After the raw Illmatic, Nas opted for a broader, more polished sound on his second studio album, produced mainly by Trackmasters with contributions from Dr. Dre and DJ Premier, among others. It Was Written, originally released in 1996 via Columbia, leans on mafioso rap and narrative lyrics, and became the commercial turning point of his career: the album entered the Billboard 200 at number 1. If I Ruled the World (Imagine That), featuring Lauryn Hill, and Street Dreams became its best-known songs; Affirmative Action marked the debut of The Firm, with AZ, Foxy Brown and Cormega.

This edition is a 2-LP.