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When I B On Tha MicRakim

Released: November 30, 1999

Songwriter: DJ Premier Rakim

Producer: DJ Premier

[Chorus]
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known when I be on the mic
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known, yo
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known when I be on the mic
Hardcore, real ill niggas
So all hail the honorable

[Verse 1]
It's to my real ill niggas, heavyweight hitters
Dough-getters, fifty ways to make figures
My niggas that come on the spot to feel sisters
Like they hear real spitters and kids on the zigga-ziggas
When it's ugly, then the club is lovely
Thugs be sippin' Hennessey and bubbly
To my comrades that keep it flamin' hot
On dangerous blocks, claimin' spots
Where the goal is to be one of the top-ranked soldiers
Forty-five holders, one of the high rollers
Get respect in the hood, credit is good
Knock it down lumberjack style, baby; extra wood
Rock it all night long, the bang-a-thon, baby
Keep hangin' on, we like it with the lights on
Don't have to blow twenty thou' to get to know honey's style
Show her the town, steal her heart, no money down

[Chorus]
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known when I be on the mic
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known, yo
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known when I be on the mic
Hardcore, real ill niggas
So all hail the honorable

[Verse 2]
How about some hardcore? Yeah, we like it raw for sure
Broads on the floor, wall to wall
There's more at the door, players ball to score
‘Cause this right here is for all of y'all
Rakim and Premo; yo, I got what you need, bro
You go see a show, smokin' El Niño
And DJ's play hits with hard bass kicks
And then they display tricks like The Matrix
Make the record fly, undetected by the naked eye
So just feel the vibe, ‘cause your ears never lie
Nowadays DJ's bags of tricks, graphic
On some behind-the-back shit, catch it and scratch it
Blast it, this kid got his craft mastered
Hands is mad quick like he mix with magic
Spin it back and forth and grab it
And know just where it is… there it is

[Chorus]
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known when I be on the mic
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known, yo
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known when I be on the mic
Hardcore, real ill niggas
So all hail the honorable

[Verse 3]
To my elite peeps with the murderous mystiques
I hit the streets with beats and they critique for weeks
They be like: "How that kid Ra reach the peak?"
Pull out the heat and use my technique to speak
It's dangerous, sit calm and explain to kids
What part of the game this is in foreign languages
They hold Ra's events in different continents
Put my lyrical contents in monuments
In ghetto garments, I rock a towel like a pharaoh
Mind travel, design style like apparel
My fashions last long as a lifetime
‘Cause I can see the future when the god write rhymes
They're mad ‘cause I managed to reign so long
Like their chance to get money done came and gone
This is strictly for my listeners on the corners at night
And the sisters that be keepin' us right, when I be on the mic

[Chorus]
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known when I be on the mic
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known, yo
Hardcore, real ill niggas
I'm internationally known when I be on the mic
Hardcore, real ill niggas
So all hail the honorable

Rakim

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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