Authority and wealth are and have been major ideals pertaining to how a person is viewed in society.  Appearance plays an important role in distinguishing the different classes a person belongs to.  They dress as if they belong in the upper class. Language and action also are great representations of a person as well.  They speak highly of themselves and maintain confidence in their line of work by acting cool under pressure.  People in authority, such as kings, do not worry about the opinion of others.  Rudyard Kipling's poem, "If", can help us understand Nas's song, "Made You Look", more by offering unique but very similar points regarding the topic of power and true wealth.  Kipling speaks to the fact that in order to have real power one needs to be smart regarding their actions as well as keeping a sense of sanity.  Nas's song also relates to the subject of power and wealth but in a different way as he shows off power through material objects and through his words.  Both agree on the point that the way a person acts has a strong influence on others' views of them.  Although Nas offers a more modern view of authority, Kipling shows what is needed to get to the point where Nas is at in life with his flashy appearance, confident language, and powerful actions by stating one should never stop their hustle and drive for power in order to gain true authority over peers and be able to back it up.  As it is today in our generation, kings and rulers in the past displayed their themes of authoritarianism to try and become as powerful and as much of a man they can be as possible, which still happens to be the goal for many today.   

Kipling main talking point in "If" is that when you fight through life and all its hardships, gifts will be given to you and you will become a man and live a true life.  Today, when most people become wealthy or come into power, a certain appearance and demeanor are expected.  As seen in his music video, Nas wears a large gold chain and flashy clothes which displays his wealth and sense of entitlement.  He directly states within "Made You Look", "Stay laced with the best, well dressed with finesse in a white tee looking for wifie" (Nas. "Made You Look").  He shows that his appearance is a representation of importance to help gain respect and a following from others.  Kings in Europe, as well as other parts of the world, would wear very flashy and gaudy outfits to show their level in society and display how much power they had.  Jewelry and girls or wives showed a man's importance and wealth.  Kings had multiple wives and Nas makes a reference to getting a wife to replace all the other women he has relationships with.  Kipling's strive for ideal appearance is acting in an honorable and respectable manner, one in which will not degrade that of others.  In a sense it's different than Nas's view of appearance but compares by saying it is integral in proving a person is deserving of their status.

Nas is not afraid to show off his role of authority or power in his music video or in real life.  When the video starts, he poses with his arms out as if he was Jesus and immediately after it shows his name with "God's son" written directly below it.  He acts as if he knows he should be where he's at in life due to his drive and tireless effort to come up from the bottom.  A strong desire and drive are required to "have all the Earth" as Kipling states in his poem.  Kipling adds to the point of becoming a true man by saying, "If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, / Or walk with Kings   nor lose the common touch, / If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you" (Kipling. "If").  This means that if one can stand up and act like a king who deserves his power but also be able to communicate and respect the common people and remember where he came from, then that man has figured out how to truly lead and act like a man.  Nas displays this within in his video by posing in the beginning like he deserves to be idolized, but also shoots the video in his hometown in New York with all of his childhood friends and current friends.  He has all the power but never forgets those without it.  Within that quote by Kipling, he also says that if one can easily handle his or her enemies and friends and not let them influence his or herself or how to live one's life, then that person has life figured out because independence is a key theme in leadership and manhood. 

Authoritative figures with true leadership also speak as if they know they belong where they are at in their lives and say what they think to be true.  No one's opinions or words influence theirs which is important when trying to make a point to everybody.  In the chorus of his song, Nas states, "You a slave to a page in my rhyme book" (Nas. "Made You Look").  He's talking to all his fans and listeners of the song and telling them he has control over them and their emotions with his song.  He uses a slave reference which dates back to a time when authority and power was a major topic and was used to one person's advantage constantly.  Kipling also speaks to the point of importance of language relating to authority by saying, "If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken / Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools" (Kipling).  He makes the point that if one can live with and not care about people twisting their words around to use against them, then that person is on the road to having the world at his or her fingertips.  To be truly independent and successful one must not worry about the opinions of others and just be able to move on.  Nas keeps stating in his song that he is the best and no one can touch him and that his fans are "slaves" to his music while also not showing any care about what others say.  He continues to make that same point in his song which shows he does not overthink or worry about his reputation in others' eyes.  

Kings and rulers in history resembled Nas through the fact that they did what was needed in order to assert their dominance and make sure what they said were all truths that people should look up to and listen to.  With his lyrics, Nas seems to be pushing toward a sense of authoritarianism by saying he's the son of God and that everyone has become slaves to his lyrics.  The kings were the same way by basically saying that what they said went and nothing could be done about it.  The United States has a democratic government today in which all people have a say in what happens, but authoritarianism can be seen by many people within the country.  Many people believe they are above the law and can say what they want and at the same time influence others to back them.  Several other countries, however, still abide to authoritarian leaders.  Not only does authoritarianism play a major role in both the past and present, but so does imperialism.  Rulers and emperors in the past used imperialism to impose power and to gain more power by gaining money and wealth.  Money and wealth remain the goal for countries and people today in order to show off dominance.  If an emperor failed in his quest, he must try and push forward to attempt to gain that authority again.  Trial and error is what Kipling defines a true leader and man by.  He states, "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / And treat those two impostors just the same" (Kipling. "If").  Kipling is saying that more power can be gained with dedication and a tireless effort to achieve greatness.  Once you get to that point after failing, a man's power will feel incredibly immense and the feeling of a man will commence.   Any man who attempts and fails then quits is not a man but a boy.  Fighting through adversity truly defines a man according to Kipling and Nas did that by starting from nothing and living a lavish lifestyle now.  

 Rudyard Kipling's "If" offers a perfect roadmap to understand and relate to Nas's "Made You Look" when talking about finding a sense of authority and power that can be tolerated and respected.  Kipling's stance on finding power and true wealth in this world stems from being able to not be affected by the opinions of others or many of the thoughts of the self.  One should not look back and think about what could have happened and push forward because that is what truly separates the boy from the man.  A man needs to be able to keep pushing when there is no will power to do so and risks need to be taken.  Nas is a perfect modern portrayal of this description of a fearless leader and authoritarian.  He started as a common individual who did not have any fame or wealth to carry himself through the world pain-free. Nas struggled to get to the top of the rap game through fearlessness and the ability to block out the opinion of others.  Adversity and confidence are perfect qualities to meet the end goal of having the Earth at the power of one's own hands according to Kipling.  It all relates back to kings and rulers back in the day who took risks and battled adversity to get their empires and states to where they are today.  Authoritarianism has had a continuous presence all over this world for countless years and has created a model to follow if one wants to the best for oneself.  Leadership is talked about in almost every conversation, from school to someone's occupation to the government which we live under.  Every person has a leader in his or her life who makes some decisions on behalf of them.  Being a successful one or respected one is a matter of how that individual gets to that leadership role and acts while being under that specific role.  Kipling talks and expands on the idea of getting to that leadership role by being a humble, hardworking man and independent thinker and Nas is the perfect representation of a man who got where he is by working hard and doing things on his own to ultimately help his situation.  He also expresses perfectly what a man needs to have to be a consistent and strong leader as well.  His confidence mixed with arrogance, which is justified through his life journey, helps his fans experience listening to an effective idol or leader.  A whole persona is required to have Earth's resources all at your fingertips and Nas, as well as past kings and rulers, portray this with their appearance, powerful actions, and strong, convincing language that all comes as a result of following the guidelines that Kipling set up in his poem.  

