It Was Written

Release Information

Overview

It Was Written is the second studio album by Queensbridge rapper Nas, released by Columbia Records on 2 July 1996. The album features two tracks with a direct connection to Live Squad and Stretch: Take It In Blood and Silent Murder.

Both tracks were worked on by Stretch and K-Low (also known as Lo Ground) during their final recording work with Nas in November 1995. The session took place on 29 November 1995, shortly before Stretch was murdered in Queens in the early hours of 30 November. These were the last tracks Stretch worked on before his death.

The album credits for both recordings list Live Squad, Lo Ground and Top General Sounds. K-Low later confirmed his involvement in the two Nas tracks. Stretch's contribution is remembered by Nas as central to the original productions.

The Silent Murder Bonus Track

Although Silent Murder was recorded by Stretch and K-Low for It Was Written, it was not included on the original standard US CD release. It appeared as a bonus track on the US cassette edition and was also included on the original UK, European and Japanese CD releases.

The track remained absent from the standard US CD for many years, eventually receiving a wider digital release as part of the album's 25th-anniversary expanded edition in July 2021.

Recording History

Stretch and K-Low had been working with Nas on material for It Was Written during 1995. Their work resulted in Take It In Blood and Silent Murder, two recordings that carried the sound of Live Squad into Nas's second album.

On 29 November 1995, Stretch took part in a final session with Nas, working on the two tracks with K-Low. It was the last known recording work Stretch undertook. Later that night, as the date turned to 30 November, Stretch was murdered in Queens.

The recordings were not left as fully completed masters. The original multitrack session material was unavailable, and the tracks were later finished using a cassette copy of the recordings. Additional elements were added while retaining the original work. This allowed the two songs to be completed for the album after Stretch's death.

The final album credits acknowledge Live Squad, Lo Ground and Top General Sounds on both tracks. The released versions therefore preserve the work begun by Stretch and K-Low, alongside the later work required to complete the recordings for release.

Nas Remembers Stretch

Nas later spoke about Stretch and their final time together. In A Queens Story, from his 2012 album Life Is Good, Nas revisited the night he last saw Stretch, recalling their meeting shortly before Stretch's death. The song is a personal reflection on the loss of people from Queensbridge and the wider Queens hip-hop community.

Nas has also remembered Stretch in connection with the making of Take It In Blood and Silent Murder, recognising him as the producer behind the original work on the two recordings. The songs remain a lasting link between Nas and Stretch, and the final studio work Stretch completed before his death.

Featured Tracks

Note: Lo Ground is the production name associated with K-Low. The album credits list the production names collectively; they do not specify a precise division of individual contributions between the credited parties.

Nas - It Was Written

Release History