It's Been a Long Time - Rakim

[00:00.0]It's Been a Long Time - Rakim
[00:00.4]Lyrics by：William Griffin/Eric Barrier/Fred Babbitt/James Brown/Charles Fred A. Bobbit/Eric B./Bobby Byrd/Rakim/Chris Martin
[00:00.81]Composed by：William Griffin/Eric Barrier/Fred Babbitt/James Brown/Charles Fred A. Bobbit/Eric B./Bobby Byrd/Rakim/Chris Martin
[00:01.22]"It's been a long time"
[00:06.67]"It's been a long time"
[00:12.02]"It's been a long time"
[00:17.35]"It's been a long time"
[00:20.38]"Rakim the microphone soloist"
[00:23.08]Follow procedures
[00:24.13]The crowd couldn't wait to see this
[00:25.99]Nobody been this long-awaited since Jesus
[00:28.46]Who wouldn't believe this
[00:29.58]I heard the word on the street is
[00:31.42]I'm still one of the deepest on the mic since Adidas they said
[00:34.23]I changed the times from the rhymes that I thought of
[00:36.65]So I made some more to put the New World in Order
[00:39.35]With mathematics put your status above the average
[00:42.05]And help you rappers make paragraphs with graphics
[00:44.79]'Cause new days is dawning new ways of performing
[00:47.5]Brainstorming I write and watch the night turn to morning
[00:50.26]On and on and I got the whole world responding
[00:52.85]Rock I keep it hot and blow the spot without warning
[00:55.59]The emperor well-known for inventing a sentence
[00:58.74]Full of adventure turning up the temperature
[01:01.13]Rush with adrenaline
[01:02.4]How long has it been again
[01:03.82]To be in the state of mind that Rakim is in
[01:06.29]"It's been a long time"
[01:09.229996]"Rakim the microphone soloist"
[01:11.69]"It's been a long time"
[01:14.21]"It's been a long time"
[01:15.979996]"Rakim"
[01:17.25]When I'm out propping either hanging or shopping
[01:20.25]People see me stop and ask me when the album dropping
[01:22.71]The wait is over
[01:23.65]In formation like a soldier like I told ya
[01:26.12]Greater stronger now that I'm older I broke the
[01:28.57]Code of silence with overloads of talents
[01:30.85]My only challenge is not to explode in violence
[01:33.42]I'm Asiatic and blazing microphones a habit at least
[01:36.34]Once during the course of a day it's automatic
[01:38.82]In ghetto apparel mind of a Egyptian pharaoh
[01:41.619995]Far from shallow thoughts travel like an arrow
[01:44.3]Allah's monotony so far they can't stop me you know
[01:47.4]Ra want property like Muammar Gaddafi
[01:49.85]More thoughts than Bibles recitals taught disciples
[01:52.33]A sawed-off mic so words scatter like a rifle
[01:55.130005]Thoughts that's trifle I'm busting these for you ayyo
[01:57.91]Technical difficulties is through
[02:00.55]"It's been a long time"
[02:02.88]"Rakim the microphone soloist"
[02:05.72]"It's been a long time"
[02:08.43]"Rakim the microphone soloist"
[02:11.06]"It's been a long time"
[02:13.81]"Rakim the microphone soloist"
[02:16.43]"It's been a long time"
[02:19.05]"It's been a long time"
[02:21.87]When I float at night
[02:22.93]I show 'em new heights I go to write they know
[02:25.05]I strike with new prototypes to blow the mic
[02:27.53]Critics and biters don't know where my source of light is
[02:30.34]Still leave authors and writers with arthritis
[02:32.94]Cursed kids like the pyramids when they found the style
[02:35.76]First to ever let a rhyme flow down the Nile
[02:38.42]The rebirth of hip-hop'll be dropped now 'cause the crowd
[02:41.45]Didn't hear the original in a while
[02:43.89]So be alarmed
[02:44.8]What you 'bout to see is the bomb like
[02:46.78]3D in 'Nam vivid like CD-Rom
[02:49.3]Info kept like internet.com my note-
[02:52.36]Book's my bond like the Holy Quran
[02:54.49]Since I came in the door said it before
[02:57.29001]But no I ain't down with Eric B. no more
[02:59.98]At night the open mic be inviting me to rhyme
[03:02.67]So yo I'm online
[03:04.19]It's been a long time
[03:05.49]"It's been a long time"
[03:10.63]"It's been a long time"
[03:12.92]"Rakim the microphone soloist"
[03:15.94]"It's been a long time"
[03:18.69]"Rakim the microphone soloist"
[03:21.44]"It's been a long time"
[03:24.20999]"It's been a long time"
[03:35.19]"It's been a long time"
[03:43.38]"It's been a long time"
[03:45.77]"It's been a long time"