21 Years Ago… It Was Written (1996)

21 years ago (7/2/1996) Nas released his classic second studio It Was Written on Columbia Records. Produced by Havoc, DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, L.E.S Live Squad and Trackmasters, the album saw Nas move to a more mafioso/gangsta sound, with tracks like “I Gave You Power” and “Black Girl Lost” showing his storytelling but with a more hood outlook and socially conscious view on the ghetto. This album showed a different Nas, a more mature Nas in a time where the East Coast, West Coast beef was going on. This album is in my opinion his best album, yes I said it “It Was Written” > “Illmatic” and I’ll defend it, both are classics but here’s how I see it as a 17 year old, “Illmatic” drew the blueprint that “It Was Written” drew the legacy of Nas. Salute to Nas for his impact in Rap and Hip-Hop, may Prodigy Rest In Peace.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvmjZkFcCh0]