It was released when the Illmatic: 10th Anniversary Platinum Edition was released to commemorate the last 10 years of Nas' career. It also features four music videos from Illmatic, a disproportionately higher amount than any other album.
The release of "It Was" coincided with the 10th anniversary platinum edition of Illmatic, a special edition commemorating Nas's last ten years in music. It also includes four music videos from Illmatic, more than any other album.