Fact or Fiction: from 1996 till now It Was Written> Reasonable Doubt

[flatbushfiyah23]

we say that NOW, but at the time of release, that was the measuring stick.

That is absolutely untrue. Illmatic is regarded as one the greatest rap albums if not the best rap album of all time and it immediately had critical acclaim however it didn't have great commercial success. It took nearly a year to be certified gold and didn't hit platinum stats til 7 years later.

At the time of its release people were aware of its greatness and didn't use sales as a measuring stick. So your point saying that people at the time used sales as a measuring stick is absolutely inaccurate.

 

[aNYone]

When will people understand that Reasonable Doubt is not even a top 5 album of 1996

 

[luckyluchiano]

Thing is IWW was going CRAZY spins in 96, I`m from Atlanta and I remember 1996 very vividly and heard tons of tracks from IWW getting play, and barely if anything from RD. Could be because Nas was more "established" though.

 

[carltonjunior]

This topic reminds me that even though Florida is on the east coast we have no east coast connection as far as rap goes so we always was on the outside lookin in haha.

 

[wade187]

Thing is IWW was going CRAZY spins in 96, I`m from Atlanta and I remember 1996 very vividly and heard tons of tracks from IWW getting play, and barely if anything from RD. Could be because Nas was more "established" though.

That's exactly why. Ill matic brought Nas to the front line, Jay was still the new dude most aint even know about yet.

 

[gmoney7781]

96 was Pac'. Actually, there was so much good music during that time and not many people were bumping RD. I have my OG copy with my "Wall" sticker still on it lol, but at the time ATLiens was my ish

 

[Magic33]

96 was Pac'. Actually, there was so much good music during that time and not many people were bumping RD. I have my OG copy with my "Wall" sticker still on it lol, but at the time ATLiens was my ish

I hate when people say this.

Many people were playing Reasonable Doubt

It had a song with Mary J Blige on it
Much less the song with Fox

It went gold then

and actually 96 was The Score

 

[va757va]

This.

RD wasn't even the best album in the year of 96. Go take a look at what got released in that year. It only went gold, and didn't go platinum until it got re-released later.

Go look nd tell me when illmatic went platinum. Hint, it wasn't the year it was released.

Bone thugs
Raekwon
Biggy
A million west coast dudes all went plat that same year, but illmatic didn't.


Does that mean illmatic wasn't even the hottest album that year? Lol.

 

[Magic33]

And how old are some of you?

Because if you weren't 18 plus in 96 how can you even properly convey what your area was doing? What were you doing? You were going to parties? clubs?

Yo, when I was 10 in my elementary school, nobody was playing Jay

 

[superblytrife]

Take it in Blood is one of the best rap songs of all time, though.

FACT.

I could listen to this song on repeat for hours on end. Very few tracks I can say that about, although Gangstarr's "Mass Appeal" and AZ's "Rather Unique" come to mind.

As far as IWW vs. RD, both are classics. Too close to call for me.

 

[putting in work]

That's about the only thing I remember from Reasonable Doubt from around that time was the Ain't No N song with Fox.

That song was getting burn, but Nas was killing with if I ruled the world plus with all the hype with the Fugees.

I'm going to say to me I enjoy IWW more than I do RD.

But, to me RD was never the album made it out to be except for these past years.

I think I'm with that other dude who said it wasn't until Jay started saying it is when it caught on to most.

Yes, it does some of his best tracks on there, but as a album as a whole no it is not that good.

Even to this day I still hear If I Ruled the World more on the radio than I do Ain't No N' and I never heard Ain't No N' on the radio.

Out of ever single rapper from the beginning to up until now I think Nas's music has stood the test of time the best.

Still I'd rather have Jay's career with Nas''s props so to say.

 

[aNYone]

Go look nd tell me when illmatic went platinum. Hint, it wasn't the year it was released.

Bone thugs
Raekwon
Biggy
A million west coast dudes all went plat that same year, but illmatic didn't.


Does that mean illmatic wasn't even the hottest album that year? Lol.

Also illmatic was bootlegged like crazy weeks before it released so his sales aren't a true barometer of its commercial success.

 

[carltonjunior]

Did the Tupac fiasco derail Jay and Nas careers? I'm wondering if that had any impact worldwide on how they were perceived at the time

 

[lobcity]

Fact.

Reasonable Doubt was never even mentioned until Jay claimed it was a classic and slept on around the time The Blueprint came out.

The Blueprint >>> Reasonable Doubt

Nawww

If you really think about we had a chance to listen to 4 albums before the blueprint

RD

Vol.1

Vol.2

Streets is watching

Dynasty

So by then we were aware of it being a classic before he said it.

 

[the natural mystic]

IWW>>>RD in 96 and in 2014

I just came back from the 20th anniversary concert of illmatic. Nas killed it with the symphony.

 

[Master Zik]

IMO It was written is Nas best album and one of the greatest albums of all time. Till this day i only listen to like 3-4 songs on RD.

Thoughts?

Not his best album. He has several better than it. Not one of the greatest of all time.

RD is better too.

Oh how I wish I could find the link to Nay's 101 albums better than It Was Written

 

[jadaqwest]

no competition here but i do love "regrets"my fav jayz song of all time