Classic equal with Stillmatic as MY favourite Nas album.
In my top ten all time cross genre albums
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Classic equal with Stillmatic as MY favourite Nas album.
In my top ten all time cross genre albums
Only songs i liked on It Was Written is Street Dreams, I Gave You Power, Take It In Blood, Live Nigga Rap, If I Ruled The World. What a shame he hasn't made a good album since Illmatic because he's a ill mc. Bad beats is the reason why i think most of his albums suck.
My review for It was Written
1) Album Intro: A slave intro, I know it was suppose to be serious. But I kinda thought it was funny ''Dam deez chains'' 5/10
2) The Messege: This is the song that had the FIrst verse piss off pAC. But this track is considered one of the best hip hop songs ever. And its hard to deny that. 10/10
3) Street dreams: This track is okay, The sample was also on ''All eyez on me'' from Pac ironically. Lyrically okay, but it sounds dumbed down compared to normal Nas. 6/10
4) I gave you power: The 2nd best song on the album (Behind Messege) Talking from the perspective of a gun...Wow...That is a fucking amazing idea. Only Nas could pull that off.Did I forget to mention Premier dis this. So theres no shock at how amazing it is 10/10
5) Watch dem niggaz: Not the best beat ever, And it sounds more like a ''Doggystyle'' era snoop track. '' I got no game, Its only bitches that understand my story'' I always liked that verse. 7/10
6) Take it in blood: It has an illmatic type of feel, just not as gritty 7/10
7) Nas is coming: A very odd collab, They wouldnt hit their stride until ''The firm'' album (Under rated by the way) The hook is okay, lyrically Nas sounds out of place on this Dre beat. but the beat is amazing nonetheless. 7/10
8) Affirmative Action: This song set up the aforementioned Firm group. With Az starting it off perfect. Cormega would have been a better member for the Firm instead of Nature, and he proves that on this amazing song, The beat is classic. 10/10
9) The Set up: A mobb deep beat from the jump. Havoc is a good producer, Just not insanely versatile. Nas crushed it regardless. 8/10
10) Black girl lost: Great subject that needs to be addressed more often. 9/10
11) Suspect: Great old school beat. Illmatic style 10/10
12) Shootouts: The sample of the Avengers is perfect in the begining. This album doesnt have as many stories as I would like, but this song makes up for it. 9/10
13) Live nigga rap: Havoc sounded in his prime on this track, The old school record scratch effect works perfect. 9/10
14) If I ruled the world: Lauren hill/Nas. What more can be said. Its the world if Nas had control and he paints the picture of any hood persons dreams. 9/10
Overall: 116/140
bump
After listening this album for a long time, and listening illmatic for a long time, i started noticing all the up's and down's of this album.
Although nas is not at the same mode as on illmatic, he really perfected his flow, and when pure rhyming is consered this album is great, but its not even close to illmatic when it comes to replay value.
Certain songs like black girl lost, and street dreams are never in my repertoir, but message is great, live nigga rap is just live nigga rap, set up is pure storytelling art from nas, as the shootouts, take it in blood and watch de niggaz have that illmatic vibe, i gave you power is pure fire, affirmative action never grew on me, but the beat is really nice, nas is coming also never did it for me....
and yeah silent murder is really great, but somehow doesn't fit the album...
Not sure why people don't like Street Dreams, it's killer.
Listening to It Was Written reminds me that pretty much no one in hip hop can flow anymore.
Listen to Nas or Method Man flow on a beat pre 2000, and then listen to something like OB4CL2...
This song is probably Nas' career highlight.Quote:
Originally Posted by THE FRANCHISE™
I Gave You Power is definitely the gem of the album.
Check it, it was so dope that during his beef with Pac, the song(which may I remind you, didn't mention him in the slightest) ended their beef. That's how much Pac liked it. And afterward, Pac created Me and my Girlfriend, inspired by Nas's song.
Stray Bullet by Organized Noize predates both those tracks and is better imo. Although I Gave You Power is ill.
this is like exhibit a in why nas is probably the greatest of all time. lyrically. not as good as illmatic i think, not just cos of production but also it kind of had a nostalgic, excited feel to it. magic actually.
but all the songs especially the first 5 basically put other rappers to shame, flow, use of language, reality, stories, message etc. also his voice is perfect.
this album is dope but dr dre diahrread down his leg with that shitty beat, and why nas is coming? cos dr dre fucked him with that stank beat?
Silent Murder the bonus track in the Uk is one of my favourite Nas tracks and probably my favourite of that album. The lyrics might not be as good as Illmatic, but I dig his flow and theme better than his 1st. I appreciate what Illmatic is a master piece, but I prefer to listen to this
live nigga rap is prolly one of the greatest songs recorded in history
it wouldve been a classic if u take away the wack songs (intro street dreams watch dem niggas nas is coming and black girl lost). but theres 2 many wack songs so its just a good album.
Was the 3rd album I bought after Illmatic and I am.....
Wasn't too impressed with it
Can't believe some people like this shit better than Illmatic.
Lyrically i think its a step up. The production is very different to Illmatic, trackmasters have a mainstream sound but they still gave it a dark tone that fits with the really grimy stuff like 'suspect' and 'live nigga rap'. The production inspired some of Nas' best songs.
I think the lyrics and themes on this are quite deep, and Nas just improves with darker and deeper raps.
I don't know if its better than Illmatic, thats almost if not a perfect album. But its a classic.
It's not better than Illmatic LOL.
funny how much my perception on IWW has changed since this post. it's still a solid album but IWW has become grossly overrated by revisionist hiphop fans. All of a sudden, his sophomore effort is rated higher than his debut album. in what universe? it even beat The Infamous in a head to head poll on the allhiphop forum recently. not cool.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chungsanity
That's funny hahahahahahahahahahaha. It Was Written isn't better than Illmatic and The Infamous.
IWW>>>The Infamous
Yeah right hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Those 2 are classic albums in my book. I just always felt IWW was iller.
Whatever you say buddy LOL. Nas and Mobb Deep's Live Nigga Rap is the hardest song on It Was Written.
Shootouts hits harder...
I disagree. I Gave You Power song is harder than that.
I gave you power is my favorite track from the album so of course thats gonna be the hardest. But still Shootouts>>>Live Nigga Rap.
I'm a fan of Nas just like everyone else but The Infamous is a masterpiece. The Infamous by consensus is usually a top 10 hip hop album ever, IWW is in the 2nd or 3rd tier group of the greatest hiphop albums.Quote:
Originally Posted by hotnikks
Shook Ones II > any joint on IWW.
Party Over is my favorite joint off the LP. you can't close an album better than that.
P went hard on Live Nigga Rap
"Floatin in the river with your body wrapped in plastic"
"Runnin up in the spot, mask and duct taped up
Pig tied they motherfuckin wrists to they ankles"
Nas was saying things like
"curriculum of a mathologist deep throats, they try to swallow this
Anthropologists, dynasties of great knowledgists"
he was just throwing out a bunch of big words.
LOL@Chungsanity saying Nas using big words on Live Nigga Rap. I agree. Keith Murray and Canibus do the same thing and I bet they don't know what the words mean that they're saying LOL. That's good though that they read books because most rappers don't read. So at least Keith Murray, Canibus and Nas have something else to talk about instead of talking about the same stuff that most rappers talk about which is killing, sex, drug dealing and money LOL.
Lol@ complaining about Nas using big words. Are those lines that difficult to understand?
Anyway, classic song, and great verse from Nas. P's verse was meant to be on LA,LA, a great verse as well. I think the song was meant for Mobb Deep's album.
I have no problem putting IWW over The Infamous. Nas is a better, more interesting MC than both P and Havoc and I've never been crazy about Havoc's beats.
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Nas is on another lyrical caliber some dudes just dont realize it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Punch
Yeah Nas is very good lyrically and that's why I like him even though Illmatic is the only album of his I like LOL.
How can you hate on either IWW or Stillmatic is beyond insanity.Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlesJones
It Was Written and Stillmatic albums are ok but Illmatic is the only album of his I listen to the most outta his albums.
Its hard to take you serious when you make these dumb statements.Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlesJones
I remember you said once OB4CL wasnt a good album? gtfo
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. I don't care if you don't like my opinion. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx isn't all that great. It's ok. I can name plenty of classic rap albums better than that. I like rap albums that I like most of the songs like Illmatic, The Chronic, CMW's Music To Driveby, Redman's Whut Thee Album, Dare Iz A Darkside, Muddy Waters, Erick Sermon's No Pressure and Double Or Nothing, Keith Murray's first album, Gang Starr's Daily Operation, Hard To Earn and Moment Of Truth, Wu Tang Clan's first album, Geto Boys We Can't Be Stopped and Till Death Do Us Part, Ice Cube's Amerikka's Most Wanted and Death Certificate, 2Pac's first 2 albums, Notorious Big's Ready To Die, Smif and Wessun's Da Shinin, Brand Nubian's Everything Is Everything, Common's first album. I didn't like most of the songs on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and all those albums I named are better than Raekwon and Ghostface's album.
Mobb Deep's The Infamous and Big L's album is better than Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.
IWW is a solid 4 mic album but there's just several gapes and holes for me to give it a perfect rating (Nas Is Coming). The Infamous was a bangar from start to finish.Quote:
Originally Posted by hotnikks
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