If I Ruled the World

Intro: Nas (Lauryn Hill singing in the background)<br><br>Life..... I wonder....<br>Will it take me under.... I don`t know<br><br>Verse One: Nas<br><br>Imagine smoking weed in the streets without cops harassin<br>Imagine going to court with no trial<br>Lifestyle cruising blue behind my waters<br>No welfare supporters more conscious of the way we raise our daughters<br>Days are shorter, nights are colder<br>Feeling like life is over, these snakes strike like a cobra<br>The world`s hot my son got not evidently<br>It`s elementary, they want us all gone eventually<br>Trooping out of state for a plate knowledge<br>of coke was cooked without the garbage we`d all have the top dollars<br>Imagine everybody flashin, fashion<br>Designer clothes, lacing your click up with diamond vogues<br>Your people holdin dough, no parole<br>No rubbers, go in raw imagine law with no undercovers<br>Just some thoughts for the mind<br>I take a glimpse into time<br>watch the blimp read "The World Is Mine"<br><br>Chorus: Lauryn Hill, Nas<br><br>If I ruled the world Imagine that<br>I`d free all my sons, I love em love em baby<br>Black diamonds and pearls Could it be, if you could <br> be mine, we`d both shine<br>If I ruled the world Still livin for today, in<br> these last days and times<br><br>Verse Two: Nas<br><br>The way to be, paradise like relaxin black, latino and anglo-saxon<br>Armani exchange the reins<br>Cash, Lost Tribe of Shabazz, free at last<br>Brand new whips to crash then we laugh in the iller path<br>The Villa house is for the crew, how we do<br>Trees for breakfast, dime sexes and Benz stretches<br>So many years of depression make me vision<br>The better livin, type of place to raise kids in<br>Open they eyes to the lies history`s told foul<br>But I`m as wise as the old owl, plus the Gold Child<br>Seeing things like I was controlling, click rollin<br>Trickin six digits on kicks and still holdin<br>Trips to Paris, I civilized every savage<br>Gimme one shot I turn trife life to lavish<br>Political prisonner set free, stress free <br>No work release purple M3`s and jet skis <br>Feel the wind breeze in West Indies<br>I make Coretta Scott-King mayor the cities and reverse themes to Willies<br>It sounds foul but every girl I meet to go downtown<br>I`d open every cell in Attica send em to Africa<br><br>Chorus: Lauryn Hill, Nas<br><br>If I ruled the world Imagine that<br>I`d free all my sons, I love em love em baby<br>Black diamonds and pearls Could it be, if you could <br> be mine, we`d both shine<br>If I ruled the world Still livin for today, in<br> these last days and times<br><br>And then we`ll walk right up to the sun<br>Hand in hand<br>We`ll walk right up to the sun<br>We won`t land<br>We`ll walk right up to the sun<br>Hand in hand<br>We`ll walk right up to the sun<br>We won`t land<br><br>Verse Three: Nas<br><br>You`d love to hear the story how the thugs live in worry<br>Duck down in car seats, heat`s mandatory<br>Runnin from Jake, gettin chased, hunger for papes<br>These are the breaks many mistakes go down out of state<br>Wait, I had to let it marinate we carry weight<br>Tryin to get laced, flip the ace stack the safe<br>Millionaire plan to keep the gat with the cop camera<br>Makin moves in Atlanta, back and forth scrambler<br>Cause you could have all the chips, be poor or rich<br>Still nobody want a nigga havin shit<br>If I ruled the world and everything in it, sky`s the limit<br>I push a Q-45 Infinit<br>It wouldn`t be no such thing as jealousies or B Felonies<br>Strictly living longevity to the destiny<br>I thought I`d never see but reality struck<br>Better find out before your time`s out, what the fuck???<br><br>Chorus: Lauryn Hill, Nas<br><br>If I ruled the world Imagine that<br>I`d free all my sons, I love em em baby<br>Black diamonds and pearls Could it be, if you could <br> be mine, we`d both shine<br>If I ruled the world Still livin for today, in<br> these last days and times<br><br>If I ruled the world, if I ruled, if I ruled Imagine that<br>I`d free all my sons, if I ruled, if I ruled<br>I love em love em baby<br>Black diamonds and pearls, black dimaonds Could it be, if you could<br>black diamonds be mine, we`d both shine<br>If I ruled the world Still livin for today, in<br> these last days and times<br><br>If I ruled the world, if I ruled<br>if I ruled, I`d free all my sons<br>black diamonds, I love em love em baby<br>Black diamonds and pearls, if I ruled<br>If I ruled the world<br><br>If I ruled the world<br>I love em love em baby!!