"[Verse 1: Nas]

"Imagine smoking weed in the street without cops harassing

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 knocked

Evidently, it's elementary:

They want us all gone eventually

Trooping out of state for a plate—

Knowledge

If coke was cooked without the garbage

We'd all have the top dollars

Imagine everybody flashing

Fashion, designer clothes

Lacing your clique up with diamond rolls

Your peoples holding dough. No parole

No rubbers—

Going 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!”

[Hook: 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 living for today

In these last days…]"

[Verse 2: A.D. Carson]

Yo, it’ll be paradise: Life, relaxing

Black, Latino, and Anglo Saxon—

Rainbow/PUSH with no Jesse Jackson

You’ll wonder how it ever happened

That rappin’—just spittin’ flows—

No more entering through kitchen doors…

Getting known for something other than the drama

Facing racism—even though we got Obama

We can still be honest

Acknowledge and admonish

Take ‘em all to task, ‘cause a promise is a promise

Mommas would be mommas

And daddies would present

Children would be educated with practical lessons

No arrested development; effort to empty prisons

For better living—the type of place to raise kids in

Open they eyes to the lies History’s told foul

Teach ‘em the truth. Let ‘em know now

So we can grow how

Nature intended—

Reading spaces between the sentences

Show ‘em they own image—let ‘em know that ain’t they nemesis

[Hook: 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 living for today

In these last days and times.]

[Bridge: Lauryn Hill]

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

[Hook: 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 living for today

In these last days…]"