At the time, torrenting was still a relatively new phenomenon, but it was quickly gaining popularity as a way for people to share and download large files, including music. And for fans of Nas, torrenting provided a way to get their hands on "It Was Written" without having to shell out cash for a physical copy.

In 2012, Complex named "It Was Written" one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, and it has since been recognized as a hip-hop classic by publications like Rolling Stone and Pitchfork.

One of the standout tracks on the album was "Rapsta", a dark and moody song that featured a haunting beat produced by DJ Premier. The song's lyrics were a scathing critique of the hip-hop industry, with Nas railing against the commercialization of rap and the fake personas that many artists adopted. "Rapsta" was a bold statement from Nas, who was clearly determined to speak his mind and tell the truth, no matter how unpopular it might be.