Nas was only twenty-two when he changed everything. It was 1996. The atmosphere in New York was heavy, competitive, and slightly paranoid. Rap was transitioning from the gritty, basement-dwelling aesthetic of the early 90s into something much shinier, much more expensive, and—to some—much more polarizing. Then came the "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" lyrics, a collaboration with Lauryn Hill that didn't just climb the charts; it basically rewrote the blueprint for what a conscious radio hit could sound like.
It's a weirdly beautiful song. On one hand, you’ve got the Trackmasters production, which was unapologetically polished. On the other, you have Nas—the kid from Queensbridge who was already being hailed as the second coming of Rakim—musing about a utopia that felt both desperately out of reach and entirely possible.
The DNA of a Classic: Kurtis Blow meets the 90s
To really get why the if i ruled the world lyrics resonate, you have to look at the history stitched into the beat. The hook is a direct homage to Kurtis Blow’s 1985 track of the same name. But where Blow’s version felt like a fun, slightly innocent 80s jam, Nas and Lauryn Hill turned it into something more soulful and grounded in the harsh realities of the mid-90s.
They also sampled "Friends" by Whodini. It was a masterclass in interpolation.
Nas starts the first verse by setting the scene: "Imagine smoke-filled rooms, visuals of the past." It’s cinematic. He isn't just rapping; he’s directing a film in your head. He talks about opening every cell in Attica and sending guys to Africa. This isn't just a "get rich" anthem. It’s a political manifesto disguised as a summer banger. He’s balancing the desire for "Lexuses and Beamers" with the need for systemic justice. It’s that duality—the struggle between the material and the spiritual—that makes the writing so human.
Lauryn Hill’s Hook was the Secret Weapon
Let’s be honest. Without Lauryn Hill, the song is still great, but it’s not transcendent. Her voice on the chorus provides the emotional anchor. When she sings about the "black Diamond D," she’s bringing a warmth that offsets Nas’s cool, calculated delivery.
Interestingly, there’s a lot of debate about the specific meaning of some lines. When Nas says he’d have "triple-beam dreams," he’s acknowledging the drug culture that surrounded his upbringing, but he’s reframing it. He’s dreaming of a world where that survivalist energy is redirected toward building something legitimate. He mentions "no more games, no more pain." It sounds simple, but in the context of 1996—a year before Biggie was killed—those lyrics felt like a prayer.
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Breaking Down the Second Verse
The second verse is where things get really interesting from a technical standpoint. Nas plays with internal rhyme schemes that most rappers today still can't quite mimic. He talks about "designer clothes, 6-series, various flows."
But then he pivots.
He talks about the "moms with the bags from the Pathmark" and "the kids with the toys from the Toys 'R' Us." It’s these specific, mundane details of New York life that ground the fantasy. He isn't ruling a kingdom in some far-off land; he's ruling the block. He's making sure the everyday struggles of the people he grew up with are erased. That’s the "Imagine That" part of the title. It’s a call to visualize a reality that hadn't been earned yet.
He also touches on international politics, mentioning "the whole world is mine" and "the currency is shells." It’s a bit of a throwback to pre-colonial trade, a nod to an Afrocentric worldview that was very much alive in the Five-Percenter rhetoric often found in 90s hip-hop.
The Controversy and the Shift
A lot of "purists" hated this song when it first dropped. They thought Nas was "selling out" because the production was too smooth. They wanted more of the dusty, lo-fi sound from Illmatic. But Nas was smart. He realized that if you want to change the world, or at least talk about ruling it, you need a platform that reaches more than just the underground heads.
The if i ruled the world lyrics allowed him to sneak heavy social commentary into the VIP section of the club.
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Think about the line: "Better than a dream, envisioning the scene." He’s pushing the listener to move past idle daydreaming and into the realm of manifestation. It’s a heavy concept for a song that was getting played on Top 40 radio.
How the Lyrics Influence Modern Rap
You can hear the echoes of this track in everything from Kanye West’s early work to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. That specific blend of luxury rap and social consciousness started here. Nas showed that you could talk about "sipping Cristal" and "freeing political prisoners" in the same breath without it feeling contradictory.
It’s about the total liberation of the self.
He speaks on "no more racism," a "world with no crime." It’s idealistic, sure. But rap has always been about aspirational storytelling. If you can't see it, you can't be it. Nas was giving his audience the glasses to see a different version of their own lives.
The Technical Brilliance of the Flow
If you look at the lyrics on paper, you might miss the "lazy" flow Nas uses. It’s intentional. He’s trailing off the end of his bars, almost like he’s talking to you over a drink. This relaxed delivery makes the heavy subject matter more digestible. It doesn't feel like a lecture. It feels like a late-night conversation on a stoop in Queensbridge.
- The first verse establishes the "What if."
- The second verse explores the "How."
- The third verse deals with the "Who"—the community he wants to bring with him.
He mentions "all my people in the pens," "all my people in the street." He isn't leaving anyone behind in his kingdom.
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The Impact of the Music Video
While we're talking about lyrics, the Hype Williams-directed video is inseparable from the text. The bright colors, the fish-eye lens, and the shot of Nas and Lauryn against the New York skyline gave the words a visual weight. It made the "ruling the world" concept feel tangible. It looked like a future we all wanted to live in.
Actionable Takeaways for Listeners and Creators
If you're looking at the if i ruled the world lyrics today, there’s a lot to learn about the art of songwriting and the power of perspective.
Understand the power of the reference. Nas didn't just write a new song; he anchored it in the history of the genre by referencing Kurtis Blow. This gave the track instant credibility across generations.
Balance the heavy with the light. If you’re trying to convey a deep message, wrap it in a melody or a beat that people actually want to listen to. Nas used a pop-leaning production to carry a radical message.
Specificity is your friend. Don't just say you want things to be better. Talk about the "Pathmark bags" or the "6-series." Use details that your specific audience will recognize. It builds trust.
Don't be afraid to evolve. Nas took a massive risk by changing his sound for the It Was Written album. While it was controversial at the time, it’s now considered one of the greatest albums in the history of the genre.
The longevity of these lyrics isn't an accident. They work because they tap into a universal human desire: the wish to fix a broken world while finally getting a taste of the good life. Nas didn't just imagine ruling the world; he gave us the soundtrack for what we’d do if we ever got the keys.
To truly appreciate the nuance, listen to the track again but focus specifically on the transitions between Nas's verses and Lauryn's vocals. Notice how the energy shifts from the grit of the street to the hope of the hook. That contrast is the heartbeat of the song. Study the internal rhymes in the third verse, specifically how he connects "life" and "strife" with more complex imagery. This is how you build a lyrical legacy that lasts for thirty years.