It Ain't Hard to Tell

"It Ain't Hard to Tell"
Single by Nas
from the album Illmatic
Released	January 18, 1994 (1994-01-18)
Format	12" single, CD single
Recorded	1992
Genre	East Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop
Length	3:22
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Nasir Jones, W.P. Mitchell
Producer(s)	Large Professor
Nas singles chronology
"Halftime" (1992) "It Ain't Hard to Tell" (1994) "The World Is Yours" (1994)
"Halftime" (1992) "It Ain't Hard to Tell" (1994) "The World Is Yours" (1994)
Illmatic track listing
"Represent" (9) "It Ain't Hard to Tell" (10)

"It Ain't Hard to Tell" is the second single and last track from the debut album Illmatic by the rapper Nas. Although the track was technically the second single on the album, it was the first single to be released after the album was pressed in 1994. The first single, "Halftime," was released two years prior to Illmatic's debut.

"It Ain't Hard to Tell" was produced by Large Professor, the song samples Michael Jackson's 1983 hit single "Human Nature", "N.T." by Kool & the Gang, "Long Red" by Mountain & "Slow Dance" by Stanley Clarke. The single reached #91 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 1991, Nas recorded a demo tape for Columbia Records, featuring the original version of "It Ain't Hard to Tell" named "Nas Will Prevail". This version is roughly 90 seconds longer, includes longer different verses, and has a more subdued, jazzier beat close to the album version. Pitchfork Media's included the song at number 28 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.

Nas created a homage to Wild Style (1982), the first hip hop motion picture, while shooting "It Ain't Hard to Tell's" music video, as he shot portions of the clip on the same stage used for the final scene of Wild Style.

Lyrics of "It Ain't Hard to Tell" have been sampled in the following songs:

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