It's Been a Long Time

{DJ Premier cuts early

Eric B. &

Rakim records} "It's been a long time.." "It's been a long time.." "It's been a long time.." "It's been a long time.." ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist" [Rakim]

Follow procedures, the crowd couldn't wait to see this

Nobody been this long awaited since

Jesus Who wouldn't believe this -

I heard the word on the street is

I'm still one of the deepest on the mic since

Adidas They said

I changed the times from the rhymes that

I thought of

So I made some more to put the

New World in

Order with

Mathematics, put your status above the average

And help you rappers, make paragraphs with graphics

Cause new days is dawnin, new ways of peformin

Brainstormin,

I write and watch the night turn to mornin

On and on and,

I got the whole world respondin

Rock, I keep it hot and blow the spot without warnin

The Emperor, well known for, inventin a sentence full of adventure, turnin up the temperature

Rush with adrenaline, how long has it been again to be in the state of mind that

Rakim is in? {

DJ Premier cuts early

Eric B. &

Rakim records} "It's been a long time.." ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist" "It's been a long time.." "It's been a long time.." ".. Rakim" [Rakim]

When I'm out proppin - either, hangin or shoppin

People see me stop and ask me when the album droppin

The wait is over, in-formation like a soldier like

I told ya, greater stronger, now that

I'm older

I broke the, code of silence with overloads of talents

My only challenge, is not to explode in violence

I'm Asiatic, and blazin microphones a habit

At least once durin the course of a day, it's automatic

In ghetto apparel, mind of a

Egyptian Pharoah

Far from shallow, thoughts travel like an arrow

Allah's monotony, so far they can't stop me

You know,

Ra want property like

Mumar Khadafi

More thoughts than

Bibles, recital - taught disciples

A sawed off mic, so words scatter like a rifle

Thoughts that's trifle,

I'm bustin these for you

Aiyyo, technical difficulties is through {

DJ Premier cuts early

Eric B. &

Rakim records} "It's been a long time.." ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist" "It's been a long time.." ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist" "It's been a long time.." ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist" "It's been a long time.." "It's been a long time.." [Rakim]

When I float at night,

I show em new heights,

I go to write

They know

I strike with new prototypes to blow the mic

Critics and biters, don't know where my source of light is

Still leave authors and writers with arthritis

Cursed kids like the

Pyramids when they found the style

First to ever let a rhyme flow down the

Nile The rebirth of hip-hop'll be dropped now cause the crowd didn't hear the original in a while

So be alarmed, what you bout to see is the bomb

Like, 3-D in '

Nam, vivid like

CD-Rom Info kept like "internet.com"

My note-book's my bond like the

Holy Qu'ran

Since I came in the door, said it before

But no I ain't down with

Eric B. no more

At night the open mic be invitin me to rhyme

So yo I'm online, it's been a long time {

DJ Premier cuts early

Eric B. &

Rakim records} "It's been a long time.." "It's been a long time.." ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist" "It's been a long time.." ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist" "It's been a long time.." "It's been a long time.." "It's been a long time.." {extended scratch} "It's been a long time.." {extended scratch} "It's been a long time.."