Is It Was Written good?

Riffiter listeners rate It Was Written 4.3/5 from 105 ratings.

What is the highest-rated track on It Was Written?

I Gave You Power, rated 4.6/5 by 16 listeners on Riffiter.

When was It Was Written released?

It Was Written was released in 1996 on Def Jam Recordings.

How many tracks are on It Was Written?

It Was Written has 15 tracks, with a runtime of 63 minutes.

What genre is It Was Written?

It Was Written is catalogued under Hip-Hop, Boom Bap, Conscious Hip-Hop.

What BPM is It Was Written?

It Was Written runs at a median tempo of 91 BPM across its tracks, most often in C major, measured from audio analysis.

What albums are similar to It Was Written?

Listeners of It Was Written also rate The Infamous by Mobb Deep, 4:44 by Jay-Z, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... by Raekwon.

Who produced It Was Written?

It Was Written was produced by Poke and Tone, Havoc, Live Squad and DJ Premier, among 11 credited in total. Poke and Tone produced 7 of them.

AlbumE · 1996

It Was Written

by Nas

It Was Written is a 1996 hip-hop album by Nas. It runs 15 tracks across 63 minutes on Def Jam Recordings. Riffiter listeners rate it 4.3/5 from 105 ratings.

prod.Poke and Tone

Havoc +9 more

Hip-Hop · Boom Bap · Conscious Hip-Hop

Best albums of 1996→

#1 in Best albums of 1996 · #16 in Best hip-hop albums

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4.3 /5
105 ratings: 77 /100
9 critics: 15
Tracks: 63 min
Runtime: 91 bpm
Tempo: C major
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Ratings

105 ratings · avg 4.3

0.5★5★

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Reviews

1 review

4.0
Riffiter Jun 7, 2026
The commercial pivot that aged into a classic: It Was Written swaps Illmatic's corner-poet purism for Trackmasters gloss and mafioso scale, and "If I Ruled the World" with Lauryn Hill proved Nas could chart without dumbing down. "I Gave You Power" — the gun's-eye narrative — remains a writing clinic. The sellout accusations died; the songs didn't.
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25 people have played it start to finish

1 person is spinning it this week

Critics

9 publications

Scores collected from the English Wikipedia ratings box (CC BY-SA). Ratings belong to the publications; follow a link to read the review.

It Was Written album cover

2 ratings

The It Was Written cover was designed by Aimée Macauley, photographed by Danny Clinch, and art-directed by Aimée Macauley. Riffiter listeners rate it 3.8 out of 5 from 2 ratings.

Design: Aimée Macauley
Photography: Danny Clinch
Art direction: Aimée Macauley

Your rating for the cover

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3.8 · 2 ratings

Tracklist

15 tracks · 63 min

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Videos

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top 5 · 14 rated tracks

According to Riffiter listeners, the best track on It Was Written is I Gave You Power — rated 4.6/5 by 16 listeners.

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About

It Was Written is the second studio album by American rapper Nas, released July 2, 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States. Following the moderate sales success of his acclaimed debut album, Illmatic (1994), Nas chose to focus his efforts in a more mainstream direction. Primarily produced by Trackmasters, it is a departure for him from the raw, underground tone of his debut album towards a more polished, mainstream sound. The album features mafioso and gangsta themes, and marks the first appearance of Nas's short-lived supergroup The Firm, which included rappers Foxy Brown, AZ, and Cormega.

In brief

Is It Was Written good?: Riffiter listeners rate It Was Written 4.3/5 from 105 ratings.
What is the highest-rated track on It Was Written?: I Gave You Power, rated 4.6/5 by 16 listeners on Riffiter.
When was It Was Written released?: It Was Written was released in 1996 on Def Jam Recordings.
How many tracks are on It Was Written?: It Was Written has 15 tracks, with a runtime of 63 minutes.
What genre is It Was Written?: It Was Written is catalogued under Hip-Hop, Boom Bap, Conscious Hip-Hop.
What BPM is It Was Written?: It Was Written runs at a median tempo of 91 BPM across its tracks, most often in C major, measured from audio analysis.
What albums are similar to It Was Written?: Listeners of It Was Written also rate The Infamous by Mobb Deep, 4:44 by Jay-Z, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... by Raekwon.
Who produced It Was Written?: It Was Written was produced by Poke and Tone, Havoc, Live Squad and DJ Premier, among 11 credited in total. Poke and Tone produced 7 of them.