[00:00.79]It's been a long time..
[00:06.19]It's been a long time..
[00:11.72]It's been a long time..
[00:16.99]It's been a long time....
[00:20.14]Rakim, the microphone soloist
[00:22.58]Follow procedures, the crowd couldn't wait to see this
[00:25.42]Nobody been this long awaited since Jesus
[00:28.90] Who wouldn't believe this -
[00:29.29]I heard the word on the street is
[00:30.62]I'm still one of the deepest on the mic since Adidas
[00:33.61]They said I changed the times from the rhymes that I thought of
[00:36.16]So I made some more to put the New World in Order
[00:38.92] With Mathematics, put your status above the average
[00:41.67]And help you rappers, make paragraphs with graphics
[00:44.35]Cause new days is dawnin, new ways of peformin
[00:47.20]Brainstormin,I write and watch the night turn to mornin
[00:49.75]On and on and,I got the whole world respondin
[00:52.49]Rock, I keep it hot and blow the spot without warnin
[00:55.25]The Emperor, well known for, inventin a sentence
[00:58.15]full of adventure, turnin up the temperature
[01:00.67]Rush with adrenaline, how long has it been again to be in the state of mind that Rakim is in?
[01:05.75]It's been a long time..
[01:08.43]Rakim, the microphone soloist
[01:11.37]It's been a long time..
[01:14.12]It's been a long time.... Rakim
[01:16.64]When I'm out proppin - either, hangin or shoppin
[01:19.60]People see me stop and ask me when the album droppin
[01:22.24]The wait is over, in-formation like a soldier
[01:24.85]Like I told ya, greater stronger, now that I'm older
[01:27.57]I broke the, code of silence with overloads of talents
[01:30.23]My only challenge, is not to explode in violence
[01:32.88]I'm Asiatic, and blazin microphones a habit
[01:35.67]At least once durin the course of a day, it's automatic
[01:38.48]In ghetto apparel, mind of a Egyptian Pharoah
[01:40.99]Far from shallow, thoughts travel like an arrow
[01:43.88]Allah's monotony, so far they can't stop me
[01:46.55]You know,Ra want property likeMumar Khadafi
[01:49.28]More thoughts than Bibles, recital - taught disciples
[01:52.70]A sawed off mic, so words scatter like a rifle
[01:54.77]Thoughts that's trifle,I'm bustin these for you
[01:57.10]Aiyyo, technical difficulties is through
[02:00.60]It's been a long time..
[02:02.39]Rakim, the microphone soloist
[02:05.20]It's been a long time..
[02:07.79]Rakim, the microphone soloist
[02:10.89]It's been a long time..
[02:13.43]Rakim, the microphone soloist
[02:16.29]It's been a long time..
[02:19.04]It's been a long time....
[02:21.28]When I float at night,I show em new heights,I go to write
[02:24.25]They know I strike with new prototypes to blow the mic
[02:26.91]Critics and biters, don't know where my source of light is
[02:29.90]Still leave authors and writers with arthritis
[02:32.58]Cursed kids like the Pyramids when they found the style
[02:34.91]First to ever let a rhyme flow down the Nile
[02:37.88] The rebirth of hip-hop'll be dropped now
[02:40.63]Cause the crowd didn't hear the original in a while
[02:43.29]So be alarmed, what you bout to see is the bomb
[02:45.94]Like, 3-D in 'Nam, vivid like CD-Rom
[02:48.78]Info kept like "internet.com"
[02:51.36]My note-book's my bond like the Holy Qu'ran
[02:54.60]Since I came in the door, said it before
[02:56.68]But no I ain't down with Eric B. no more
[02:59.27]At night the open mic be invitin me to rhyme
[03:02.30]So yo I'm online, it's been a long time
[03:04.84]It's been a long time..
[03:09.92]It's been a long time..
[03:12.77]Rakim, the microphone soloist
[03:15.75]It's been a long time..
[03:18.46]Rakim, the microphone soloist
[03:21.27]It's been a long time..
[03:23.91]It's been a long time....
[03:34.18]It's been a long time..
[03:42.89]It's been a long time..
[03:45.31]It's been a long time..
[03:48.97]......