Nas

It Was Written

Columbia

Illmatic cultists mithered about this 1996 follow-up, but it’s aged magnificently (and they were wrong).
‘Amidst production from heavy hitters like Dr. Dre, Havoc of Mobb Deep and DJ Premier, Nas weaves evocative narratives of gang warfare, downtrodden neighborhoods, drug deals gone awry, and gangsta triumph, against a backdrop of samples from Sam Cooke, Etta James, the Isley Brothers, and even Chuck Mangione. With guest turns from Lauryn Hill, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Mobb Deep; classics like Street Dreams and If I Ruled The World.’

• Album Intro
• The Message
• Street Dreams
• I Gave You Power
• Watch Dem Niggas (featuring Foxy Brown)
• Take It in Blood
• Nas Is Coming (featuring Dr. Dre)
• Affirmative Action
• The Set Up (featuring Havoc)
• Black Girl Lost
• Suspect
• "Shootouts
• Live Nigga Rap (featuring Mobb Deep)
• If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) (featuring Lauryn Hill)