of Souls of Mischief, a tribe called quest, Brand Nubians of the world? Nas was too special for that Sh*t. HE NEVER SACRIFICED HIS LYRICAL CONTENT when he did anything commercial during that era. Give him some F*CKIN CREDIT for that!

Now looking back, that album sounds more underground with a few hit records which is the balance he needed anyway to branch out and FINALLY BE AMONG THE LIKES OF THE BIGGIE, PACS, JAY-Z's of the legendary stature that they are. Without this album going double platinum, Nas would've been buried a long time ago along with those 90s artist that never made it past 99. Nas Says YOU'RE WELCOME!


I hardly see any "Pac's all eyez on me was too commercial" threads anywhere, muhf*cka had an albums worth on disc one alone

I agree with what you're saying, but let's not say things we can't take back.

 

[TheJet]

Go through the tracks and tell me these commerical sounding records

"Live Nicca Rap" "the set up" "the message" " take it in blood" nothing commercial here. Cats is reaching

 

[C-Styles]

I agree with what you're saying, but let's not say things we can't take back.

maybe i went on an exaggerated stretch with Tribe, cuz they did have 2 platinum albums but regardless they never went on the next level where they had that commercial success that everyone rocked with like a hov, pac, big, nas record. That's what Nas did with this album. It's the reason why as a solo artist, Q-Tip flourished and asked Dilla to go a little lighter with his production and make songs like "Breathe and stop" and "Vivrant thang" He knew he was appealing enough to pull that off and rightfully so seeing his peers get that success.

 

[oO J Smooth Oo]

this album came out in july 2 of 1996 ...........

He still became the best after pac

 

[TheDarceKnight]

That sting shyt was wack as fukk.

The Message is wack?

 

[head shots101]

The Message is wack?

I guess cuZ the sting sample made it sound commerical

 

[Youseenmywork]

It on my lists of underrated albums

 

[Budda]

These nikkaz basically running with narrative that magazines and shyt said back in the 90s...not even going go back and forth

I remember when this shyt dropped my whole hood was blasting this shyt in the summer

It’s surbaban hipsters who created that opinion, imagine thinking the most pro black singer around on a Kurtis blow sample wher his talking about freeing prisoners to Africa is ‘commerical’ And even so it’s commerical just like Motown was...

 

[Mike the Executioner]

maybe i went on an exaggerated stretch with Tribe, cuz they did have 2 platinum albums but regardless they never went on the next level where they had that commercial success that everyone rocked with like a hov, pac, big, nas record. That's what Nas did with this album. It's the reason why as a solo artist, Q-Tip flourished and asked Dilla to go a little lighter with his production and make songs like "Breathe and stop" and "Vivrant thang" He knew he was appealing enough to pull that off and rightfully so seeing his peers get that success.

I could agree with that. Q-Tip wanted to get that mainstream success that Tribe never got, despite them definitely being deserving of it.

But I hold the Tribe in high regard. They're one of the best rap groups of all-time. They're like hip hop's equivalent to The Clash or Pink Floyd. Plus, they came back after 18 years and dropped one of the best albums of the decade, and they were able to do well commercially (#1 album in the country, Gold plaque). Not a lot of rappers can do that.

 

[old boy]

It’s surbaban hipsters who created that opinion, imagine thinking the most pro black singer around on a Kurtis blow sample wher his talking about freeing prisoners to Africa is ‘commerical’ And even so it’s commerical just like Motown was...

not to get technical on you bro but it was actually a whodini sample (friends). though he did rework a kurtis blow classic over it with the same song title, theme, and hook


and yeah it was definitely a commercial joint intended to give him radio play but it was dope. couldn't miss with l boogie on the hook, she was so fly with that hat on in the video

 

[old boy]

as far as the thread statement, you know it's hard for me to say on what album nas was at his best because he does such incredible things on virtually all of them

i mean i'll put book of rhymes bar for bar up against anything on it was written.... and the same with one love or you know my style. his consistent greatness since breakin atoms is mind boggling to me

 

[cornercommission2k12]

ive literally always felt this way. i always felt like illmatic was nas knocking off the rust, but IWW was him showing off how great he had become. dude just left earth on that album. literally cant think of 1 wack verse on that album.

 

[Robbie3000]

Thank God Nas listened to Steve Stoute and Travkmasters and not dusty backpackers.

Imagine what we would have missed out on if Nas didn’t blow off IWW.

 

[mathematik]

And to think Nas originally wanted Marley Marl to fully produce his second album. Could of been great or really bad. Marley is a hip hop icon but not sure if he still had it in him at that time. I think he leaked “On The Real” and Nas stopped messing with him.