"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)", often shortened to "If I Ruled the World", is a song by American rapper Nas featuring vocals from American singer Lauryn Hill. It was released as the lead single from Nas' second studio album It Was Written on June 4, 1996, by Columbia Records. Produced by Trackmasters, with some uncredited input by Rashad Smith, it is based on the 1985 hit of the same name by Kurtis Blow and samples the beat of "Friends" by Whodini. 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 a commercial success, reaching the top ten in eight countries. In the United States, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and peaked in the top 20 of the Hot R&B Singles chart. It earned Nas his first Grammy Award nomination 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. In June 2021, "If I Ruled the World" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), becoming Nas' first single to achieve this and Hill's fourth.
Contents
Background
"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" was by production duo Poke and Tone, consisting of Samuel Barnes and Jean-Claude Olivier, for Nas. The track was part of a strategy to broaden Nas' appeal while maintaining his hip-hop credibility. Initially resistant, Nas was eased into crossover material that combined harder tracks with singable hooks for mainstream radio. Barnes and Olivier selected Lauryn Hill for the chorus; R. Kelly, though considered, was not yet involved. They described the process as a modern adaptation of the block party tradition—rapping over instrumental R&B tracks—translated into recorded form. Despite criticism that the track was "sell-out," the producers emphasized it followed historic hip-hop practices, blending R&B instrumentation with rap to create accessible yet authentic records.
Critical reception
In a retrospective review, Daryl McIntosh of Albumism noted "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" as "an example of the album's ambition", complimenting it for having "one of the most memorable choruses of the era." Daisy & Havoc from Music Week's RM Dance Update gave it a full score of five out of five, commenting, "This one should do well right now for a handful of reasons — it features Lauryn Hill from Fugees, it's not dissimilar to Fugees and, most importantly of all, it's a really appealing track with an addictive chorus, some great vocals and a laid-back but still serious rap. Just hope it doesn't get forgotten in the rush." David Fricke from Rolling Stone wrote that "New Yorker Nas beat hip-hop's sophomore jinx with the jaunty step and dead-sexy female chorus of 'If I Ruled the World', this summer's cruisin' smash." He added, "To suggest that the world would be a better place if cocaine came uncut [...] hardly qualifies as social enlightenment."
Music video
The accompanying music video for "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" was directed by American director Hype Williams and designed by visual artist and designer Ron Norsworthy. It was released for the week ending on June 16, 1996. The video features cameos from Mobb Deep, AZ, Cormega and the Fugees.
Live performances
Nas and Lauryn Hill performed the song live at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards on September 4, 1996. He performed the song live at the American Music Awards of 1997 on January 27, 1997.
Track listings
US 12-inch vinyl
A1. "If I Ruled the World" (Main Mix) (4:42)
A2. "If I Ruled the World" (Instrumental) (4:34)
B1. "If I Ruled the World" (Clean Mix) (4:42)
B2. "If I Ruled the World" (A Cappella) (4:42)
Europe maxi-CD (COL 663296 2)
"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) (Main Mix)" (4:45)
"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) (Instrumental)" (4:36)
"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) (Clean Mix)" (4:45)
"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) (A Cappella)" (4:42)
Europe CD (COL 663296 1)
"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) (Main Mix)"
"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) (Instrumental)"