[Intro: Nas (Lauryn Hill singing in the background)]



Life..... I wonder....

Will it take me under.... I don't know



[Verse One: Nas]



Imagine smoking weed in the streets without cops harassin

Imagine going to court with no trial

Lifestyle cruising blue behind my waters

No welfare supporters more conscious of the way we raise our daughters

Days are shorter, nights are colder

Feeling like life is over, these snakes strike like a cobra

The world's hot my son got not evidently

It's elementary, they want us all gone eventually

Trooping out of state for a plate knowledge

of coke was cooked without the garbage we'd all have the top dollars

Imagine everybody flashin, fashion

Designer clothes, lacing your click up with diamond vogues

Your people holdin dough, no parole

No rubbers, go in raw imagine law with no undercovers

Just some thoughts for the mind

I take a glimpse into time

watch the blimp read "The World Is Mine"



[Chorus: Lauryn Hill, Nas]



If I ruled the world

Imagine that

I'd free all my sons, I love em love em baby

Black diamonds and pearls

Could it be, if you could

be mine, we'd both shine

If I ruled the world

Still livin for today, in

these last days and times



[Verse Two: Nas]



The way to be, paradise like relaxin black, latino and anglo-saxon

Armani exchange the reins

Cash, Lost Tribe of Shabazz, free at last

Brand new whips to crash then we laugh in the iller path

The Villa house is for the crew, how we do

Trees for breakfast, dime sexes and Benz stretches

So many years of depression make me vision

The better livin, type of place to raise kids in

Open they eyes to the lies history's told foul

But I'm as wise as the old owl, plus the Gold Child

Seeing things like I was controlling, click rollin

Trickin six digits on kicks and still holdin

Trips to Paris, I civilized every savage

Gimme one shot I turn trife life to lavish

Political prisonner set free, stress free

No work release purple M3's and jet skis

Feel the wind breeze in West Indies

I make Coretta Scott-King mayor the cities and reverse themes to Willies

It sounds foul but every girl I meet to go downtown

I'd open every cell in Attica send em to Africa



[Chorus: Lauryn Hill, Nas]



If I ruled the world

Imagine that

I'd free all my sons, I love em love em baby

Black diamonds and pearls

Could it be, if you could

be mine, we'd both shine

If I ruled the world

Still livin for today, in

these last days and times



And then we'll walk right up to the sun

Hand in hand

We'll walk right up to the sun

We won't land

We'll walk right up to the sun

Hand in hand

We'll walk right up to the sun

We won't land



[Verse Three: Nas]



You'd love to hear the story how the thugs live in worry

Duck down in car seats, heat's mandatory

Runnin from Jake, gettin chased, hunger for papes

These are the breaks many mistakes go down out of state

Wait, I had to let it marinate we carry weight

Tryin to get laced, flip the ace stack the safe

Millionaire plan to keep the gat with the cop camera

Makin moves in Atlanta, back and forth scrambler

Cause you could have all the chips, be poor or rich

Still nobody want a nigga havin shit

If I ruled the world and everything in it, sky's the limit

I push a Q-45 Infinit

It wouldn't be no such thing as jealousies or B Felonies

Strictly living longevity to the destiny

I thought I'd never see but reality struck

Better find out before your time's out, what the fuck??



[Chorus: Lauryn Hill, Nas]



If I ruled the world

Imagine that

I'd free all my sons, I love em em baby

Black diamonds and pearls

Could it be, if you could

be mine, we'd both shine

If I ruled the world

Still livin for today, in

these last days and times



If I ruled the world, if I ruled, if I ruled

Imagine that

I'd free all my sons, if I ruled, if I ruled

I love em love em baby

Black diamonds and pearls, black dimaonds

Could it be, if you could

black diamonds

be mine, we'd both shine

If I ruled the world

Still livin for today, in

these last days and times



If I ruled the world, if I ruled

if I ruled, I'd free all my sons

black diamonds, I love em love em baby

Black diamonds and pearls, if I ruled

If I ruled the world



If I ruled the world

I love em love em baby!!