If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)

"If I Ruled the World"
Single by Nas featuring Lauryn Hill
from the album It Was Written
ReleasedJune 4, 1996
Recorded1995
Genre
Length4:42
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
  • Nasir Jones
  • Kurt Walker
  • Samuel Barnes
  • Jean-Claude Olivier
Producer(s)
Nas singles chronology
"One Love"
(1994)
"If I Ruled the World"
(1996)
"Street Dreams"
(1996)
Lauryn Hill singles chronology
"If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)"
(1996)
"All My Time"
(1997)
Music video
"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" on YouTube

"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" is a song by American rapper Nas featuring American singer and rapper Lauryn Hill. It was released as the lead single from Nas' second studio album It Was Written on June 4, 1996, by Columbia Records.[1] Produced by Trackmasters, with some uncredited input by Rashad Smith, it is based on the 1985 hit of the same name by American rapper Kurtis Blow and samples the beat of "Friends" by Whodini. Lauryn Hill's verse interpolates the song "Walk Right Up To The Sun" by The Delfonics. The single marked Hill's first musical appearance outside of the Fugees.

"If I Ruled the World", bolstered by a high-budget music video directed by Hype Williams and designed by visual artist and designer Ron Norsworthy, became Nas's first single to gain mainstream notice. The single reached number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while it also peaked in the top 20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. In total, the single reached the top ten in eight countries. It received a nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards. Various publications have referred to it as one of the greatest rap songs of all time.[2][3] In June 2021, "If I Ruled the World" was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, becoming Nas' first single to achieve this.[4][5]

  1. ^ "If I Ruled the World - Nas | Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  2. ^ "The Most Perfect Rap Song Ever Written: If I Ruled The World". Hip Hop Golden Age. 2017-06-23. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  3. ^ "The greatest hip-hop songs of all time – who voted". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  4. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  5. ^ "MC Serch Reveals He's Selling His Share Of Nas' Music Catalog, Including The Artist's Debut Album". news.yahoo.com. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-19.