Eric B. & Rakim

Released: June 23, 1992

Songwriter: Rakim

Producer: Eric B.

[Verse 1]
She asked could I keep the beat?
So, here's the beat, every time it pounds, you get weak
Comfy, embedded like a pillow, bouncin' with an echo
My voice is moist, and plus mellow
I got it goin' on, you're gonna wanna come
Skins is the drum, I said I'm the drummer, give the drummer some
And we'll see if you can hang wit Ra
Hmm, let's see if you can Shangri-La
Easy like Teena Marie, I play it slick like Rick James
I'm the Fire and your Desire's flames
I heat up your temperature, keep the tempo raw
When you start to smoke, rest assured
I start to think 'cause you're a singer like Anita
High pitched like a tweeter, deep beats start to beat her
Much harder than love taps, my rap's above that
I get girls where I want with a maze full of love traps
But I don't want to fall in love
I stand in love, good balanced with a plan to shove
A capella as we start to speak
Heart to heart and cheek to cheek
Then I complete the beat

[Hook]
Tempo's movin' and I'm hopin' it'll never fade away
The beat is groovin', words are soothin'
And please tell me that you're here to stay
In the mornin' and I'm hopin' the mornin' come again
Hold me close and give me another dose and
Keep the beat, don't ever let it end

[Verse 2]
She said, "R, so far, you didn't miss a beat yet"
Pop in another cassette, then I'm in to wreck
I'll give you a beat you never had before
I had to explore and came up with more
Deep trunk kicks with a brick for a drum stick
You know the song, don't hum along, come quick
You lay like Sade, it feels like paradise
At the top of the pyramid, we review new heights
The scenery of Egypt, you and me as we get
So deep in the groove, when you move, you get seasick
You seen enough, close your eyes and relax
Move wit the tracks and stay tuned for the sax
The instrumental enters your mental
Tense but gentle and sentimental
A capella as we start to speak
Heart to heart and cheek to cheek
Then I complete the beat

[Hook]
Tempo's movin' and I'm hopin' it'll never fade away
The beat is groovin', words are soothin'
And please tell me that you're here to stay
In the mornin' and I'm hopin' the mornin' come again
Hold me close and give me another dose and
Keep the beat, don't ever let it end

[Verse 3]
She wanted the extended version
So, I kept splurgin' and add more words in
Strong: the emotion, notions move and
The poetry's smokin', potions soothin'
There goes the moon, I'm far from done
Rise like the sun, here comes the sun
And I won't stop 'til it sets and then
Rewind the cassettes and I'ma play it again
But this time, it's instrumental at a faster tempo
All I wanna hear is "Yeah, Rakim, go!"
I work overtime on your body and mind
'Cause I'm inclined to do both combined
My job is never done but done well
Horizontal or parallel
A capella as we start to speak
Heart to heart and cheek to cheek
Then I complete the beat

[Hook]
Tempo's movin' and I'm hopin' it'll never fade away
The beat is groovin', words are soothin'
And please tell me that you're here to stay
In the mornin' and I'm hopin' the mornin' come again
Hold me close and give me another dose and
Keep the beat, don't ever let it end

Eric B. & Rakim are a duo made of DJ Eric B. and MC Rakim. The two worked in the late ‘80s and early '90s and are considered to be one of the best and the most influential duos of all time.

The duo made their big break in 1987 with their classic album, Paid in Full which is considered to be one of the best rap albums of all time.

After that, they made three more albums – Follow the Leader, Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em, and Don’t Sweat the Technique – before splitting up.

more tracks from the album

Don’t Sweat the Technique

From the album

Don’t Sweat the Technique (1992)

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