29 Years Later: Why It Was Written Still Divides and Defines Nas’ Legacy
On July 2, 1996, Nasir Jones—better known as Nas—released his sophomore studio album It Was Written. It was a bold pivot from his raw, critically acclaimed debut Illmatic. Today, 29 years later, the album remains one of the most hotly debated and simultaneously revered projects in hip-hop history. As It Was Written celebrates its 29th anniversary, it continues to symbolize a critical juncture in Nas’ career and in the culture at large—where artistry, commercial ambition, and shifting genre aesthetics collided.
From Project Poet to Escobar: Nas Evolves
Following Illmatic in 1994, a masterclass in storytelling and street lyricism, Nas was already crowned the “second coming of Rakim” by purists. But Illmatic was a slow burn in terms of sales. Thus, taking two years to go Gold. The commercial pressures of hip-hop’s mid-’90s explosion prompted a shift. Enter It Was Written.
Teaming up with production duo Trackmasters, Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Havoc, and L.E.S., Nas embraced a more polished, radio-friendly sound infused with mafioso imagery. His alter ego, Nas Escobar, emerged. Therefore, echoing the swagger and style of cinematic mob figures like Tony Montana and Michael Corleone. Songs like “The Message,” “Street Dreams,” and “Affirmative Action” reflected this transformation with cinematic narratives, luxury, and calculated power plays.
Tracklist with Intent
The album opens with an ominous intro, transitioning into “The Message,” where Nas warns, “Fake thug, no love, you get the slug, CB4 Gusto.” It’s a shot across the bow and a signal that Nas’ pen was still sharp, regardless of production gloss.
Notable tracks include:
“I Gave You Power” – A conceptual masterpiece where Nas raps from the perspective of a gun.
“Street Dreams” – A nod to Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams,” which spawned a remix featuring R. Kelly.
“If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” – Featuring Lauryn Hill, this Grammy-nominated anthem became Nas’ first platinum single.
“Affirmative Action” – The debut of The Firm (Nas, AZ, Cormega, Foxy Brown), showcasing lyrical elite blending street wisdom with global ambition.
Other standout moments include “Shootouts,” “Black Girl Lost,” and the Dr. Dre-produced “Nas Is Coming.”
The Sales Machine
Debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, It Was Written moved 270,000 copies in its first week. Within two months, it was certified double platinum by the RIAA. Eventually going triple platinum, it remains Nas’ best-selling album to date. The commercial success proved Nas could cross into the mainstream while retaining lyrical complexity—though not without backlash.
A Polarizing Classic
Critics and fans were split. The Source praised it as an “audio anthology of ghetto stories,” while Rolling Stone dismissed it as clichéd gangsta posturing. Vibe lamented it lacked Illmatic’s depth. Yet time has been kind.
Retrospective reviews now rank It Was Written among Nas’ top works. Publications like AllMusic, Stylus Magazine, and Billboard credit it for bridging the underground-mainstream gap and ushering in the mafioso rap subgenre alongside Reasonable Doubt and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…
Royce da 5’9″ and Schoolboy Q have both expressed that they prefer It Was Written to Illmatic, further fueling one of hip-hop’s most enduring debates.
The Legacy of “I Gave You Power” and Nas’s Storytelling Brilliance
Among the most impactful tracks on It Was Written is “I Gave You Power,” a lyrical masterpiece where Nas personifies a gun, telling the story from the weapon’s perspective. This concept track is now considered one of the greatest storytelling songs in hip-hop history. It showcased Nas’s ability to elevate the genre beyond braggadocio and street narratives into poetic, layered social commentary.
The song’s influence has been profound. It inspired similar tracks from other lyricists, most notably Tupac Shakur’s “Me and My Girlfriend,” which uses a parallel metaphor of a gun as a lover. Nas’s execution, however, remains distinctive for its raw detail and haunting tone. Lines like “Always I’m in some shit, my abdomen is the clip / My mouth is the trigger, my tongue is the bullet” offered a visceral look into violence and its cyclical nature, without glorification.
“I Gave You Power” solidified Nas as one of rap’s most introspective and technically advanced writers. It also proved that It Was Written was more than a commercial pivot—it was a conceptual leap forward, experimenting with form and narrative in ways few had dared.
This single track continues to be taught in hip-hop studies courses and praised by fellow artists and critics alike, standing tall as evidence that Nas’s pen remained as sharp as ever—even under the pressure to go mainstream.
Cultural Legacy
The album didn’t just sell records—it changed marketing. Columbia Records implemented unique campaigns like distributing branded notebooks and mock parking tickets. It expanded Nas’ audience globally and introduced The Firm, briefly hinting at a Roc-A-Fella-like rap conglomerate before it imploded.
Its thematic gravitas inspired future generations of MCs to blend cinema and street, from Jay-Z to Rick Ross. Songs like “I Gave You Power” laid groundwork for Kendrick Lamar’s concept-heavy records. Even The Sopranos-like world-building has echoes in modern rap’s obsession with opulence and organized crime tropes.
Final Thoughts
29 years later, It Was Written stands as more than a sequel to Illmatic; it’s a definitive chapter in hip-hop’s evolution. It dared to depart from the gritty boom-bap formula that made Nas a legend and offered a blueprint for balancing lyrical substance with mass appeal.
While Illmatic defined the streets, It Was Written conquered the charts without dumbing down the pen. It challenged fans to reconsider what authenticity looks like in an industry increasingly defined by optics and reach. Even today, lines like “I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death” echo through generations of lyricists.
The album’s 29th anniversary is not just a time capsule; it’s a call to revisit a pivotal moment when hip-hop expanded its boundaries and Nas evolved from a street prophet to a global icon.
If Illmatic was Nas’ scripture, It Was Written was his cinematic manifesto. And nearly three decades later, it still hits like a prophecy fulfilled.
