It Was Written-Dope album overall and like you said, its hard to follow a classic, but Nas's rhyme scheme slowed down and got more profound with fewer words. Stellar productions also helped this album however a track like Nas Is Coming helped establish Nas's place in rap and his persona but it was a weak song. Falls just short of a classic.

The Black Album-Alright, most people already consider this a not classic. I'm not trying to convince you otherwise but i'll point out TBA's high points. The intro is good, it helps setup the album, no complaints, however the following track (December 4th) poorly carries on the momentum. It's a strong song, dont get me wrong however the vibes and sound of the two songs clash. It is clear that the songs are powerful but the track setup is less than classic, a lot of people think that the album should have ended with encore or it should have been a hidden track. A lot of people also feel What More Can I Say should have ended it. Bottom line is the setup kept it from being poor, u shouldnt hate on the versatility though i did dislike justify my thug, 1luv