The World Is Yours

## Single by Nas

"**The World Is Yours**" is a song by American rapper Nas, released as the fourth single and fourth track from his debut album, *Illmatic*, on May 31, 1994. It contains a sample of the 1970 song "I Love Music" by Ahmad Jamal, with production handled by Pete Rock. The song and its accompanying visual, directed by Josh Taft, references to the 1983 film *Scarface*.

In celebration of the album's 20th anniversary, *Illmatic XX* was released, which included a remix of the song, entitled "The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)."

## Background

The record's creation began around 1993 in Pete's basement studio in Mount Vernon, New York. He told *Okayplayer* that he had a piano beat from Jamal's "I Love Music" on loop on the SB-1200. He recalled, "Then I looped it up real quick, just to see what it might sound like without drums. I was in love with it. [...] That loop just sparked so much nostalgia, and making the rest of 'The World Is Yours' beat wasn't too hard after that." He stated that it was created in less than ten minutes.

In 2022, Pete threatened to sue the rapper for unpaid royalties. His attorney Lita Rosario-Richardson explained, "The goal here is for Pete to get paid his royalties, and obviously, if we can do that without having to file a lawsuit, that would be preferable. We're not looking for a sum of money and then that's the end of it. We're looking for his ongoing and continuous royalties." Nas addressed this directly in his song, "30," with the following lyrics: 'I wonder why Pete Rock would act like that / That type of behavior make me give rap right back (Thirty) / And now I can't tell if all the good that I did's bein' hid with they agenda again, n\*\*\*a.'

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Chorus: Pete Rock, *Nas*]

(It's yours)

Whose world is this?

*The world is yours, the world is yours*

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

(It's yours)

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

*The world is yours, the world is yours*

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

[Verse 1: Nas]

I sip the Dom P, watchin' Gandhi 'til I'm charged, then

Writin' in my book of rhymes, all the words past the margin

To hold the mic I’m throbbin', mechanical movement

Understandable smooth shit that murderers move with

The thief's theme, play me at night, they won't act right

The fiend of hip-hop has got me stuck like a crack pipe

The mind activation, react like I'm facin'

Time like Pappy Mason, with pens I'm embracin'

Wipe the sweat off my dome, spit the phlegm on the streets

Suede Timbs on my feets makes my cipher complete

Whether cruisin' in a Sikh's cab or Montero Jeep

I can't call it, the beats make me fallin' asleep

I keep fallin', but never fallin' six feet deep

I'm out for presidents to represent me (Say what?)

I'm out for presidents to represent me (Say what?)

I'm out for dead presidents to represent me

[Chorus: Pete Rock, *Nas*]

Whose world is this?

The world is yours, the world is yours

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

*The world is yours, the world is yours*

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

(It's yours)

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

*The world is yours, the world is yours*

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

[Verse 2: Nas]

To my man Ill Will, God bless your life (It's yours)

To my peoples throughout Queens, God bless your life

I trip, we box up crazy bitches, aimin' guns in all my baby pictures

Beef with housing police, release scriptures that's maybe Hitler's

Yet I'm the mild, money-gettin' style, rollin' foul

The versatile, honey-stickin', wild, golden child

Dwellin' in the Rotten Apple, you get tackled

Or caught by the devil's lasso, shit is a hassle

There's no days for broke days when sellin' smoke pays

While all the old folks pray to Jesús, soakin' they sins in trays

Of holy water, odds against Nas is slaughter

Thinkin' a word best describin' my life to name my daughter

My strength, my son, the star will be my resurrection

Born in correction, all the wrong shit I did, he'll lead in right direction

How you livin'? Large or broke on charge cards and mediocre?

You flippin' coke or playin' spit, spades, and strip poker?

[Chorus: Pete Rock, *Nas*]

(It's yours)

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

*The world is yours, the world is yours*

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

(It's yours)

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

*Yo, the world is yours, the world is yours*

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

(It's yours)

[Bridge]

Break it down

It's yours, it's yours

It's yours, it's yours

[Verse 3: Nas]

I'm the young city bandit, hold myself down single-handed

For murder raps, I kick my thoughts alone, get remanded

Born alone, die alone, no crew to keep my crown or throne

I'm deep by sound alone, caved inside, 1,000 miles from home

I need a new n\*\*\*a for this black cloud to follow

'Cause while it's over me it's too dark to see tomorrow

Tryin' to maintain, I flip, fill the clip to the tip

Picturin' my peeps not eatin' can make my heartbeat skip

And I'm amped up, they locked the champ up, even my brain's in handcuffs

Headed for Indiana, stabbin' women like the Phantom

The crew is lampin' Big Willie style

Check the chip-toothed smile, plus I profile wild

Stash loot in fly clothes, burnin' dollars to light my stoge

Walk the blocks with a bop, checkin' dames, plus the games people play

Bust the problems of the world today

[Chorus: Pete Rock, *Nas*]

(It's yours)

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

*The world is yours, the world is yours*

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

(It's yours)

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this? (Yeah)

*The world is yours, the world is yours*

It's mine, it's mine, it's mine—whose world is this?

(It's yours)

[Outro: *Nas*, Pete Rock]

(*Break it down*) Yeah, aight

To everybody in Queens, the foundation (It's yours)

The world is yours

To everybody uptown, yo, the world is yours (It's yours)

The world is yours

To everybody in Brooklyn

Y'all know the world is yours (It's yours)

The world is yours

Everybody in Mount Vernon, the world is yours (It's yours)

Long Island, yo, the world is yours (It's yours)

Staten Island, yeah, the world is yours (It's yours)

South Bronx, the world is yours (It's yours)

Aight

## References

1. ↑ Cantor, Paul (April 19, 2014). "Nas, 'Illmatic' at 20: Classic Track-by-Track Review". *Billboard*.
2. ↑ Newman, Jason (January 13, 2022). "Pete Rock's Lawyer: Why the Producer May Sue Nas Over 'Illmatic' Royalties". *Rolling Stone*.
3. ↑ Hobbs, Thomas (May 23, 2022). "Behind the Beat: How Pete Rock & Nas Made Hip-Hop Perfection with "The World is Yours"". *Okayplayer*.
4. ↑ Burgess, Omar (April 16, 2014). "Memory Lane: 5 Lesser-Known Stories from the Creation of Nas' "Illmatic"". *HipHopDX*.
5. ↑ Coleman II, C. (November 11, 2022). "Nas Throws Shade at Pete Rock on New Song '30' - Listen". *XXL*.

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