"It Ain't Hard to Tell" is Nas' second single and last track from his debut album Illmatic. Produced by Large Professor, the song samples Michael Jackson's 1983 hit single "Human Nature". The lyrics are a braggadocios and have been sampled on "Ebonics" by Big L. The single reached #97 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was also a critical success.
The song was later sampled for the chorus of his later hit single, "Nas Is Like".
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.
