Nas – "It Was Written" Review: The Sophomore Album They Underrated

Quick Verdict

It Was Written arrived on July 2, 1996, and presented a Nas who had absorbed the commercial lessons of the mid-1990s and was applying them deliberately without abandoning the lyrical standard that had made Illmatic a classic. His sophomore album replaced Illmatic’s stark, jazz-influenced boom-bap with the Trackmasters’ polished, pop-accessible production while retaining Nas’s storytelling ability and technical precision. It debuted at number one — the first Nas album to do so — and went triple platinum. Critics and hardcore fans at the time debated whether the more commercial aesthetic represented growth or compromise. In retrospect, the debate misidentified the album’s genuine achievement: It Was Written produced “If I Ruled the World,” one of his greatest and most joyful tracks, while demonstrating that his narrative writing and lyrical density were completely independent of production style. Rating: 9/10.

Album Details

Context: Nas Goes Mainstream Without Going Soft

The weight of following Illmatic was enormous. Critics had described the 1994 debut as a perfect album, and the expectation that its follow-up would either continue its minimalist aesthetic or somehow improve on it created a critical context in which any commercial accessibility would be read as compromise. Nas responded by making a deliberate choice to work with the Trackmasters — Tone and Poke, the production duo behind some of the era’s biggest commercial rap hits — alongside a Dr. Dre production (“Nas Is Coming”) and a Lauryn Hill co-write and hook (“If I Ruled the World”). The resulting album is more melodically accessible, more radio-friendly, and more commercially ambitious than Illmatic in every way. It debuted at number one and went triple platinum. The hardcore critical dismissal it received at the time — on the grounds that it was insufficiently austere — has softened considerably as the quality of its best material has become clearer. “If I Ruled the World” with Lauryn Hill is one of the most joyful and lyrically rich tracks of the 1990s. “Street Dreams” demonstrates that Trackmasters could produce for Nas without diminishing him. The album’s mafioso-influenced narrative tracks anticipate the Firm supergroup that followed. It is a genuinely strong album that suffers only by comparison to one of the most acclaimed debuts in any genre’s history.

Track-by-Track Review (Key Tracks)

Final Verdict and Rating

It Was Written is a 9/10 album that any other rapper would be proud to have made. It suffers only by being Nas’s second album, and only by comparison to Illmatic, which is one of the greatest first albums ever recorded. “If I Ruled the World” with Lauryn Hill is among his ten finest songs. “Affirmative Action” is the era’s finest mafioso posse cut. “I Gave You Power” is one of the most formally inventive narrative tracks in his catalogue. The production is more polished than Illmatic’s austere ideal but in no way unworthy of the lyrics it supports.

Final Rating: 9/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best songs on It Was Written?

The five essential tracks are: "If I Ruled the World," "Affirmative Action," "I Gave You Power," "Street Dreams," and "The Message." If I Ruled the World with Lauryn Hill is the album's crowning moment.

What is the rating for It Was Written?

Rap Reviews Daily rates It Was Written 9/10. It is Nas's most commercially successful album and demonstrates that his lyrical gifts are independent of production style.

References and Further Listening

Stream It Was Written on Spotify

It Was Written — Genius Album Page

Wikipedia — It Was Written