Rakim

Released: November 30, 1999

Featuring: Rahzel

Songwriter: Rakim

Producer: Jaz-O

[Verse 1]
If I lay low and let the day go, it'll slow my payroll
Aiyo, I'mma terrorize tours and slay shows
Ra say flows, go as far as the Barbados
On the turntables, sound like tornadoes
My topics perform like tropical storms
You're not to get on, the whole spot will get torn
I keep the metropolitan hollerin' and bring the dollars in
Keep the models swallowin', wise as King Solomon
Come slow through the jungle like a animal
Invade any land I go like General Hannibal
From Long Island to Queens, light up the New York scenes
All the way to New Orleans and everything in between
Left to go, bless a show in Mexico
Next thing I know, it's extra cold, I see Eskimos
It's time to rock, get it hot soon as I get in there
Spit in they ear so flows stay froze, and I disappear

[Hook: Rahzel]
It's a must that I bust any mic that you hand to me
It's inherited, it runs in the family

[Verse 2]
They said I was ahead of my time or either here before
To see the idea clear, it takes a year or more
Now times that by the years, I reign straight-seven
No hear for four years still multiplied by eleven
The silence's a set backs, make 'em regret that
One way to get back is violence and wet cats
But hold your head, black, or I'll never rap again
Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in
Now that was two years ago and if cats start interferin'
Then I'mma go back to the gat and racketeerin'
My sabotage is camouflage and espionage
You ain't havin' Ra, so don't test the God
I'm takin' all orders, I can't afford extorters
I hit 'em in the head with a hundred dollars in quarters
So warn a friend, tell 'em it's on again
If it's a freestyle bust in a park, I want in

[Hook]

[Verse 3]
I managed to get paid for a decade, now add 3 years on to that
Perform with a knack, yes, I was born to rap
The mic Lebanon Teflon Don is back
I strike with better bombs and armed to attack
So reload the van, go 'head, let 'em in
Every tour's a war and I'm on the road again
Surprise a town, the place it's live and loud
We vibin' now, I go wild and dive in the crowd
Never hit the ground, they catch me and carry me around
Then put me right back on stage to shut it down
From New York to Cali, Japan and I-taly
I'm known as the microphone Muhammad Ali
I'm worldwide, my brothers be biggin' me up
Keep the girls occupied, lovin', diggin' me, what
Ain't around, when I come to town, they mad glad
Like Saddaam, they even say I'm the bomb in Baghdad

[Hook]

The God MC, William Michael Griffin Jr. (b. January 28, 1968), known professionally as Rakim, is an American rapper representing the East Coast, hailing from Long Island, New York. Widely regarded as one of hip-hop’s most influential lyricists of all time, Rakim’s pioneering multisyllabic rhyming techniques demonstrated his lyrical superiority and helped cement his legacy.

Prior to his celebrated solo efforts, Rakim served as one half of the hip-hop duo, Eric B. & Rakim. The duo would go on to release a total of four studio albums before separating in 1992. Their 1987 debut album, Paid in Full, became a benchmark within hip-hop and inspired many future rappers, partly due to Rakim’s lyrical proficiency.

Coming off of a five-year hiatus, Rakim released his acclaimed debut solo album, The 18th Letter, in 1997. It is considered by many to be his best album, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 charts. Rakim’s 1999 sophomore album, The Master, received mixed reviews—it would be his last studio album for a decade until re-emerging with 2009’s, The Seventh Seal.

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