Nas - It Was Written (June 28, 1996)

'Twas the late 1990s, and all through the entertainment industry worldwide, shit was fucking good. Well, except if you're a movie buff. Anyways, some of the very best video games of all time were released in that period, including, among many more that escape me at the moment, the Metal Gear Solid series, the Resident Evil series and the Legacy Of Kain series. Fighting games and beat 'em ups were still very popular as the Tekken series, the Street Fighter series, the King Of Fighters series and its many offshoots were riding high, and my favorite fighting game series of all friggin' time, Bloody Roar, had debuted its first two installments, with BR2 being the series' peak from a presentation standpoint, in said period. Like I said, shit was fucking good.

However, there was one sector of the entertainment industry that I was completely oblivious to, which was the music industry. We simply didn't have in our local stores the variety that most stores worldwide had. All of them local stores we got only cared about the fucking radio hits, and I've eventually discovered what every modern music fan knows by now that radio blows. Over time, though, I found that I've grown quite fond of a particular form of modern music, hip hop. And since then, I've learned that there was a Golden Era of hip hop music, when everyone was creatively competing with each other at the highest level and constantly testing themselves to bring out the very best material they can put out. I'm not going to pinpoint the exact time this era ended, but I will say that ever since 1983, hip hop music has never been the same.

One of the many lynchpins of this genre that was considered essential listening by every single person who came across it was a little piece of work called Illmatic. This album consisted of 9 tracks and an intro, on which one MC waxed poetic about every single thought he could think of for 8 tracks while the ninth was utilized as a duet between him and some unknown dude. After Illmatic's release, though, everybody in hip hop music knew and appreciated that MC, named Nas. Hell, his work was so loved that the nobody who rapped alongside him, AZ, established a full-fledged 20-year career and dropped some quality records of his own during said career. But was this love justified? Listen to the goddamn album and judge for yourself. Key word: Listen. So naturally, the pressure was on regarding the eventual sophomore album very commonly greenlit by the fuckfaces at every label in existence.

Nas' alleged direction, aided by the help of one MC Serch, was to do a full album collaboration with Queensbridge hip hop legend Marley Marl. I'll let that sink in for a moment. But, at the same time, Nas was nagged about something: Constantly brought to his attention was the fact that Illmatic sold zilch off the gate, with it going gold almost two years after its release. That was considered a major catastrophe by the aforementioned label fuckfaces, so they advised Nassy to fire Serch, abandon his direction entirely and head for a new one with dollar signs in his eyes, with the aid of new manager Steve Stoute and production team the Trackmasters. I'm not saying anything here, just mentioning my resentment at not being able to hear that supposed album come to fruition. Back to the subject at hand, Stoute certainly worked his magic, but even he wasn't stupid enough to forget that Nas came from an underground background that had to be catered to and relayed that approach to said Trackmasters. They convinced Nas that an entry in mafioso rap was the way to go. Personal side note: I'll always have a bit of a soft spot for early Trackmasters work, as they've produced the very first hip hop song I've ever heard back in my childhood: The Monstars Anthem off the Space Jam OST, which I still view as a good song. Good times.

Now, ever since Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan's lauded solo debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... reinvented mafioso rap as a viable, metaphor-filled theme for hip hop music in 1995, many figures in the entire industry jumped right on the bandwagon, resulting in many an abomination by infinitely lesser-skilled rappers who failed to realize that OB4CL was a highly-focused album with many important factors contributing to its success, with the exception of acts such as Nas' boy AZ, who wasn't as successful as one might think with his debut Doe or Die, mainly because of the absence of a proper producer who truly understands how to come up with an original image using said theme and whose production matches AZ's lyrical skill. Now, on the flipside, there were some who understood enough of the mafioso rap formula to come up with their own successful visions, such as, oh I don't know, HHT’s lord and savior Jay-Z, who released Reasonable Doubt to much critical acclaim. Nas' fellow QB natives Mobb Deep, fresh off the success of their sophomore album The Infamous, fit the mafioso theme like a glove as well. So Nas had plenty of influence around him to produce a sizeable entry into the mafioso subgenre.

Enter It Was Written. Nas released the lead single, If I Ruled The World (Imagine That), with red-hot Fugees member Lauryn Hill to the elation of radio stations everywhere, which paved enough groundwork for It Was Written to sell a shitload of copies (to be precise, over two million) in three months, a far cry from the Illmatic sales climb. But, the important quest to ask was: Was the album any good?

ALBUM INTRO
I know for a fact that Nas recorded this out of his ass. Please, do yourself a huge favor and skip this shit.

THE MESSAGE
Nas allegedly aims a diss at both 2Pac and Biggie on a Trackmasters beat sampling Sting? I don't know how they made it work, but this song is awesome. Nas sets the mafioso platform up perfectly for the rest of the album, as well.

STREET DREAMS
I liked this track, as well. This is a continuation of the themes present in the previous song and throughout the album. I'm actually surprised everyone balked at this album while singing the praises of other lyrically similar albums, namely one such album, where an expensive clothing line is name dropped every two seconds on most of said album. I won't say its name, you know the one I'm talking about. This song also heated up Nas' beef with 2Pac, as they both sampled the same source material, although I'll admit that I feel the Trackmasters flipped the Linda Clifford sample leagues better.

I GAVE YOU POWER
Simply put: A hip hop landmark. Nas raps from the viewpoint of an inanimate object, which has been done before and since. Which doesn't really matter, though, if the execution is fucking brilliant. All this is possible, of course, with DJ Premier's wizardry as he concocts a brilliant slow-driven 20-second loop from Eric Gale's Forecast that transforms into a breathtaking beat sampling the legendary Ahmad Jamal. This time, Nas chooses to lyrically embody a gun and lets loose with some of the greatest lyrics & concepts ever put to a Primo beat. This was awesome.

WATCH DEM N****S (FEATURING FOXY BROWN)
The Trackmasters are back sampling hip hop lynchpin Bob James in a beat that provides Nas a canvas for painting a vivid portrait of betrayal. This hit in all the right notes and as a plus, Foxy Brown is restricted to the hook. Yay!

TAKE IT IN BLOOD
2Pac’s former best friend, the late Stretch, produces a gem of a beat sampling soul band the Fantastic Four, complete with a sweet Kool Keith sample, that one can only appreciate when listening through the entire album and not skipping to the fucking singles. Nas re-enters his lyrical home turf when bragging and throwing in some cultural references and he sounds fucking great doing so, which is to be expected. You have no idea how happy I am that he kept this style from his debut.

NAS IS COMING
Here's where everybody is brought to a freaking halt. What in the blue horsefuck is Rommell Young doing on a Nas album? Nevertheless, I'm of the camp that the song sounds great, even if Nas' second verse is absolute gibberish. Dre really dug deep for Nas, as he sampled, among other things, two seconds from a fucking Scooby Doo episode. I guess RZA's outlandish approach to production got his creative juices pumping and he wanted to flex some production muscle. I repeat, this is a great song. (Disagree? Comment section. Now.)

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION (FEATURING THE FIRM)
Poke & Tone return to the fold with Dave Atkinson to lay down a beat worthy of The Firm's only commercially released track. I'm talking about the real Firm lineup, of course. AZ, Cormega & Nas sound like relatives who've been practicing their verses for the school play for 16 years, meaning that their chemistry is undeniable, and Foxy Brown allegedly recites her ass off. Yeah, because allegedly her rhymes were never hers, as they were allegedly ghostwritten by Jay-Z. Personally? I believe the allegations and I will not be convinced otherwise. (Don't like what you're reading, Foxy? Voice your discomfort in the comments section!)

THE SET UP (FEATURING HAVOC)
Nas brings Havoc, fresh off discovering his calling as a producer on The Infamous, (even if his production peak was only for like 4 years, said peak was masterful.) to the fold and requests a beat for him to bludgeon to death. Havoc gladly obliges, so in return, Nas places him on the hook for the motherfucker. The end result is something I would've gladly welcomed on a Mobb Deep album. Back when they were in their prime, of course. You will never catch me listening to that fucking Blood Money travesty. Anyways, this song knocks in all the wanted ways.

BLACK GIRL LOST (FEATURING JO-JO)
Oh, was this ever a misfire. Nobody, I repeat, nobody was checking for any rapper to act holier-than-thou and chastise women when he's out getting his fuck on (pun very much intended) with groupies every other night. Even though the beat by P&T and LES was kind of technically proficient with the Stephanie Mills sample, Nas cuts even further and sings the hook in the presence of Jo-Jo. I mean, my dude, what is the point of bringing Jo-Jo from Jodeci, one of the most beloved 90s R&B voices of all time, if all you're gonna give him is a lame-ass outro that sounds simply awkward. Fuck this song.

SUSPECT
LES is out for redemption, bringing with him a beat so deeply rooted in gritty mid-90s NY tradition, especially in its sampling of Chuck Mangione & Quincy Jones, which is thankfully right up Nas' alley. He then takes this opportunity to weave one of the timeless crime stories told in the mafioso subgenre, thereby establishing himself as one of its grandmasters. Seriously, props to all parties involved in this masterpiece.

SHOOTOUTS
I swear, it's like the Trackmasters are mostly remembering their origins as producers of Kool G Rap's classic Ill Street Blues, as they sample the famous opening blaring horns from The Avengers 1965 TV series theme then follow it up with brilliant use of the prevalent Al Green sample. Furthermore, this track is lyrically a continuation of the winning form of the previous song, with Nas weaving another epic crime tale for your listening pleasure. Nice!

LIVE NIGGA RAP (FEATURING MOBB DEEP)
Mobb Deep finally grace this album with their overdue presence. And their chemistry with Nassy here is infectious. Havoc returns behind the boards for a magnificent beat on which Prodigy sets us off with an immortal verse he originally wrote for CNN's classy response to Tha Dogg Pound's seminal New York, New York, conveniently titled LA, LA (Do yourself a favor. If you've never heard LA, LA yet, get the Kuwait Mix version, as Marley Marl’s beat is fucking bananas.) And you know what? He was wrong to abandon that song and jump on this one, even though this is still dope as fuck. Anyway, his verse takes the cake early on, as Havoc and Nas play catch up, with Nas yielding better results than P's partner, as usual. Still, all who was featured on this song made it the classic it's supposed to be.

IF I RULED THE WORLD (IMAGINE THAT) (FEATURING LAURYN HILL)
The lead single and the song responsible for It Was Written's massive commercial success. You know, aside from the promotion, the tours, the public appearances, the press conferences, the interviews, etc. The Trackmasters straight up jacked the first loop of Whodini's Friends for this beat, and I'll admit, Nas freaks it better than the source material. Yes, he carved his own identity into the beat, doing so with the aid of the ever-talented Lauryn Hill on the vocals, who chooses to interpolate both Kurtis Blow and The Delfonics and somehow makes it work. Thereby providing the opportune canvas for our host to wax poetic about his dreams of ending the ghetto prison, with some rap cliches thrown in for good measure. For what it was, this was pretty damn good.

Almost every version besides the US CD version has the following track:


SILENT MURDER
Stretch RIP returns for my favorite track on this entire album with a surprisingly haunting loop of a Soul II Soul sample, on which Nas spits rhymes of various imagery about life in the ghetto mixed with sly social commentary as only a true hip hop poet can.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
A ton of people hate this album and vilify it as the point where Nas' lyrics fell off into irrelevancy. I say to every single one of them: Give me some of what you're smoking. ALL of your favorite mafioso albums weaved the exact same picture as this album here, with Nas sometimes even besting his peers. Nas paid proper respect to the standard set by Raekwon's Purple Tape by crafting his own mafioso vision with the highest of focus. And, because every human piece of work is flawed, there were some slip-ups. But they sure as hell didn't detract from the overall experience. It certainly helped that Nas had the Trackmasters heighten their focus on the overall sound of this album to match his, with the remaining guest producers all doing a phenomenal job. So, while cohesion was never one of Nas' strong points in album crafting, here I say: This album is by far the Nas album I revisit the most. Yes, even more than Illmatic.

WORTH IT?
You bet your sweet ass, it is. Don't let the negative hype fool you: This is a quality album that deserves to be in your collection.

See more Nas here. 15 cents per adult and 8 for the chilluns. Don't be shy.

Nas - Illmatic (April 19, 1994)

I mean, come on. As soon as you saw the previous Mobb Deep review, you knew, right?

I first came across Nasir Bin Olu Jones (his real name, I swear.) when I heard NY State Of Mind on the radio of True Crime: New York City, but that didn't really count because I wasn't really paying attention to what I heard aside from Protect Ya Neck by the immortal Wu-Tang Clan. Like, at all.

Anyway, I first consciously came across Nasir reading about him on Wikipedia back when I just started taking hip hop seriously. I was mildly interested at first, but that didn't lead into any step regarding me following his career. As I progressed further into my respective video game, Wikipedia and YouTube voyages, I came across Mobb Deep. And since I knew by then that Nas and them shared stomping grounds, I figured I'd give his material a whirl. Think about it, Mobb Deep actually introduced me to Nas. How many hip hop fans took that musical route? And since I have ADHD with mild OCD, I researched Nas' beginnings on Wikipedia, so that I can have a proper perspective on his progression. Boy, was I in for a ride.

No Nas origin tale is complete without mentioning that one William Paul Mitchell, conducting lectures as the Large Professor at Harvard in The Precise Methods Of Not Selling Out, was instrumental in: 1. Bringing The Nasty One to the public eye on his brilliant posse cut Live At The Barbeque (a track that also unleashed Akinyele, an undisputed-yet-very-underrated punchline legend) off his still-too-underrated-after-24-goddamn-years classic Breaking Atoms in an appearance that, while obviously housing a style that descended from the Intelligent Hoodlum school of thuggery, nevertheless blew my mind, accomplishing its job as an effective punchline rap rather effectively. What do you mean, it's a Main Source album?!. 2. Introducing Nas to future manager Michael Berrin aka MC Serch aka White Bespectacled Dude With Flat Top, who took the management gig after William himself turned it down. Serch then put Nas on his brilliant posse cut, Back To The Grill, where he delivered another similar punchline offering that only served to increase the public's thirst for more Nas.

Important to note though, LP still stayed with his protégé, guiding his steps and, according to Nas himself, helped him hone his lyrical genius a great deal. Which really wasn't that far off, considering LP's own lyrical prowess at the time. More importantly, LP started campaigning heavy to issue a full Nas album. I even heard that him and MC Serch got into an argument about it once, which ended up with LP almost smacking Serch! I didn't know William was that tough! So, MC Serch succeeds in convincing Columbia to issue our hero a single on the Zebrahead OST to test the waters. William didn't need any more than that. Thus, Nas' debut single Halftime was born. Halftime was a roaring success in the midst of a fucking travesty of an OST about the most boring Romeo and Juliet reimagining you can think of. Seriously, what is it with good rap songs associated with horseshit movies? Oh well. Everyone (read: NY) now craved a full Nas album. An album which Nas chose to name after a gangster in his hood whose nickname was immortalized after Tragedy used it first in his 1988 smash The Rebel. I'm referring, of course, to one Illmatic Ice, whom I admittedly don't know anything about aside from this story.

And by the looks of it, the timing couldn't be more perfect, as the East Coast Renaissance was by now in full swing with its landmark releases in 1993. You know the albums I'm talking about. You don't? Really? Dead Serious? 19 Naughty III? Bacdafucup? Midnight Marauders? 36 Chambers? Ring a bell?! Of course there are more albums that are equally important, but I chose to mention those that most people bought back then in hopes that as much people flock into this blog of mine as possible. I digress, this is another opportunity to showcase Mr. Mitchell's crucial status to this album and, more importantly, this genre. For as soon as Columbia greenlit the album, William started rounding up the producers which he thought could vibe well with his boy. And herein lies the key difference between Illmatic's beats and most of Nas' remaining catalog. See, it took the ear of a credible producer like Large Professor to bring the right producers who can collaborate effectively to present a cohesive musical setting, perfect for son to spit his genius on, unlike most of Nas' other albums, because whether he admits it or not, Nas has a shit ear for beats. A problem that has not been fixed to this day. Anyway, William unleashed Nas' second single, It Ain't Hard To Tell, which was the lead single for the album, to the fiending hordes more than a year after Halftime, and that was the last straw. The people had to have Illmatic now.

There can't be anything more to say in introducing this album that better critics & writers haven't already said billions of times, so fuck it, I'm not going to drag this intro on anymore than I already have:

1. THE GENESIS
Despite many people loving this intro, featuring Nas' brother Jungle of Bravehearts infamy and the album's only guest MC, Anthony Cruz aka AZ, this shit remains a useless rap album intro. I don't care if Nas' verse off Live At The Barbeque is playing in the background, a skit is a skit.

2. N.Y. STATE OF MIND
First up, my technical introduction to Nas (which I don't remember really. I was too preoccupied with getting Marcus Reed through his perilous NY voyage alive.) and arguably his most popular song to date. With good fucking reason. DJ Premier, fucking beat wizard that he is, meshes samples from Kool & The Gang, Donald Byrd & that beautiful Joe Chambers piano loop into a masterpiece, one which Nasir reportedly bodies on the first take. His lyrics describing the street thug mentality shows he studied the Tragedy formula well, coming up with his very unique interpretation of said subject matter. It's extremely understated how much Nas was a student of the greats, and how much that approach made him one. A truly magnificent song.

3. LIFE'S A BITCH (FEATURING AZ & OLU DARA)
AZ's debut on wax remains one of the best debuts in hip hop history, no lie. Nas makes damn sure he's not eclipsed on his own shit, and the listener is left to suffer in picking his favorite verse. The two MC's expertly tackle the pursuit of riches from their point of view without waiting for other people's approval, which is essential in this composition's success. L.E.S. brilliantly samples Yearning For Your Love by The Gap Band with a winning cornet solo at the end by Nas' father Olu Dara. Another home run.

4. THE WORLD IS YOURS
Pete Rock is up next, and boy, does his beat take you for a doozy. The Ahmad Jamal piano loop coupled with the evident T La Rock audio sample he combined together is absolutely timeless, and Nas hits us with the metaphors of a kingpin's point of view on material life this time, in crucially vivid detail. One of the best hip hop songs ever made, no lie. Fuck the hook, though. What? I didn't say it was perfect. (Here's a jewel every art fan must digest: No piece of art is flawless.) Moving on.

5. HALFTIME
Nas' first single, and really the first complete taste the fans got from him as to what he can do. So, allow me to state that this is my 2nd most preferred cut on the album. Large Pro lays the blueprint to the other producers on this album for how the beats are to be constructed by ingeniously laying a bass loop from Japanese Hair Cast with splashes of Average White Band throughout and the horns from Gary Byrd's Soul Travellin' Pt. I as the hook. Nas' mission statement is clear: Punchlines that'll knock you out on your backside. He damn well succeeds, injecting some social commentary and self-empowerment in said punchlines. Awesome!

6. MEMORY LANE (SITTIN' IN DA PARK)
DJ Premier exhibits one of many examples of just what makes him highly regarded in this thing of ours by picking a loop that you originally would never think can be flipped into an even decent instrumental. Not only does he do that, the loop is somehow transformed into a time capsule that will transport you to an Autumn afternoon in early 1990s Queensbridge. Nas relishes in such backdrops as he blacks out with a masterclass in MCing: Punchlines, history lessons and introspection all rolled into one beautiful package. These might be the most impressive display of lyricism I've ever come across from Nas. Definitely a highlight.

7. ONE LOVE
Ah yes, the one song off the album that launched a legion of imitations, with some morphing into classics in their own right. Q-Tip, maestro of the first three Tribe albums, (you know, the favorites) samples the Smilin' Billy Suite Pt. II xylophone number by the Heath Brothers. I'm not that crazy over the beat, but I'll admit it's a fitting backdrop for Nas to flesh out the concept of speaking to the incarcerated folk. This is some of the most relevant social commentary ever committed to lyrics.

8. ONE TIME 4 YOUR MIND
William provides his weakest beat on the album, which is still awesome. Hell, by its very lonesome, it still dominates the entire Cash Money catalog. The Walter L sample succeeds as the backdrop to Nas delivering some of the best braggadocio rhymes ever committed to wax.

9. REPRESENT
The final DJ Premier instrumental of the album finds him brilliantly freaking Lee Erwin's Thief Of Baghdad into yet another NY anthem. I'm noticing that this particular 'NY anthem' attribute is prevalent throughout all the songs so far, as each one is a representative of a side of the Rotten Apple. Again, kudos to Large Professor for this album's cohesive sound. Nas ends his lyrical voyage into hood life with the ignorance that always precedes one's downfall, injecting just enough despair to root for our hero but not enough to count him out. Truly a musical triumph.

10. IT AIN'T HARD TO TELL
The album waited until the last track to give you its lead single, which just so happens to be my most preferred Nas cut. Matter of fact, anybody looking for a song most suited to give you the short Nasir Jones tour, look no further than this track. For It Ain't Hard To Tell has the whole package: sick punchlines, intelligent references & a poetic knack that is very rare in any lyrical songwriter. All to the most fitting of LP beats, where son samples Michael Jackson's Human Nature, Kool & The Gang's N.T. and an audio sample from Mountain's Long Red to breathtaking effect. Although, I have to mention that the beat for a previous version, Nas Will Prevail, which uses most of the same sample material, sounds a lot better. All in all, the prime definition of ending the album on a high note.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
To any music fan who's reading this review, I've been waiting to address the following matter for a long time: Debates like what's the best album ever made or who's the best rapper of all time can only be detrimental to the art form even if said art form is built on competition. People keep forgetting that more importantly, hip hop was created as a means to unite. By no means am I saying that there's no dedication, care nor respect required, of course. And that's what hip hop music should be judged by. Fuck it, that's the criteria any musical offering should be judged upon. From founders like Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five, The Cold Crush Brothers and the Treacherous Three to pioneers like Public Enemy, The Juice Crew, Ultramagnetic MCs, EPMD, Gang Starr and NWA, not to mention figures like KRS-One & Rakim: All of these acts respected their craft's history and thereby contributed in one way or another to the growth of hip hop music. So how does one do so in my humble opinion? There, at the very least, needs to be an acceptable combination of lyrical ability, musicianship and relevant subject matter. And when all three are available in spades? You have a musical piece suited for the Hip Hop Music Hall Of Fame, and trust me, there is a fucking legion of fully fleshed out albums that fit the bill. Ilmatic just so happens to be one of them. Simply put: Illmatic definitely descends from the aforementioned lineage. The crystallized chemistry between beat and rhyme is undeniably evident and in droves. Large Professor captained the All-Star team into providing the most fitting musical canvases possible for a rapper of Nas' talent to shine on and Nas took that offering as seriously as he possibly could, resulting in a humanly flawed but damn fine work of art that helped hip hop music grow. So is this the greatest hip hop album of all time? Is Nas the greatest MC of all time? No on both accounts. But most importantly, they don't need to be. Because there is NO place in art for such positions, anyway.

WORTH IT?
Everyone who's ever had even a passing interest in hip hop has heard or owned this. Be part of the latter and own yourself a piece of musical history.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
DEJA VU
This is probably the most famous unreleased song by Nas. And rightfully so. An unknown producer by the name of Chris Winston provides a haunting beat for Nas to paint the flipside of what he offered on The World Is Yours. And, as every Nas fan already knows, yes: That first verse is his immortal verse on Raekwon's Verbal Intercourse. The other two verses are equally amazing, though. Even his delivery sounds miserably and desperately calm. This was awesome.

UNDERSTANDING
I'm sure Nas fans know this one too. A simple minimalistic beat and Nas is off with another dazzling display of braggadocio. This seems to be released on certain cassette versions of the Bad Boys OST, yet was omitted from later versions and CD pressings. Why U do dat, Columbia?

ONE ON ONE
This is a personal favorite of mine because it's inspired by Street Fighter, and Nas still chose to flip it his own unique way. Even though this was on the horrid 1994 Street Fighter film's OST, a surprisingly varied hip hop offering by Priority. The beat was produce by Chris Large and, hey, it's Mr Freaknasti, whom you might remember as the mysterious producer of Tragedy's The Posse (Shoot 'Em Up). (I still think it's K-Def using a pseudonym, but I may never know for sure) Side note: Whoever thought that adding the noname crooner on here should be piledriven to the concrete floor. And we're done.

More Nas here. And more LP here.