https://modestwalrus.com/tags/if-i-ruled-the-world/Recent content in If I Ruled the World on Modest WalrusHugoen-usWed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://modestwalrus.com/music/if-i-ruled-the-world-by-nas/Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://modestwalrus.com/music/if-i-ruled-the-world-by-nas/<h2 id="why-i-reacted-to-this-song">Why I Reacted To This Song</h2> <p>Nas has always been one of the sharpest voices in hip-hop and &ldquo;If I Ruled the World&rdquo; is one of his most enduring records. Pairing him with Lauryn Hill on the hook turns an already great song into something timeless.</p> <h2 id="original-by-artist">Original by Artist</h2> <div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share; fullscreen" loading="eager" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-8dyp89uWxA?autoplay=0&amp;controls=1&amp;end=0&amp;loop=0&amp;mute=0&amp;start=0" style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border:0;" title="YouTube video"></iframe> </div> <h2 id="about-this-song">About This Song</h2> <p>&ldquo;If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)&rdquo; was released in 1996 on Nas&rsquo;s second album, <em>It Was Written</em>. The track samples Kurtis Blow&rsquo;s 1985 song of the same name and pairs Nas&rsquo;s verses with a hook sung by Lauryn Hill of The Fugees. It became one of Nas&rsquo;s biggest commercial hits, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, and remains one of the most recognisable hip-hop singles of the era.</p>