Why was the greatness of It Was Written ever questionable?

[Darts]

I'm sitting here listening to the whole It Was Written album for like the second time in a row and just trippin out on how dope this shyt is. From start to finish it's just heat after heat to me:

Those grimey ass beats of Live nikka Rap, I Gave You Power, The Setup, Suspect
Take It Blood
The Message
Shootouts
etc etc

And of course Nas being at his lyrical peak bringing it on every track.

Then you throw in 'Silent Murder' and 'Street Dreams Remix' and it's easily a classic. Yet back then (and even today), people be dismissing this album or saying it's a disappointment.


Nas for blessing us with this classic.

 

[Rominati]

Cause backpack underground rap nerds are the worse type of demographic to please.

On some G shyt.


It Was Written > Illmatic.

fukk the bullshyt

 

[scuba]

It was questioned because the previous album nas brought his own personal take on the authentic life of young projects dude, while this album nas brought a 'cinematic' interpretation of the life of a make believe larger than life character. The production also changed significantly from a strict new york city boom bap focus to a mainstream cross over potential appeal.

 

[Suge Kniight]

Cuz i wasnt involved

 

[mortuus est]

"yeaaaaaah smoking some of this chocolateee"

 

[infamousred]

cause the production was a huge let down from the first one. it's not like it's some kind of secret. the first time i ever actually heard that album reffered to as a classic was through the internet. it was a good album. nothing more, nothing less. the sad thing is i'm sure everyone would call it a classic had the production been more in line with illmatic. i never really looked down upon the whole drug kinpin gimmick...

 

[the cac mamba]

"one was "

 

[Izanami]

"that a 1 hot album every ten year average"


such blasphemy


Never understood the hate. But I remember back around 03 I went to Strawberrys (music store) and they had a "classic" bin filled with classic cassets and CDs and there were pictures of classic albums from different genre. One of the few rap album covers on that bin was It Was Written.

 

[NvrCMyNut]

half the album is very forgettable. ''The other was ehhh'' Jay-z was right/

 

[nineteeneightysix]

Because Nas didnt die soon after releasing the album...

Illmatic to It was written is similar to Ready to die to Life after death...However, Biggie was glorified for "Life After Death" even though it was filled with fillers and was no way as good as Ready to Die...

But Biggie died, and "dead rappers get better promotion"...

No rapper has yet to write a song like "Shootouts"...Nas had the juice...

 

[Art Barr]

It was questioned because the previous album nas brought his own personal take on the authentic life of young projects dude, while this album nas brought a 'cinematic' interpretation of the life of a make believe larger than life character. The production also changed significantly from a strict new york city boom bap focus to a mainstream cross over potential appeal.

Great verbiage, on a prolific post!!

Close thread


Art Barr

 

[Pinyapplesuckas]

half the album is very forgettable. ''The other was ehhh'' Jay-z was right/

 

[Rominati]

Because Nas didnt die soon after releasing the album...

Illmatic to It was written is similar to Ready to die to Life after death...However, Biggie was glorified for "Life After Death" even though it was filled with fillers and was no way as good as Ready to Die...

But Biggie died, and "dead rappers get better promotion"...

No rapper has yet to write a song like "Shootouts"...Nas had the juice...

Exactly.

The transition from Ready To Die to LAD and Illmatic to IWW is damn near identical. (Grimey street NY kids telling their tales of struggle in the hood. To bigger than life Rap/drugdealer stars.) Im pretty sure BIG threw shots at Nas for copying the steeze.


Yet one is a universal acclaimed "movie like" album. While the other gets bashed for going too "commerical" , The lyrics and concepts on IWW were iller than LAD too. LAD jus has it beat on overall presentation and the production of it.

 

[mson]

You fukked up for taking him seriously

 

[infamousred]

someone needs to get a hold of pete rock through these social media sites and tell him that we need those unreleased beats he was going to bless nas with for iww...i don't even need to hear them to know they were better than what he got. pete did center of attention in 96.