Editing Nas (section)

===1994–1998: Transition to mainstream direction and the Firm===
In 1995, Nas did guest performances on the albums ''[[Doe or Die]]'' by [[AZ (rapper)|AZ]], ''[[The Infamous]]'' by [[Mobb Deep]], ''[[Only Built 4 Cuban Linx]]'' by [[Raekwon]] and ''[[4,5,6]]'' by [[Kool G Rap]]. Nas also parted ways with manager [[MC Serch]], enlisted [[Steve Stoute]], and began preparation for his second album, ''[[It Was Written]]''. The album was chiefly produced by Tone and Poke of the [[Trackmasters]], as Nas consciously worked towards a crossover-oriented sound. [[Columbia Records]] had begun to pressure Nas to work towards more commercial topics, such as that of [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] and had become successful by releasing street singles that still retained radio-friendly appeal. The album also expanded on Nas's Escobar persona, who lived a ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]''/''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]''-esque lifestyle. On the other hand, references to ''Scarface'' protagonist [[Tony Montana]] notwithstanding, ''Illmatic'' was more about his early life growing up in the projects.<ref name="allmusic" />

''It Was Written'' was released in mid-1996. Two singles, "[[If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)]]" (featuring [[Lauryn Hill]] of [[The Fugees]]) and [[Street Dreams (song)|"Street Dreams"]] (including a remix with [[R. Kelly]]), were instant hits.<ref name="billboard">[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r237850/charts-awards|pure_url=yes}} It Was Written: Charts & Awards]. [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved August 1, 2008.</ref> These songs were promoted by big-budget music videos directed by [[Hype Williams]], making Nas a common name among mainstream [[hip-hop]]. Reviewing ''It Was Written'', Leo Stanley of Allmusic believed the album's rhymes were not as complex as those of ''Illmatic'', but still thought Nas had "deepened his talents, creating a complex series of rhymes that not only flow, but manage to tell coherent stories as well."<ref name="allmusic It Was Written">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r237850|pure_url=yes}}|title=It Was Written: Overview|last=Stanley|first=Leo|website=allmusic|access-date=January 17, 2010}}</ref> ''It Was Written'' featured the debut of [[The Firm (hip-hop group)|the Firm]], a supergroup consisting of Nas, [[AZ (rapper)|AZ]], [[Foxy Brown (rapper)|Foxy Brown]], and [[Cormega]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Allah |first1=Sha Be |title=The Source {{!}}Today in Hip-Hop History: The Firm Released 'The Album' 26 Years Ago |url=https://thesource.com/2023/10/21/today-in-hip-hop-history-the-firm-released-the-album-26-years-ago/ |access-date=October 13, 2024 |work=The Source |date=October 21, 2023}}</ref>

Signed to [[Dr. Dre]]'s [[Aftermath Entertainment]] label, the Firm began working on their debut album. Halfway through the production of the album, [[Cormega]] was fired from the group by [[Steve Stoute]], who had unsuccessfully attempted to force Cormega to sign a deal with his management company. Cormega subsequently became one of Nas's most vocal opponents and released a number of [[underground hip-hop]] singles [[wikt:diss|dissing]] Nas, Stoute, and [[Nature (rapper)|Nature]], who replaced Cormega as the fourth member of the Firm.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/269436/nas-recording-album-with-damian-marley|title=Nas Recording Album With Damian Marley|last=Concepcion|first=Mariel|date=February 10, 2009|magazine=Billboard|access-date=February 10, 2009}}</ref> ''[[The Album (The Firm album)|Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album]]'' was finally released in 1997 to mixed reviews. The album failed to live up to its expected sales despite being certified platinum, and the members of the group disbanded to go their separate ways.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bet.com/photo-gallery/c9e81i/hip-hop-cliques-that-went-their-separate-ways/q5deph|title = Hip Hop Cliques That Went Their Separate Ways| website=[[BET]] }}</ref>

During this period, Nas was one of four rappers (the others being [[B-Real]], [[KRS-One]] and [[RBX]]) in the hip-hop supergroup [[Group Therapy (group)|Group Therapy]], who appeared on the song "[[East Coast/West Coast Killas]]" from ''[[Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|title=Dr. Dre Presents...The Aftermath > Overview|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r243986|pure_url=yes}}|website=allmusic|access-date=September 13, 2008}}{{cite web|title=East Coast/West Coast Killas|url={{AllMusic|class=song|id=t3084200|pure_url=yes}}|website=allmusic|access-date=September 13, 2008}}</ref>