Nas

Lauryn Hill

Life

I wonder

Will it take me under

I don't know

Imagine smoking weed

in the street

without cops harassin'

imagine going to court

with no trial

Lifestyle cruising blue

Bahama 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 knocked

Evidently

it's elementary

they want us

gone eventually

Trooping out of state

for a plate of knowledge

the coke was cooked

without the garbage

we'd have the top dollars

Imagine everybody

flashin', fashion

designer clothes

lacing your clique up

with the diamond Roles

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"

If I ruled the world

imagine that

I'd free all my sons

I love them

love them baby

black diamonds

and pearls

Could it be

you could be mine

we'd both shine

if I ruled the world

still livin' for today

In these last days

and times

Don't either be paradise

life relaxin' black Latino

and Anglo-Saxon

Armani Exchange

the reins Cash

Lost Tribe of Shabazz

free at last

and brand new whips

to crash

Then we'd 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 the 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'd civilize every savage

Gimme one shot

I turn trife

life to lavish

Political prisoner set free

stress free

no work release

purple M3s

and jet skis

Feel the wind breeze

in West Indies I'd make

Coretta Scott-King mayor

of the cities and reverse

fiends to Willies

It sounds foul

but every girl I meet

to go downtown

I'd open every cell

in Attica

send them to Africa

if I ruled the world

imagine that

I'd free all my sons

I love them

love them 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

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

Tryna 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 can have

all the chips

be poor or rich

still nobody wanna

ni**a havin' shit

If I ruled the world

and everything in it

sky's the limit

I push the Q-45 infiniti

There wouldn't be

no such thing

as jealousies

or Bfelony

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 fu**

if I ruled the world

imagine that

I'd free all my sons

I love them

love them 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

imagine that

I'd free all my sons

I love them

love them 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

I'd free all my sons

I love them

love them baby

black diamonds

and pearls

If I ruled the world

If I ruled the world

I love them

love them baby