It Was Written

It Was Written is the second studio album by American rapper Nas, released on July 2, 1996, by Columbia Records. After the modest commercial success of his debut album Illmatic (1994), Nas pursued a more polished, mainstream sound for It Was Written. Produced largely by Trackmasters, it departed from the debut's raw, underground aesthetic and embraced mafioso and gangsta themes. The album was a commercial success, selling 270,000 copies in its first week and debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, while receiving mostly positive reviews. It also heralded Nas's mainstream popularity and contributed to the rise of mafioso rap. With at least 3 million copies sold, and an estimated 4-5 million total worldwide sales, it has been certified triple platinum, It Was Written remains Nas's best-selling album. In 2024, Billboard named it one of the 100 Greatest Rap Albums of All Time.