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 bl