Won't Be Long

In the words of the late, great

Martin Luther

King "How long? Not long" ...

Won't be long, uh huh

Uh, uh Sing along [Chorus - Rakim] (Tracey Horton) - w/ ad libs (It won't be long, 'til the trouble and the struggle is gone The hustle make the struggle get gone)

It's hard to make a move, we strugglin

Everybody hate to lose but they love to win (It won't be long, 'til the world sings the words to our song That way we forever live on)

Back on my grind,

I'm hustlin

It's just a matter of time and

I'll come up again [Verse 1 - Rakim]

They told me hustle never prolong

But I got caught up in the struggle like a slow song (uh huh) '

Cause my love and respect for this is so strong

I question the state of hip-hop (uh), major labels, etc. and so on (uh)

The show'll go on, still fiend to get my blow on

But if it's like this, then

I might quit

But hold on (uh), this can only go wrong but for so long (uh huh)

Get right quick or

I might flip

Try to keep a tight lip, not to complain

Ramblin, mind scramblin 'cause patience ain't blockin the pain (uh uh)

Mic sick, lyrics is still locked in the brain (uh huh)

Like Mike

Vick sittin in jail watchin the game (uh)

I wait 'til the day

I can play my position (yeah)

Or should

I say the die

I obey my addiction (uh huh)

Then complete my legacy (uh)

Without compromisin my artistic integrity (come on) [Chorus] - w/ ad libs [Verse 2 - Rakim]

So when they ask where

I go from here (go 'head)

The road and the goal is clear (uh) but it's so severe (uh)

Sometimes

I feel like lettin go,

I swear I had setbacks my whole career (straight y'all)

Messin with my grind's like messin with my mind

But yo, I'm still breathin, so

I guess it's just a sign (uh huh)

But it's meaning to the message in the lines (word up)

Some things happen for a reason like a blessing in disguise

But success was in my eyes, the shine was blindin me

The fame, a little bit of change, it took some time to see

The lesson for the wise, profit more

Time to be a record and the prize was poppin off

Finally I made a couple of moves, got my own label (got to get it)

Me and a couple of dudes, we at the dope table (let's get that money)

Took a oath to stay true, now it's an empire

Put out the new

Rakim album and it's fire [Chorus] - w/ ad libs [Verse 3 - Rakim]

Feel like

I'm back where

I belong when

I'm in the booth (uh)

Produce and perform at my pinnacle (uh huh)

Speak the truth in my songs and my interviews (the truth)

For the youth and my dons and my women too (uh huh)

Guap insisted, watch your business with a drama dunn (get that money)

Hustlers is where we get persona from

Gotta get it, not just wish a dollar come

We optimistic since

Obama won

But these days of recession

We ain't safe yet (uh huh), pray, a paycheck away from the

Great Depression (uh)

Major stressin but we wait for blessings

Long as the

Federal Reserve still paper pressing

I wrote the plot for gettin this cabbage in the hood

Where the average cat can triple his status in the hood

Don't stop, 'til we livin lavish in the hood

I'm like Barack with

The Stimulus

Package in the hood [Chorus] - w/ ad libs [Outro - Tracey Horton] - w/

Rakim ad libs until fade

It won't be long, 'til the trouble and the struggle is gone

The hustle make the struggle get gone

It won't be long, 'til the world sings the words to our song

That way we forever live on