Rakim - It's Been a Long Time lyrics

"It’s been a long time"
"Rakim… the microphone soloist"

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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 performin'
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
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?

"It’s been a long time"
"Rakim… the microphone soloist"
"It’s been a long time" "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 pharaoh
Far from shallow
Thoughts travel like an arrow
Allah’s monotony, so far, they can’t stop me
You know Ra want property
Like Muammar Gaddafi
More thoughts than Bibles
Recitals taught disciples a sawed-off mic
So words scatter like a rifle
Thoughts that’s trifle
I’m bustin' these for you
Aye yo, technical difficulties is through

"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"

When I flow tonight
I'll 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 3D in ‘Nam, vivid like CD-Rom
Info kept like internetcom
My notebook’s my bond like the Holy Quran
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

"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"