IT Was Written

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.

The album proved to be Nas’s most commercially successful release, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling 3 million copies worldwide. It also heralded Nas’s mainstream popularity, despite its appeal being hindered by the success of other mafiaso rap albums such as Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995) and Reasonable Doubt (1996). However, his stylistic changes and increased mainstream success fostered accusations of selling out within the hip hop community. It Was Written also received mixed criticism for not being on-par with Illmatic, serving as an example of the sophomore slump.

Following its initial mixed reaction, It Was Written's standing improved considerably, and it has been viewed by music writers as one of Nas's best work. It has also been credited for helping usher in the mafioso rap subgenre, and it has had a considerable amount of influence on hip hop artists. Similar to Illmatic's critical comparison to his following work, It Was Written has remained as Nas's best-selling release, as his subsequent albums have not been able to parallel its sales success. On September 6, 1996, the album was certified double platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).