Nas Credits Kurtis Blow For His Lauryn Hill Classic “If I Ruled The World”

Nas credited Kurtis Blow’s big-screen ambition with inspiring his Lauryn Hill collaboration “If I Ruled the World,” tracing the song back to Blow’s performance in “Krush Groove.”

In an a16z conversation released October 31, Nas said Blow gave him an image of the Bronx that went beyond news of burning buildings. Onscreen, he saw a Black man speaking to the whole world.

“You did rule the world. So I had to do your song over with Miss Lauryn Hill,” Nas told Blow.

The remake reached listeners on It Was Written, Nas’ second album, which Columbia released on July 2, 1996. “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” and “Street Dreams” were among its hit singles.

The move brought his music to a wider market after the harder underground sound of his 1994 debut, Illmatic. The album opened at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, with first-week sales above 250,000 copies.

That commercial reach came alongside a broader musical cast. The album paired Nas with Dr. Dre on “Nas Is Coming” and introduced The Firm through “Affirmative Action,” featuring AZ, Cormega and Foxy Brown.

Blow remembered receiving the remake on cassette and taking it into his new Nissan, which he had fitted with new speakers. He replayed it for about two hours before calling Sony with his verdict: “I think it is great.”

He recalled telling the label he expected double-platinum sales if it gave the record its normal promotional support.

The exchange gave a personal example of the influence the Paid In Full Foundation’s awards program was designed to recognize. Blow had been announced as one of the 2026 Hip Hop Grandmaster honorees for its October 24 gala at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

As AllHipHop previously reported, the program combines public tributes with financial help for artists whose contributions have not always brought matching rewards.

Nas had discussed that mix of recognition and financial support with Grandmaster Caz, Steve Stoute and Ben Horowitz in an earlier a16z conversation.

The foundation said the gala’s net proceeds would support that work, helping pioneers and other creatives pursue new projects.