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| It Was Written | ||||
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| Released | July 2, 1996 | |||
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| Length | 58:29 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
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It Was Written is the second studio album by American rapper Nas, released on July 2, 1996, by Columbia Records. After the modest commercial success of his debut album Illmatic (1994), Nas pursued a more polished, mainstream sound for It Was Written. Produced largely by Trackmasters, it departed from the debut's raw, underground aesthetic and embraced mafioso and gangsta themes.
The album was a commercial success, selling 270,000 copies in its first week and debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, while receiving mostly positive reviews. It also heralded Nas's mainstream popularity and contributed to the rise of mafioso rap. However, Nas's more commercial sound fostered accusations of selling out within the hip hop community, and its critical standing suffered with comparisons to the acclaimed Illmatic.
With at least 3 million copies sold, and certified triple platinum, It Was Written remains Nas's best-selling album. In 2024, Billboard named it one of the 100 Greatest Rap Albums of All Time.[3]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
S12was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "50 Greatest East Coast Hip-Hop Albums of the 1990s". The Boombox. October 20, 2017. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Denis, Damien Scott,Gail Mitchell,Angel Diaz,Carl Lamarre,Michael Saponara,Heran Mamo,Kyle; Scott, Damien; Mitchell, Gail; Diaz, Angel; Lamarre, Carl; Saponara, Michael; Mamo, Heran; Denis, Kyle (2024-06-27). "The 100 Greatest Rap Albums of All Time (100-51): Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
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