nas / albums

11,966,401 plays
5,029 SHARES
116,777 FAVS
842 fans

- It Was Written (Parental Advisory)
- - 1,149,175 plays
  - 8,778 favs
  - 200 shares
Nas
Released 1996

Affirmative Action
04:20
97,754 plays

I Gave You Power
03:56
72,309 plays

Take It In Blood
04:49
70,409 plays

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songs

- 1
- Album Intro
- 02:24
- 34,526 plays

- 2
- The Message
- 03:54
- 146,491 plays

- 3
- Street Dreams
- 04:41
- 118,069 plays

- 4
- I Gave You Power
- 03:56
- 72,309 plays

- 5
- Watch Dem Niggas
- 04:06
- 52,801 plays

- 6
- Take It In Blood
- 04:49
- 70,409 plays

- 7
- Nas Is Coming
- 05:40
- 43,833 plays

- 8
- Affirmative Action
- 04:20
- 97,754 plays

- 9
- The Set Up
- 04:01
- 46,526 plays

- 10
- Black Girl Lost
- 04:22
- 49,464 plays

- 11
- Suspect
- 04:16
- 42,616 plays

- 12
- Shootouts
- 03:46
- 49,497 plays

- 13
- Live Nigga Rap
- 03:46
- 44,145 plays

- 14
- If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)
- 04:42
- 280,743 plays

album review

For his second album, It Was Written, Nas hired a bunch of hip-hop's biggest producers -- including Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Stretch, and Trackmasters -- to help him create the musical bed for his daring, groundbreaking rhymes. Although that rhyme style isn't as startling on It Was Written as it was on his debut, Illmatic, Nas has deepened his talents, creating a complex series of rhymes that not only flow, but manage to tell coherent stories as well. Furthermore, Nas often concentrates on creating vignettes about life in the ghetto that never are apolitical or ambivalent. This time around, the production is more detailed and elaborate, which gives the music a wider appeal. Sometimes this is a detriment -- Nas sounds better when he tries to keep it street-level -- but usually, his lyrical force cuts through the commercial sheen. Combined with the spare but deep grooves, his rhymes have a resonance unmatched by most of his mid-'90s contemporaries. Because, no matter how deep his lyrics are, his grooves are just as deep and those bottomless funk and spare beats are what make It Was Written so compulsively listenable. ~ Leo Stanley, All Music Guide

more albums by this artist

See all

- - Stillmatic (Parental Advisory)
  - Released 2001

- - Nas (Parental Advisory)
  - Released 2008

- - Hip Hop Is Dead (Parental Advisory)
  - Released 2006

- - Illmatic (Parental Advisory)
  - Released 1994

listener reviews

- - My first
  - - By chocolatemuzik
    - 8/10/2009 04:21:04
  - This was my first one of the first cds I ever bought. I no longer have it since a family took it and never returned it. I thought most of the album was pretty good, especially the track "Affirmative Action" with his then group "the Firm". Again this good overall sophomore debut from Mr. Jones.
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- - 1996' Honorable
  - - By INFAMOUSHAVOC24
    - 7/3/2009 17:48:05
  - In the middle 90' New York show why it had some of the best artist to brace the game Nas was one of them from QB he represent It Was Written was he follow up to his classic Illmatic.This time around he use the Trackmaster Havoc of Mobb Deep Premo once again and Dr.Dre they hold up there end on this cd and Nas does his part with his deep lyrics. the message street dreams take it in blood i gave you power the set up live nigga rap there too many banger on this cd. this is cd is a must have in your collection
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