It Was Written vs. Illmatic

[Neuro]

https://backinthedaybuffet.com/it-was-w ... -illmatic/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


It Was Written was a better album than Illmatic. There, I said it. Now that I have your attention from what some would regard as a blasphemous statement, let’s talk about classic albums and legacies. A classic album is one that is regarded amongst the greatest in the hip-hop genre. In order to have a classic album, as an artist, you would likely have to be regarded as one of the greats. There isn’t much argument in the hip-hop community when it comes to naming the cliché top 4-5 classic albums in hip-hop history (Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, Ready to Die, etc.) It would be hard to argue that these albums were not incredible pieces of art, and a guide to those learning the history of hip-hop. However, I feel that most people name these albums right away because it has been brainwashed in their minds to do so.

The problem with discussing classic albums and comparing them to an artists other albums, is that it’s impossible to explain how an album actually impacted the culture at the time of its release. Unless you actually lived through it. It’s like when people try to compare Michael Jordan to Jerry West; you can’t do it, and trying to do so would be disrespectful to both. They played in two completely different eras of basketball. Point taken. I was speaking with hip-hop author Alfred Obiesie on my radio show a few months back, and he said that if a person cannot name a classic album that was released in the last decade, then his opinion is not worth hearing. That person is an ‘old head’ and has not been able to grow and accept the newer forms of hip-hop. Therefore, sometimes you have to detach yourself from what a specific album meant to you at the time, and sit back and listen to the album as a product.

Back to this Nas conversation. Without any doubt, Nas is one of the greatest lyricists to touch the microphone. He is on most hip-hop top 10 lists, on many top 5 lists, and regarded as the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) by some. As the sophomore jinx loomed over a young Nasir, he began to craft a new sound, and a new persona for the ever changing landscape of hip-hop. Within the two years after ‘Illmatic’ was released, hip-hop music had a much crisper sound, with sharper beats and stiffer competition coming out of not only the east coast, but the west coast too. When comparing the two albums, it sounds like they were made in different decades. Where ‘Illmatic’ was spoken from the viewpoint that Nas had developed through living in the Queensbridge Housing Projects, ‘It Was Written’ was much more than that.

The cover art for ‘Illmatic’ showed a toddler version of Nasir; whereas ‘It Was Written’ showed a grown, more mature Nasir. A Nas that has experienced things well beyond the map of Queens. “The Message” was the opening musical track off of ‘It Was Written’, it had a beat that was so crisp it popped! The intricate rhyme schemes that he displayed were a step up from anything he had put down on ‘Illmatic’. On “The Message” he rapped,

“Fake thug no love, you get the slug, CB4 gusto, ya luck though, I didn’t know til I was drunk though”,
apparent shots at West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur. He also raps,

“there’s one life, one love, so there can only be one king”,
apparent shots at East Coast rapper Biggie Smalls.

“I Gave You Power” was Nas rhyming from the mindset of a gun. He rapped,

“how you like me now, I go blaw, it’s the shit that moves crowds making every ghetto foul, I may have took ya first child, scarred ya life crippled ya style, I gave you power, I mad you buck wild”.
Although he was not reinventing the wheel here in terms of rhyming from the mindset of something other than himself, this was the best display I had ever seen an artist do so.


“Affirmative Action” is a track that has been quoted more than most Nas songs, and was the launching pad for the now defunct ‘Firm’ project/group. While AZ may have spit one of the most memorable openings to a song, it was the unknown Foxy Brown that stole the show with her drug equation that didn’t quite add up. “Suspect” felt like it would have been a standout track on ‘Illmatic’. “Nas is Coming” was the first of many collaborations between himself and West Coast producer/rapper Dr. Dre. Finally, ‘If I Ruled the World’ featuring Lauryn Hill was the perfect crossover song to launch his sophomore album.


In closing, the reason that sneak attacks work best is because you have the element of surprise on your side. If no one sees you coming you have a distinct advantage on your prey or competition. With ‘Illmatic’ he snuck up on the world and changed a culture. With ‘It Was Written’, no matter what he did, he would not have met the expectations set out by the hip-hop community. So, while ‘It Was Written’ did not have the cultural impact that ‘Illmatic’ did, it was sharper, more lyrical, had crisper instrumentals and better features. The biggest argument that comes up with hip-hop purists is that ‘It Was Written’ was the mafiaso persona that Nas attempted to develop, not the true Nasir. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your favorite rapper (whomever he is) is attempting to sell you some sort of persona that is not completely his. One could argue that Raekwon’s ‘Only Built for Cuban Linx’ and Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ had this same type of concept for their debut albums. Both of which have been acclaimed by both critics and hip-hop fans alike. With the weight of the world and expectations on Nas’ shoulders, he decided to do something that had rarely been seen: make a successful concept album. Guess what, mission accomplished.

[Gyangsta 4 Life]

Ya prose needs a lil work breh.

Lex wit' TV sets the minimum was also a shot at Jigga.

What's kinda telling is that these debates are always about consecutive albums.

[Gyangsta 4 Life]

Dinosaurs like Gloss and Thun whose formative rap years were like '88 to '95 are usually gonna fuck with Illmatic more. They think Halftime > the Message.

Slightly younger bros, such as myself, who were outchea from '96 to '02 always thought It Was Written was great, but still couldn't front on Illmatic.

Anyone younger than that discovered Nas on the internet and doesn't really understand why we give a shit about this.

[CarlosDelgothoes]

finally, the glory days of late HHI/early PF

[Career Over Like Mike(NJJ)]

Unless this thread dovetails into a detailed discussion of the Street Dreams video it should be locked before LLBs start ranking Nas' albums for the billionth time, imho.

[admiral]

[Philaflava]

Dinosaur niggas like Gloss and Thun whose formative rap years were like '88 to '95 are usually gonna fuck with Illmatic more. They think Halftime > the Message.

Slightly younger bros, such as myself, who were outchea from '96 to '02 always thought It Was Written was great, but still couldn't front on Illmatic.

Anyone younger than that discovered Nas on the internet and doesn't really understand why we give a shit about this.

The writing on Illmatic was better. The production on Illmatic was better. There is no filler on Illmatic either.
Don't get me wrong, I really like IWW and I think over the years I've learned to appreciate it greatly. Take It In Blood is a top 5 Nas song to me.

Here is how I simply shit on this argument.

Track by track winner
The Genesis > IWW intro
NY State of Mind > The Message
Life's A Bitch > Street Dreams
The World Is Yours > I Gave You Power
Halftime > Watch Dem Niggas
Memory Lane < Take It In Blood (CLOSE AS HELL BUT IM THROWING YOU A BONE)
One Love > Nas Is Coming
One Time 4 Ya Mind < Affirmative Action (Here take this one too, but the remix is better)
Represent > The Set Up
It Ain't Hard To Tell > Black Girl Lost

Leaving you these solid joints .
Suspect
Shootouts
Live Nigga Rap
If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)

Total score: 8-6

[Kool Max Power]

Dinosaur niggas like Gloss and Thun whose formative rap years were like '88 to '95 are usually gonna fuck with Illmatic more. They think Halftime > the Message.

Slightly younger bros, such as myself, who were outchea from '96 to '02 always thought It Was Written was great, but still couldn't front on Illmatic.

Anyone younger than that discovered Nas on the internet and doesn't really understand why we give a shit about this.

The writing on Illmatic was better. The production on Illmatic was better. There is no filler on Illmatic either.
Don't get me wrong, I really like IWW and I think over the years I've learned to appreciate it greatly. Take It In Blood is a top 5 Nas song to me.

Here is how I simply shit on this argument.

Track by track winner
The Genesis > IWW intro
NY State of Mind > The Message
Life's A Bitch > Street Dreams
The World Is Yours > I Gave You Power
Halftime > Watch Dem Niggas
Memory Lane < Take It In Blood (CLOSE AS HELL BUT IM THROWING YOU A BONE)
One Love > Nas Is Coming
One Time 4 Ya Mind < Affirmative Action (Here take this one too, but the remix is better)
Represent > The Set Up
It Ain't Hard To Tell > Black Girl Lost

Leaving you these solid joints .
Suspect
Shootouts
Live Nigga Rap
If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)

Total score: 8-6

Co-sign, although in my opinion, the writing on Memory Lane is better than most (if not all) IWW tracks. Plus, when it comes to the impact of both albums, it ain't even close.

Guys who haven't been around when Illmatic was released shouldn't discuss this masterpiece.

[GUCCI CONDOMS]

Jay Seagraves is the first thing I thought of upon entering this thread

[Employee]

Ya prose needs a lil work breh.

[Employee]

Jay Seagraves is the first thing I thought of upon entering this thread

[Mindbender Futurama]

The Eurythmics sample ala the P. Diddy formula for hit records via 'Street Dreams' and the pink suit in the video was the biggest blemish on 'It Was Written', but otherwise, lyrically it's a superior album to 'Illmatic', even though it's unfair to really compare on a certain level, because Nasir obviously had a lot more money and support for his sophomore album than his debut. Production wise, that's more debatable and subject to personal tastes: does one stay praising the Holy Triumvirate of Pete Rock/Primo/Large Professor and geek on because King Q-Tip even had a beat on 'Illmatic', or does one lean towards the grandiose sweep brought by Dr. Dre and Trackmasters, and the guttural Queensbridge grit sprinkled on by Havoc and L.E.S.? DO YOU, SON

I still think the double album version of 'I Am' could have equalled if not surpassed both "Illmatic" and "It Was Written", if you gather up all the unreleased songs like 'Amongst Kings', 'Blaze a 50', 'Belly Button Window', 'Drunk By Myself', 'Purple', 'Black Zombies' and 'Doo Rags'... but KANYESHRUG


but also

life is either an eternal circle to nowhere new or a rising spiral towards enlightenment. you decide. THE WORLD IS YOURS, BREH

[Neuro]

ILLMATIC is the best hands down

It Was Written was my first nas listening, and I am was my second, then i made the visit to ILLMATIC

i absolutely love It Was Written it really is a super dope album but once i finally made it to ILLMATIC the quality of rhymes , the quality of production was so ahead of its time and timeless it just gets better and better and better even now still

i like most of nas albums too, of his whole catalog, his last album Life is Good is my least favorite but it does have great jams on it

HIP HOP IS DEAD is actually one of my very favorite nas albums now

STILLMATIC is pretty damn good too it def brought the nas hype back GODS SON the follow up was nice and reminds me of a good times

[Tweak Da Leak]

I've said this for awhile, Illmatic is dinosaur NY rap and makes me yawn

[GUCCI CONDOMS]

Coked up nas escobar mafioso persona > self righteous preachy nas

[step one]

Still can't believe this thread, and in particular the first post, actually exists on this board in 2016.

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

on it was written i find myself waiting for the havoc/premier beats. honestly IWW>illmatic is not a crazy opinion, just a minority one. it's a stale topic though, i made this thread years ago.

[Mindbender Futurama]

yeah but which album does JAY-Z (aka the Ultimate Stan for Nasty Nas) like more???

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

It was written, based off his bite-tastical debut.

[madstadik]

I wont debate which album is better but what i will say is IWW gets no love in terms of say XXL's making of a classic album where they break down the album track for track with artists producers etc. or 10,15,20 year anniversary shit.

[Gyangsta 4 Life]

^Complex did one a few years back:
http://www.complex.com/music/2012/05/th ... s-written/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[madstadik]

Ah shit. Nice. Ill have to peep that. Thanks fam

[Smithee]

I've said this for awhile, Illmatic is dinosaur NY rap and makes me yawn

Ty.
While it's amazing front to back as a whole I'm not trying to just bump "It Ain't Hard to Tell" chillin on the reg. That's just me tho.

[aeokq]

No.

I don't even think It Was Written is that great of an album.

[KhillA]

Thread feels like dial up internet when words mattered bc you weren't writing on your cell from the subway stop. First post had the decency to get to the point on the first sentence so that you don't have to read any further.