On this date in 1996, Nas released the monumental “If I Ruled The World” single featuring the illustrious Lauryn Hill, which appeared on his sophomore album It Was Written on the Columbia label. If I Ruled The World was a remake of Kurtis Blow’s 1985 hit with the same name, which spawned from the Krush Groove movie soundtrack.
Produced by Trackmasters, If I Ruled The World was sampled directly from Whodini’s “Friends” song, was actually the very first song that Lauryn Hill performed outside of The Fugees camp.
Commercially, If I Ruled The World was a mainstream success, reaching number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while it also peaked in the top 20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. In total, the single reached the top ten in eight countries. It received a nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards. “If I Ruled the World” also became Nas’ first platinum single, receiving its certification in June 2021.
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Salute to NAs, Ms. Hill, The Trackmasters, Hype Williams for the video and everyone else responsible for help making this a piece of Hip Hop history!