Nas - Illmatic vs. It Was Written

[tical 30]

Originally Posted by SEND ONE

Illmatic.

It aint even close.

What he said.

- Tical.

 

[pastortroyny]

ive always thought it was written > illmatic.

could be personal preference more most poeple though since both are classics.

 

[jeyel]

IWW is definitely slept on.. but illmatic is the essence of the best music that came out in that time period .. no filler tracks.. great production.. illlyrics... so good that nas has spent his entire career trying to revive the same magic in later albums..

 

[salbah3]

IT was written is probably nas's second best album, but nothing trumps ILLMATIC. Illmatic to me is the essence of hip hop, and if you were gonna putsomeone on that good hip hop, you should suggest this album first. It's so raw, its nnot even funny. It was written is very good also, just not onIllmatic's level.

 

[illscan]

if im taking 3 nas albums to da grave its illmatic, lost tapes and it was written
Yep.

 

[yungmatt]

iww gets my vote

 

[strife o]

doesnt come up alot? it was written was better IMO but i cant argue with anybody who thinks Illmatic was better...the sad thing is we'll never get albumslike that ever again...and if we do they wont sell or be marketed...sad

 

[starvin harlem]

Stillmatic >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It Was Written

This just throws in the wrench in the whole "Jay Z vs Nas" argument (which this will eventually turn into since no ones wants to keep it 100 abouthow wack, fake, phoney, fabricated, and gimmicky IWW truly is) . . .

Back to what I was sayin,
Jay Z has ATLEAST 3 (I'd say 5) albums better than IWW, so if IWW is Nas's 1st or 2nd best albums that makes Jay A LOT better than son . . .

 

[nocomment6]

I just added these albums to my mp4 player to listen to em a bit. Personally I think Illmatic is a lot better, but i didnt like IWW too much, i hink I am is alot better.

 

[illscan]

no ones wants to keep it 100 about how wack, fake, phoney, fabricated, and gimmicky IWW truly is) . . .
The same could be said about 99% of the I SH that comes out of any of these rap dudes mouthes.
Big L was in no way built like that, but he "got a crime record longer than Manute Bol".

 

[emmanuelabor]

It Was Written was the best album of Nas' entire career.

he shoulda hung it up after that one

 

[houser34]

I thought it was accepted as fact that Illmatic is Nas' best album...

 

[putting in work]

I would favor IWW.

I think most people would say Illmatic just because it's the popular thing to do.

It's the "Bible for all hip-hop albums" F outta here.

There is no one set type of album or music.

Everyone has different tastes in music, food, and many things more.

I also thought NaS's God's Son album was pretty good too.

I'm giving a lot of his, as well as many others from the past, albums burn on my iPod.

 

[jmoneybaggz]

This just throws in the wrench in the whole "Jay Z vs Nas" argument (which this will eventually turn into since no ones wants to keep it 100 about how wack, fake, phoney, fabricated, and gimmicky IWW truly is) . . .

Back to what I was sayin,
Jay Z has ATLEAST 3 (I'd say 5) albums better than IWW, so if IWW is Nas's 1st or 2nd best albums that makes Jay A LOT better than son . . .
Stop posting now! You can tell you're starvin for intention(pun intended)...Which is sad because you just saying stupid *$$*. IWW is betterthan all Jay albums except for Reasonable Doubt. Nas flow + lyricism on that album is second to none. This is one of two albums I've heard where it soundslike the beats and words are inseparable. What was wack, fake, phoney, fabriacted, and gimmicky about it? The Nas Escobar persona? The mob inspired themes?

Well welcome to East Coast Hip Hop circa 93-97.... If It Was Written is all of those terms to you, then throw in Reasonable Doubt, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx,4,5,6 by G rap, Bigge and his Frank White persona on LAD. Why stop there? Let's move it on to now where everyone is some huge kingpin on records. Welcometo Hip Hop fam.

....There's always going to be some extra thingsgoing on that stride away from reality. It's entertainment. The people who make the music don't use their real names. That's a gimmick withinitself
Tracklist
1. Album Intro
2. The Message-
3. Street Dreams
4. I Gave You Power
5. Watch Dem !*!+#! (w/ Foxy Brown)
6. Take It In Blood
7. Nas Is Coming
8. Affirmative Action (w/ Cormega, AZ & Foxy Brown)
9. The Set Up (w/ Havoc)
10. Black Girl Lost (w/ JoJo Hailey)
11. Suspect
12. Shootouts
13. Live #%*$% Rap (w/ Mobb Deep)
14. If I Ruled The World (Imagine That) (w/ Lauryn Hill)

You can't be serious calling this album wack. I Gave You Power is one of the best concept songs ever. If I Ruled The World is another great concept song.Black Girl Lost is Nas at his best when it comes to storytelling. Street Dreams and Take It In Blood are classics to themselves, so I'm not understandingwhat you're getting at.

 

[youngsk8]

I Like I am.... Over Those 2.
We Will Survive (is The Realest Nas Song To Me)

 

[starvin harlem]

Nas came in the game with a whole different persona, listen to 'Live At The BBQ", Nas came in the game on some hood poetic rebel type music, I mean ifyou listened to him you would know this . . . Then he comes with this Escobar persona eating off otha dudes plates . . .

Ghost, Rae, Jay, BIG, was always on that fly drug rap ###% . . . Nas wasn't I smoke a lot and forget show, but I don't remember any drug raps fromIllmatic, if there are some someone post please . . . (The line in Represent is all I can think of)

You just blew my high with that BS, IWW second to none . . .

avy is

tho

 

[jmoneybaggz]

Originally Posted by Starvin Harlem

Nas came in the game with a whole different persona, listen to 'Live At The BBQ", Nas came in the game on some hood poetic rebel type music, I mean if you listened to him you would know this . . . Then he comes with this Escobar persona eating off otha dudes plates . . .

Ghost, Rae, Jay, BIG, was always on that fly drug rap ###% . . . Nas wasn't I smoke a lot and forget show, but I don't remember any drug raps from Illmatic, if there are some someone post please . . . (The line in Represent is all I can think of)

You just blew my high with that BS, IWW second to none . . .

avy is

tho

Now we know it was the herb talking for you.

This is one of thosethings I hate about rap music. Someone put it best on another thread, people don't know how to separate the artist from the finished product. Nas came inspitting real #@%$. Illmatic was real life #@%$. It Was Written was real life #@%$.

Ghost and Rae were high off dust sleeping on NY trains. Jay was not as big a hustler as he was claiming. And Biggie was sleeping on 2Pac's couch, yetall these dudes was some mafioso, kingpin type steez rhyming about taking oaths and kissing each other on the cheek. Who cares about the persona. It's theindustry. The music should speak for itself and IWW does my dude...

 

[send one]

Ppl really believe the production on IWW was better than Illmatic?

 

[ezflash26]

Big L was in no way built like that, but he "got a crime record longer than Manute Bol".

I dunno bout that fam, I just got thru hearing mad stories about L, his brother, his mother, and (I think) his grandmother not too long ago....

 

[jeyel]

jay has 5 albums better than IWW? thats just preposterous.

ill give you reasonable doubt and blueprint ( just for argument's sake) .. but 5?! come on..

and as far as nas' new persona.. it was an artistic concept..

jay straight switched up his whole flow.

im a fan of both but your logic ( " Jay Z has ATLEAST 3 (I'd say 5) albums better than IWW, so if IWW is Nas's 1st or 2nd best albums that makesJay A LOT better than son . . . " ) gets the

 

[starvin harlem]

Personas aside, the music is no good, I don't think the same can be said about OB4CL, RTD, LAD, RD . . . I think taking on that persona took away fromNas's creativity from a hip hop stand point. It works for some people, Nas isn't one of them, I'm sure he has many side of his personality, and itshows throughout his albums and alias, I'm just saying the Drug dealing cigar smoking Nas is not the artist I wanna hear . . . Political Nas I like, ummmfrustrated at hip hop Nas I like, battle rapper Nas I like, anything but a MOBster/Drug Lord.

 

[jeyel]

^ i can definitely respect that.. i think that persona was going along with the whole firm clique thing they were trying.. but i agree that it was too much attimes (although the hype williams music videos were

 

[tical 30]

Putting In Work wrote:

I think most people would say Illmatic just because it's the popular thing to do.


That's funny because I think people say "It Was Written" just to be different.

- Tical.

 

[aircommandermarsfiend]

Illmatic (IMO) is an overall better album. Although...

"How you like me now? I go blaow
It's that @%$* that moves crowds makin every ghetto foul
I might have took your first child
Scarred your life, crippled your style
I gave you power
I made you buck wild"

 

[beallsfinest]

Originally Posted by FreshKicks of BelAir

I gotta say illmatic i just like the old school feel of it.

Illmatic never loses me. It's perfect IMO.