Avg Rating: 
3.8 ( 50 total votes )
Nas - If I Ruled the World 09 ft. Marsha Ambrosius
Artist: Nas
Featuring: Marsha Ambrosius
Producer: Son's of Light
Album: Smirnoff Signature Mix Series (#1)
Label: Ill Will/Def Jam
In 1996, Nas dropped If I Ruled the World (Imagine That), the Lauryn Hill-featuring This Was Written single that became the now-legendary rapper’s first mainstream hit. With Nas’ current stature in the game, the song’s premise no longer requires such a stretch of the imagination, but still, there’s never a bad time to resurrect a hip-hop classic. Thus, the emcee’s joined forces with Smirnoff to kick off the popular vodka brand’s second annual Signature Mix Series with If I Ruled the World 09, a modern day revamp that serves as a lyrical sequel to the original. Floetry alumnus Marsha Ambrosius contributes a soulful bridge as well as tackling the Fugees icon’s hook, while Son’s of Light reinterprets Trackmasters Ent. and Rashad Smith‘s production, serving up a synth-centric beat featuring scratches by turntablist Brian Delaney. Coming up in the Signature Mix series are Buckshot and Kardinal Offishall‘s revamp of I Got Cha Opin, and a Funky for You update by Nice & Smooth and Pac Div.
This song first appeared on the
Rap Chart
on March 9, 2009
Listen to More: Nas , Marsha Ambrosius Written by richard
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Member Reviews and Ratings
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Tastemaker |
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Nas pulled it off right here wasnt really digging the idea but this is pretty hot! Nas's lyrics are top 5 in the game and Marsha Ambrosious does a decent job with the vocals. The only thing I'm not feeling is the average beat..sounds like a video game or somthing. Other than that cant complain..cant rate it a 5 because the original is a true hip-hop classic! Banger!
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 63 |
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I'm lovin that beat, nice production
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Crew |
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Last year's Smirnoff Signature Remixes were really dope and I'm excited that they decided to bring back the series this year. These aren't ordinary remixes, they're completely new tracks revamped for present day. You're always going to get quality lyrics with Nasir, nothing legendary here but still a strong showing. Marsha's just terrific, she's going to blow up this year. Her mixtape was fire and her hooks on hip-hop tracks don't disappoint.
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 1077 |
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Nas = 5
Marsha Ambrosious = 4 Production = 2 I'll give this joint a 3.5, because the production just ruins the song for me. On the other hand Nas is just as lyrical and tight wit the wordplay as ever and Marsha sounds nice. Over a different type of production this would have had a different mood, with which I think it would have been classic like the original. |
| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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I really like this song he really brung it hard on this. The lyrics are nice and marsha was smooth on this track i like this.
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 2281 |
I'm not a huge fan of this beat. Alil too much going on for me. Nas kills everything he touches so thats a no brainer. Marsha's voice is incredible. So this rounds off to about a 4
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 4267 |
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Nas simply unleashes countless quotables ....
pure brilliance disguised as braggadocio.... whole beat is lil weak as compared to the first/original version.... BANGER nonetheless .... |
| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 1309 |
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Nas never disappoints and Marsha has great vocals!
Background music is nice, I really like the production except for that videogame sound...I'd still keep it, only produced by another instrument. |
| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 198 |
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NASIR is a beast, this song is hot there nothin else to say
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 1189 |
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I liked this alot more then half of the N***** (Untitled) album. I thought Nas & Marsha Ambrosious were very solid on this & i actually thought the production was pretty sweat as well.
I read on another site that Nas is apparently going to be using quite a-lot of Kanye produced tracks in coming months, does anyone know if theirs any truth to that? |
| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Crew |
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Aussie_Pride: Sorry, but 100% not true.
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 52 |
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This is an awesome remake! Its great to listen to the lyrics of V1 and then listen to whats changed now. Good new take on an old classic.
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker Total Ratings: 1189 |
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Cheers Jordan, yea i sorta thought that it was untrue, though i did hear one song of Nas produced by Kanye & that sorta got my hopes up.
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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The remix hits hard, it does sound like a old school arcade game modernized, but I'll bang to it. Right after I bang to this, I'll listen to the original on repeat, word. I'm looking forward to... Don't front, you know I got cha opin , Check my dialect from my diaphram my man. Duck Down!
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 908 |
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I love this song just for having it exist.
The remakes are always dope. I don't think this is better than The Light, mainly because Nas' verses here aren't his best. But that's because he was trying to prove a point. Marsha is just mind blowing. I love what she did with the hook. @Aussie: Nas' next project is a collaboration album with Bob Marley's son. Nas has been on Kanye beats before. "We Major" and "Still Dreamin'" are examples. I think the track you heard was "The World". |
| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker |
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not even similar to one of the greatest songs of the 90s. however, this doesn't sound too bad....
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker |
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everything is great, except nas's lyrical ability should be displayed on a different beat, this is not wack beatwise, it just doesnt fit nas, it has to be more smooth for him, but that aint changin my feelings on the track, its still a classic regardless...its nas! always bringin somethin great
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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tremendous lryics! Nas does it again! Marsha complimented this song with her great sound. This is a solid 4.5 I also liked the technoish beat haha
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 7981 |
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Nas has been VERY nice as of late and since his last album. I didn't know how I would feel about an "I ruled the world" remake at this point, but this is pretty cool. Lyrics are good, beat is cool, and Marsha sings pretty good too. I'll throw it into rotation at least!
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 1622 |
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Smirnoff is doin their thing! Good look with Nas remaking a hip hop classic song. I didn't think this one called for a remake, it should have been left alone, but the track was still hot. Nas is either a hit or miss, this is a hit.
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 135 |
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The beat is annoying.
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 198 |
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Cant go wrong with nas lyrics, production and chorus are only ok
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 433 |
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While I like the original better, this is a pretty decent remake. It seems like the kind of song that would be played in a Smirnoff commercial.
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 11651 |
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The original is a classic, lets start there. This new version is good, but its not the original. However, its also not supposed to be; its supposed to be a reincarnation. I will always love Lauren, but Marsha is hella good herself. Rotation.
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 122 |
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Nas definitely did his thing as well as Marsha. I like the production on some parts. However on some parts it is a bit too much. I'd give this reincarnation a 4 overall.
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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Tastemaker |
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Nas kille dit as usual(iexpect nothin less from him). Not feelin the beat or marsha too much tho
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| Posted on Mar 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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Nas will always be in his own world lyrically. Marsha did her thing and didn't disappoint. The production however was a little annoying but not to the point of ruining the song thanks to Nas. 3.5/5
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| Posted on Mar 07, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 45 |
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In general you shouldn't remake classics in my opinion because no matter how hard you try you tend to compare it to the original. That being said, Nas is lyric fire as always, but the synth is too far on the video game side for me. Rotation.
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| Posted on Mar 07, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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xtreme lyrics ae.
tha beats pretty average but yea gud lyrics |
| Posted on Mar 07, 2009 |
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Tastemaker |
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This doesn't touch the original, but it is still a tight track. Nas always brings fire and Marsha was great on the hook. The production was decent and Nas flowed nicely on it. In rotation.
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| Posted on Mar 07, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 15 |
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I love it! Almost as good as the original, way to bring it into '09.
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| Posted on Mar 07, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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If anyone was going to remake this track I'm glad to see it was NAS cus no one else would of sounded right to me. The og was a classic and this ones a strong banger. No complaints.
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| Posted on Mar 07, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 332 |
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original still hotter,but this version is damn hot..big ups to nas,still goin strong
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| Posted on Mar 07, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 736 |
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this is pretty hot, loving the hook and bridge, marsha is nice and smooth on this
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| Posted on Mar 07, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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hot track, lyrics are dope... production is mediocre. nas makes up for the lack of production....
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| Posted on Mar 08, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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Nas is dope on lyrics and Marsha is hot on vocals as usual. production is too weak for this track, sounds like cheap synths from an attari game....original outrules this one hands down.
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| Posted on Mar 08, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 424 |
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This is Nas with another one, he never disappoints. Marsha makes this even better. I dig this any day
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| Posted on Mar 08, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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its tite. but no where near the original
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| Posted on Mar 09, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 50 |
Ok We all know we imagined smokin in the streets so its hard to rock to somethin new but def a good shot at remakin a classic but not up to the BIG ASS SHOES from the first V
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| Posted on Mar 09, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
Nas still laying it down like illmatic droped yesterday
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| Posted on Mar 09, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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I LIKE IT
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| Posted on Mar 09, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 115 |
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i like the beat i think it adds to the song, marsha is good too, nas is nas as usual
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| Posted on Mar 09, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 81 |
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LOVE this track!! i heard the beat from a friend... n when this song started i knew that Nas would be the BEST rapper to put on a flow like that... n as usual Nas buries this 6 feet under. i dont really like marsha howeva her voice is just juxtaposition to nas... keep up the great work my man Nas
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| Posted on Mar 10, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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this is fire, the first and second time around....Nas cant be stopped
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| Posted on Mar 10, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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Not too many rappers even eyesight of Nas' level. Hes the man!!! Nas bringin it back wit one of his greatest hits and give it a lil while and this might join that long list of Nas Strait classics
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| Posted on Mar 10, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 5 |
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not as good as the original but damn nas is still a wizard with words ! he should do a new album with dj premier and some guests or sumthin that shit would be bangin!
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| Posted on Mar 10, 2009 |
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Tastemaker Total Ratings: 908 |
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Nas has created the DJBooth army.
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| Posted on Mar 11, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 58 |
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Why revive this song, it will never top the original. Although the intrumentals are fine they dont fit in this song. The original delivers a message and the intrumentals are tuned to that song. Now they tryna make it a clubbanger, with that 'hero' vibe, mission failed. Dont get me wrong, Nas still rules the world but alot of songs from untitled are way better if yu ask me.
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| Posted on Mar 15, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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I truly wish he redid the song, on a different beat. Everything else is classic, but the beat is killing the song.
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| Posted on Mar 15, 2009 |
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