| "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Nas featuring Lauryn Hill | ||||||||||
| from the album It Was Written | ||||||||||
| Released | May 28, 1996 | |||||||||
| Format | CD single | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||||||||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||||||||
| Length | 4:42 | |||||||||
| Label | Columbia | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Nasir Jones Jean-Claude Olivier Kurtis Walker Samuel Barnes |
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| Producer | Trackmasters Rashad Smith |
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| Nas featuring Lauryn Hill singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" is a 1996 hit hip hop single by Nas featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees. It is based on the 1985 hit of the same name by rapper Kurtis Blow and samples the beat of "Friends" by Whodini. The single was Nas's first Top 20 R&B hit, and was also nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Lauryn Hill's verse interpolates the song "Walk Right Up To The Sun" by The Delfonics. The song's lyrics feature Nas discussing the various things he would do if he "ruled the world and everything in it".
"If I Ruled the World", bolstered by a high-budget music video directed by Hype Williams, became Nas's first single to gain mainstream notice. The single became a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (number 6), Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (number 17) chart, and the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart (number 15).
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2Pac recorded unreleased songs 'Troublesome 96' & 'Friendz' using samples from Whodini 'Friends'; a song which Nas had sampled for 'If I Ruled The World'. It is not known which songs were recorded first and in 'Against All Odds' 2Pac addresses Nas saying "you heard my melody".
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