Rakim

Released: June 22, 2018

Songwriter: Rakim Ali Shaheed Muhammad Adrian Younge

Producer: Ali Shaheed Muhammad Adrian Younge

[Verse 1]
Welcome to Harlem, the home of innovating
Legacies, stories of Gods killing Satan
Where they honor Harlem's father Philip Payton
The renaissance in the making
Ellington, Garvey, Joe Louis, Lena Horne
Malcolm, Maya, Louis Armstrong
But now crime is the new crave, so it's a new crusade
So salute to Luke Cage
Fight for the cause, all the way to the top Rivalry wars, life can be lost
No time for remorse
Forward, always for Pop, until the crown is rightfully yours
But success brings sacrifice
And knowing what's at stake
The pressure could crack a pipe
But everything has a price
But you pay with your life in the King's Paradise

[Chrous]
The king (king)
The king (king)
The king (king)
The king's Luke Cage (king)
Paradise
The king (king)
The king (king)
The king (king)
The king (king)
The king

[Verse 2]
This story gets complicated
He got framed for a crime and incarcerated
Locked up, his alter ego builds
Experimented on, left him with superhero skills
Now everyday he gets twice as strong
Bulletproof skin, but his life is torn
The only lady he ever loved in his life is gone
Escaped prison, got to fight to right his wrong
No question
He gon' take on the whole hood in a hoodie
No weapons and no cape on
One by one and knock 'em out
Until Cottonmouth is forgot about
But success brings sacrifice
And if you thinking it's a piece of cake, you can have a slice
It's like gambling with a pair of dice
But you pay with your life in the King's Paradise

[Chorus]
The king (king)
The king (king)
The king (king)
The king's Luke Cage (king)
Superhero skills
The king

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.

more tracks from the album

Luke Cage: Season 2 (Original Soundtrack)

From the album

Luke Cage: Season 2 (Original Soundtrack) (2018)

Rakim popular songs

King’s ParadiseRakim

Rakim

Luke Cage: Season 2 (Original Soundtrack)