It Was Written is a strong successor to Illmatic, by balancing raw, street-level storytelling with a more polished, expansive sound that reflects Nas’s quick rise to mainstream success. Rather than trying to repeat his debut, Nas leans into his growth while keeping what made him compelling in the first place.
His rapping is relentless yet controlled, delivered with an ease that makes each verse feel pulled directly from lived memory. That effortless style makes his stories feel honest, ... read more
I miss when harry would eat my watermelon sugar in styles…iykyk
The range in singing and instrumentals are often sacrificed in order to keep the ambience in the record which can make it feel repetitive. This is kinda what it’s going for but yeah
The last quarter the songwriting gets a little less creative with more lyrics getting repeated for majority of the songs. The last quarter leaves a somewhat bad taste in your mouth making you question if any of it was actually funny or worthwhile. But it’s good
Ambitious rapping is found throughout the long runtime but along the way there are underwhelming features, awkward singing, and hooks that are noticeably below standard. For me it’s hard to see where J. Cole fits in the genre and I think the bloat of this album definitely displays some of it. He is at his best on songs like “I Love Her Again” where storytelling and long verses are at the forefront. Looking at the “big three,” Kendrick Lamar holds his place through ... read more
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