The World Is Yours (Nas song)

"The World Is Yours"
Single by Nas
from the album Illmatic
B-side"The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)"
ReleasedMay 31, 1994 (1994-05-31)
Recorded1992
StudioBattery Studios (New York City)
Genre
Length4:51
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Pete Rock
Nas singles chronology
"Life's a Bitch"
(1994)
"The World Is Yours"
(1994)
"One Love"
(1994)
Music videos
"The World Is Yours" on YouTube
"The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)" on YouTube

"The World Is Yours" is a 1994 song by American rapper Nas, for his debut album, Illmatic. The song was released one month after the released as the album's fourth single. The song was written by Nas and Peter Phillips. The song is considered by music critics as one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever recorded; About.com ranked it seventh greatest rap song of all time.[1] It reached number 13 on the Hot Rap Singles chart in 1994. The song, produced by Pete Rock, samples Ahmad Jamal's I Love Music.

The song (including the title) and its accompanying video pay homage to the film Scarface. The song also references drug dealer/crime boss Howard "Pappy" Mason. The song also mentions the serial killer of the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, which went, and still are, unsolved.

A remix of the song was produced by Q-Tip featuring similar but new lyrics; both it and the original were released by Columbia Records as singles, and promoted with music videos.

Sprite has put the title of this song on its cans and bottles in summer 2015 in part of their "Obey Your Verse" summer campaign which had rap lyrics on their cans. On January 28, 2019 it was certified gold by the RIAA.