On July 2, 1996, Nas unleashed the follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut, 1994’s Illmatic, entitled It Was Written. The album featured production from DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, and Havoc.

This time, the fresh-faced, 22-year-old Brooklyn-born emcee consciously pushed the album in a more mainstream direction, hoping to secure a broader fan base. It worked.

The album became Nas’ most commercially successful release, debuting at #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Music critics view it as one of Nas’ strongest records, and it remains his best-selling release, with over four million copies sold in the U.S. alone.

One of the album’s standout singles, “If I Ruled the World,” featured Lauryn Hill, who (at the time) was riding the wave of her recent success with The Fugees. Other guests included Foxy Brown, Dr. Dre, and Mobb Deep.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Nas Dropped His Sophomore Album ‘It Was Written’ 28 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Nas Dropped His Sophomore Album ‘It Was Written’ 28 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

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