Book Of Life

Rakim Book Of Life Lyrics
1.Eric B Is President

I came in the door, i said it before
I never let the mic magnatize me no more
But it's biting me, fighting me, inviting me to rhyme
I can't hold it back, i'm looking for the line,
Taking off my coat, clearing my throat
My rhyme will be kicking it until i hit my last note
My mind'll range to find all kinds of ideas
Self-esteem makes it seem like a thought took years to build
But still say a rhyme after the next one
Prepared, never scared, i'll just bless one
And you know that i'm the soloist
So eric b, make 'em clap to this

I don't bug out or chill or be acting ill
No tricks in '86, it's time to build
Eric b easy on the cut, no mistakes allowed
Cuz to me, mc means move the crowd
I made it easy to dance to this
But can you detect what's coming next from the flex of the wrist
Saying indeed that i precede cuz my man made a mix
If he bleed he won't need no band-aid to fix
If they can get some around until there's no rhymes left
I hurry up because the cut will make 'em bleed to death
But he's kicking it because it ain't no half stepping
The party is live, the rhyme can't be kept in-
Side, it needs erupting just like a volcano
It ain't the everyday style of the same old rhyme
Because i'm better then the rest of them
Eric b is on the cut and my name is rakim

Go get a girl and get soft and warm,
Don't get excited, you've been invited to a quiet storm
But now it's out of hand cuz you told me you hate me
And then you ask what have i done lately
First you said all you want is love and affection
Let me be your angel and i'll be your protection
Take you out, buy you all kinds of things
I must of got you too hot and burned off your wings
You caught an attitude, you need food to eat up
I'm scheming like i'm dreaming on a couch wit my feet up
You scream i'm lazy, you must be crazy
Thought i was a donut, you tried to glaze me

Funky...


2.Follow The Leader

Verse one:

Follow me into a solo
Get in the flow - and you can picture like a photo
Music mixed mellow maintains to make
Melodies for mc's motivates the breaks
I'm everlastin, i can go on for days and days
With rhyme displays that engrave deep as x-rays
I can take a phrase that's rarely heard, flip it
Now it's a daily word
I can get iller than 'nam, a killin bomb
But no alarm - rakim will remain calm
Self-esteem make me super superb and supreme
But for a microphone still i fiend
This was a tape i wasn't supposed to break
I was supposed to wait, but let's motivate
I want to see who can keep followin and swallowin
Takin the making, bitin it and borrowin
Brothers tried and others died to get the formula
But i'ma let ya sweat - you still ain't warm
You a step away from frozen, stiff as if ya posin
Dig into my brain as the rhyme gets chosen
So follow me and were ya thinkin' you were first?
Let's travel at magnificent speeds around the universe
What could ya say as the earth gets further and further away
Planets are small as balls of clay
Astray into the milky way - world's outasight
Far as the eye can see - not even a satellite
Now stop and turn around and look
As ya stare in the darkness, ya knowledge is took!
So keep starin soon ya suddenly see a star
You better follow it cause it's the r
This is a lesson if ya guessin and if ya borrowin
Hurry hurry step right up and keep followin
The leader

Verse two:

This is a lifetime mission, vision of prison
Aight listen
In this journey you're the journal i'm the journalist
Am i eternal? or an eternalist?
I'm about to flow long as i can possibly go
Keep ya movin cause the crowd said so
Dance - cuts rip ya pants
Eric b on the blades, bleedin to death - call the ambulance
Pull out my weapon and start to squeeze
A magnum as a microphone murderin' mc's
Let's quote a rhyme from a record i wrote
(follow the leader) yeah - dope
Cause everytime i stop it seems ya stuck
Soon as ya try to step off ya self-destruct
I came to overcome before i'm gone
By showin and provin and lettin knowledge be born
Then after that i'll live forever - you disagree?
You say never? then follow me!
From century to century you'll remember me
In history - not a mystery or a memory
God by nature, mind raised in asia
Since you was tricked, i have to raise ya
From the cradle to the grave, but remember
You're not a slave
Cause we was put here to be much more than that
But we couldn't see it because our mind was trapped
But i'm here to break away the chains, take away the pains
Remake the brains, reveal my name
I guess nobody told you a little knowledge is dangerous
It can't be mixed, diluted; it can't be changed or switched
Here's a lesson if ya guessing and borrowing
Hurry hurry, step right up and keep following
The leader

Verse three:

A furified freestyle, lyrics of fury
My third eye makes me shine like jewelry
You're just a rent-a-rapper, your rhymes are minute-maid
I'll be here when it fade to watch you flip like a renegade
I can't wait to break and eliminate
On every traitor or snake - so stay awake
And follow and follow, because the tempo's a trail
The stage is a cage, the mic is a third rail
I'm rakim the fiend of a microphone
I'm not him, so leave my mic alone
Soon as the beat is felt, i'm ready to go
So fasten your seatbelt, cause i'm about to flow
No need to speed slow down to let the leader lead
Word to daddy, indeed!
The r's a rollin stone, so i'm rollin
Directions is told, then the rhymes are stolen
Stop buggin', a brother said, dig em, i never dug 'em
He couldn't follow the leader long enough so i drug 'em
Into danger zone, he should arrange his own
Face it, it's basic, erase it, change ya tone
There's one r in the alphabet
It's a one-letter word and it's about to get
More complex from one rhyme to the next
Eric b be easy on the flex
I've been from state to state, followers tailgate
Keep comin but you came too late, but i'll wait
So back up, regroup, get a grip, come equipped
You're the next contestant - clap ya hands, you won a trip!
The price is right - don't make a deal too soon
How many notes could you name this tune?
Follow the leader is the title, theme, task
Now ya know, you don't have to ask
Rap is rhythm and poetry, cuts create sound effects
You might catch up if you follow the records e. wrecks
Until then keep eatin and swallowin
You better take a deep breath and keep followin
The leader.


3.In The Ghetto

Planet earth was my place of birth
Born to be the soul controller of the universe
Besides the part of the map i hit first
Any a rhyme that i can adapt when it gets worst
The rough gets going, the going gets rough
When i start flowing, the mic might bust
The next state, i shake from the power i generate
People in cali used to think it was earthquakes
'cause times was hard on the boulevard
So i vote god and never get scarred and gauled
But it seems like i'm locked in hell
Looking over the edge but the r never fell
A trip to slip 'cause my nikes got grip
Stand on my own two feet and come equip
Any stage i'm seen on, a mic i fiend on
I stand alone and need nothing to lean on
Going for self wit a long way to go
So much to say but i still flow slow
I come correct and i won't look back
'cause it ain't where you're from, it's where you're at
Even the (ghetto)

I learn to relax in my room and escape from new york
And return through the womb of the world as a thought
Thinking how hard it was to be born
Me being queen wit no physical form
Millions have settled wit one destination
To reach the best part, it's life creation
9 months later, a job well done
Make way, 'cause here i come
Since i made it this far, i can't stop now
There's a will and a way and i got to know how
To be all i can be and more
And see all there is to see before
Called and go back to the essence
It's alot to learn so i study my lessons
I thought the ghetto was the worst that could happen to me
I'm glad i listen when my father was rapping to me
'cause back in the days, they lived in caves
Exile from the original man, a straight way
Now that's what i call hard times
I rather be here to exercise the mind
Then i take a thought around the world twice
From knowledge to born back to knowledge precise
Across the desert, that's how to store a radiant
But they couldn't cave me in 'cause i'm the asiant
Reaching for the city, a mecca, visit medina
Visions of neffertiti then i seen a
Mind keeps traveling, i'll be back after i
Stop and think about the brothers and sisters in africa
Return the thought through the eye of a needle
For miles i thought and i just fought the people
Under the dark skies on a dark side
Not only there but right here's an apartheid
So now is the time for us to react
Take a trip through the mind and when you get back
Understand you're third eye seen all of that
It ain't where you're from, it's where you're at
Even the (ghetto)
Even the (ghetto)

No more props, i want property
In every borough, nobody's stopping me
Because i'm thorough, rhymes are making real estate for me to
own
Wherever i bless a microphone
007 is back and relaxing
On poignant reacting and ready for action
I'm so low key that you might not see me
Incognito and taking it easy
Quiet, it's kept on a hush hush
In front of a crowd, i get loud, there's a bumrush
Be calm, keep a low pro, and play the background
Over the wack rapper, put the mic back down
So rip it, break it in half, go head and slam it
'cause when it's time to build, i'm a mechanic
I'm bonding and mending, attaching and blending
So many solos, there is no ending
People in my neighborhood, they know i'm good
From london to hollywood, wherever i stood
Footprints remain on stage ever since
As i walk the street, i leave fossils and dents
When i had sex, i left my name on necks
My trademark was left throughout the projects
I used to get rich when i played celo
When i rolled 4, 5, 6, they go we know
So i collect my cash then slide
I got my back, my gun's on my side
It shouldn't have to be like that
I guess it ain't where you're from, it's where you're at
Even the (ghetto)
I'm from the (ghetto)
Word up, peace


4.I Ain't No Joke

I ain't no joke, i use to let the mic smoke
Now i slam it when i'm done and make sure it's broke
When i'm gone i wrote this song cuz i won't let
Nobody press up and mess up to seen i set
I like to stand in a crowd and watch the people wonder damn
Bu think about it then you'll understand
I'm just an addict addicted to music
Maybe it's a habit, i gotta use it
Even if it's jazz or the quiet storm
I hook a beat up convert it in a hip-hop form
Write a rhyme in graffitti in every show you see me in
Deep concentration cuz i'm no comedian
Jokers are wild if you wanna be tame
I treat you like a child then you're gonna be named
Another enemy, not even a friend of me
Cuz you'll get fried in the end if you pretend to be
?can be? cuz i just put your mind on pause
And i can beat you when you compare my rhyme wit yours
I wake you up and as i stare in your face you seem stun
Remember me, the one you got your idea from
But soon you start to suffer but you only get rougher
When you start to stutter that's when you had enuff of
Biting it, i make you choke, you can't provoke
You can't cope, you should of broke cuz i ain't no joke

I got a question, it's serious as cancer
Who can keep the average dancer
Hyper as a heart attack nobody smiling
Cuz you're expressing the rhyme that i'm styling
This is what we all sit down to write
You can't make it so you take it home, break it and bite
Use pieces and bits of all the hip-hop hits
Get the style down pack then it's time to ?swit?
Put my tape on pause and add some more to yours
Then you figure you're ready for the neighborhood chores
The e-m-c-e-e don't even try to be
When you come up to speak, don't even lie to me
You like to exaggerate, dream and imaginate
Then change the rhyme around, that can aggravate me
So when you see me come up, freeze
Or you'll be one of those 7 mc's
They think that i'm a new jack but only if they knew that
They who think wrong are they who can't do that
Style that i'm doing, they might ruin
Patterns of paragraphs based on you and
Your offbeat dj, if anything he play
Sound familiar, i'll wait til e say
Play 'em, so i'ma have to dis and broke
You could get a smack for this, i ain't no joke

I hold the microphone like a grudge
B'll hold the record so the needle don't budge
I hold a conversation cuz when i invent
I nominated my dj the presdient
When i'm see i'll, people freestyle, going steadily
So pucker up and whistle my melody
But whatever you do, don't miss one
They'll be another rough rhyme after this one
Before you know it, you're following and fiending
Waiting for the punchline to get the meaning
Like before the middle of my story i'm telling
Nobody beats the r so stop yelling
Save it, put it in your pocket for later
Cuz i'm moving the crowd and be a record fader
No interruptions and the mic is broke
When i'm gone, then you can joke
Cuz everything is real on a serious tip
Keep playing and i varies quick
And take you for a walk through hell
Feed your dome then watch your eyeballs swell
Guide you out of triple stage darkness
When it get dark again then i'ma spark this
Microphone cuz the heat is on, you see smoke
And i'm finish when the beat is gone, i'm no joke


5.I Know You Got Soul

It's been a long time, i shouldn't have left you
Without a strong rhyme to step to
Think of how many weak shows you slept through
Time's up, i'm sorry i kept you
Thinking of this, you keep repeating you miss
The rhymes from the microphone soloist
And you sit by the radio, hand on the dial, soon
As you hear it, pump up the volume
Dance wit the speaker 'till you hear it blow,
Then plug in the headphone 'cause here it go
It's a 4 letter word when it's heard, it control
Your body to dance (you got it) soul,
Ditects the tempo like a red alert
Reaches your reflex, so let it work
When this is playing, you can't get stuck wit
The steps, so get set and i'm a still come up wit
A gift to be swift, follow the leader, the rhyme will go
Def wit the record that was mixed a long time ago
It can be done but only i can do it
For those that can dance and clap your hands to it
I start to think and then i sink
Into the paper like i was ink
When i'm writing, i'm trapped in between the lines,
I escape when i finish the rhyme...
I got soul

You got it (4x)
I know you got soul

Picture a mic, the stage is empty
A beat like this might tempt me
To pose, show my rings and my fat gold chain
Grab the mic like i'm on soul train
But i'll wait 'cause i mastered this
Let the others go first so the brothers don't miss
Eric b. break the sticks (you got it)
Rakim will begin when you make the mix
I'll experiment like a scientist
You wanna rhyme, you gotta sign my list
'cause i'm a manifest and bless the mic i hold
You want it next? then you gotta have soul
'cause if you ain't got it, i'm a make an encore
Take the mic, make the people respond for
The r, 'cause that's the way it'll have to be
If you wanna get on after me
Think about it, wait, erase your rhyme
Forget it and don't waste your time
'cause i'll be in the crowd if you ain't controlling it
Drop the mic, you shouldn't be holding it
This is how it should be done
This style is identical to none
Some try to make it sound like this but you're getting me
So upset that i'm wet 'cause you're sweating me
I drip steam like a microphone fiend
Eager to mc is my theme
I get hype when i hear a drum roll
Rakim is on the mic and you know i got soul

You got it (5x)

I got soul (you got it) that's why i came
To teach those who can't say my name
First of all, i'm the soloist, the soul controller
Rakim gets stronger as i get older
Constant elevation causes expansion
I write my rhyme while i cool in my mansion
Then put it on tape and in the city i test it
Then on the radio the r's requested
You listen to it, the concept might break you
'cause almost anyone can relate to...
Whoever's out of hand, i'm give him handles
Light 'em up, blow 'em out like candles
Or should i just let him melt?
Then give him a hand so they can see how it felt
I'm not bold just cuz i rock gold
Rakim is on the mic and you know i got soul

You got it (4x)

Now i'm a stop to see what you got
Get off the mic before i get too hot
I want to see which posse can dance the best
It should be easy 'cause the beat is fresh
Now if your from uptown, brooklyn- bound,
The bronx, queens, or long island sound,
Even other states come right and exact,
It ain't where you're from, it's where you're at
Since you came here, you have to show and prove
And do that dance until it don't move
'cause all you need is soul self-esteem will release,
The rest is up to you, rakim 'll say peace

You got it (10x)


6.Juice (know The Ledge) *(Know The Ledge)

* - originally appeared on the juice sndtrk

Sip the juice cuz i got enough to go around,
And the thought takes place uptown
I grew up on the sidewalk where i learned street talk,
And then taught to hawk new york-
I go to queens for queens to get the crew from brooklyn,
Make money in manhattan and never been tooken,
Go uptown and the bronx to boogie down,
Get strong on the island, recoupe, and lay around.
Time to bulid my juice back up-
Props back up, suckers get smacked up
Don't doubt the clout, you know what i'm about
Knocking niggaz off, knocking niggaz out
Shaking em up, waking em up
Raking em up, breaking em up...
Standing on shaky grounds too close to the edge
Let's see if i know the ledge

Corners' trifling 'cause shorty's here
I get cock-d liffin' forty's of beer;
Here's a sip for the crew that's deceased,
If i get revenge, then they rest in peace.

Somebody's got to suffer, i just might spare one-
And give a brother a fair one!
Stay alert and on 'p's'.
And i do work with these- like hercules,
Switch to southpaw, split your right jaw
'cause i don't like y'all, i'm hype when night fall.
Smooth but i move like an army
Bulletproof down in case brothers try to bomb me,
Putting brothers to rest like elliot ness
'cause i don't like stress
Streets ain't a place for innocent bystanders to stand
Nutting's gonna stop the plan
I'll chill like pacino, kill like deniro
Black gambino, die like a hero
Living on shaky grounds too close to the edge
Let's see if i know the ledge!

Shells lay around on the battleground
Dead bodies are found throughout the town.
Tried to put shame in my game to make a name, i'm a
Put it on a bullet, put it in your brain.
Rip the block like a buckshot,
Who cares where it goes, just keep the casket closed,
No remorse when a life is lost
I paid my dues- paid the cost!
...and my pockets are still fat,
Wherever i'm at, i get the welcome mat.
Even if my crew steep with one deep
I attract attention, people like to peep
So come say hi to the badguy
Don't say goodbye, i don't plan to die!
'cause i get loose and i got troops
And crazy juice!
In control of many like ayatollah khomeini
Hang out wit smith and wesson, don't try to play me.
I'm at war alot, like anwar sadat..
But no warning shot, my gun is warm alot.
When i cook beef, the smoke will never clear,
Areas in fear but this here's a fear!
Living life too close to the edge
Hoping that i know the ledge....

A brand new morn, no time to yawn
Shower's on, power's on
Late for school, i catch the train
Girls sip 'cristal' and whisper my name
I push up like an exercise,
Check the intellect and inspect the thighs
Select the best one, pull her to the side
Keep her occupied for the rest of the ride
Read my resume she's know i'm 'ready cool
Just meet me after school,
We can moan and groan until your mom come home ,
And you be calling me al 'dope' capone.
Sweatin' me, she didn't want to let me loose-
Come get me, that's if you want to sip the juice
Cause the streets await me, so i take my gun off safety
Cause alot of niggaz hate me
Coming out of the building, they set me up
Sprayed wit automatics, they wet me up
In a puddle of blood, i lay close to the edge
I guess i didn't know the ledge.....


7.Let The Rhythm Hit Em

Let the rhythm hit 'em

I'm the arsenal
I got artillery, lyrics of ammo
Rounds of rhythm
Then i'm 'a give 'em piano
Bring a bullet-proof vest
Nothin' to ricochet
Ready to aim at the brain
~now what the trigger say
Tempos triflin'
Felt like a rifle
Massage 'n' melodies
Might go right through
Simultaneously like an uzi
Nothin' can bruise me
Lyrics let up when lady say don't lose me
So re-load quickly
And you better hit me
While i'm lettin' this fifi get wit me
You steppin' with .007
Better make it snappy
No time to do your hair, baby
Brothers are bustin' at me
Beats and bullets pass me
None on target
They want the r hit
But wtch the god get
Quicker, the tongue is the trigger
'cause i'm real fast
Let off some rhythm at 'em
Let 'em feel the blast
Penetrate at a crazy rate
This ain't no .38
Hit 'em at point blank range
And watch 'em radiate
Runnin' out of ammunition
I'm done wit' em
You ask me how i did 'em
I let the rhythm hit 'em

I push a power that's punishable
Better be a prisoner
The hit man is the
Brother wit' charisma
Showing you that i have
Powerful paragraphs
Followers will become leaders
But without a path
Ya mentally paralyzed
Crippled ya third eye
Rhymes are blurred
Then it occurred that you heard i
Reduced the friction with crucifixion
Let loose the mix then
Boost the piston
Eric hit 'em with' some of that
Cut like a lumberjack
And me gettin' hit back
It won't be none of that
I'm untouchable
You see me in 3-d
When i let the rhythm hit another m.c.
Lyrics made of lead
Enters your head
Then eruptions of a mass production
Will spread when
Music is louder
Full of gunpower
Microphone machinery
When i see a crowd of
Party people pumpin'
Their fist like this
Ya hide in the back
Thinkin' that i might miss
But the r is accurate
Plus i'm packed up with
Educated punch lines that
I have to hit
Whatever i aim at
I line 'em up
Ya body is weak, feel with pain
That time is up
You been hit with somethin'
Different, isn't it?
Rakim is gonna radiate and nothing's equivalent
Nothin' can harm me
Why try to bar me
You couldn't come around to rob with a army
You'll get wrecked by the architect
So respect 'em
I disconnect 'em, soon as i inject 'em
With radiation
Put 'em by the basement
Bust his chest open
Bash his face in
Let it split 'im
Since he brought his main man wit' 'im
He ask me how i did 'im
I let the rhythm hit 'im
Let it hit 'im

Dance floor's dangerous
Packed in like a briefcase
Rhyth with ral rough rhyme
Beats with deep bass
Girls with tight pants
Maybe they might dance
Tonight if the rs on the mike
There's a slight chance
The crowd is crucial
M.c.'s grounds are neutral
Now that you're here let me introduce you
Get ready
I'm hard read like graffiti but steady
Science i drop is real heavy
Radiant energy, that'll be the penalty
Touch the third rail on the pain of remedy
The prescription's one every hour
Now it's a havoc
If ya need another hit from the freestyle fanatic
Attention: follow directions real close
Keep out of reach of children
Beware of overdose
Too many milligram
But what made a iller jam
My rhyme is the rhythm of thoughts
That kill a man
I deas for the ear to fear
Might split 'im
He'll never forget 'im
He'll rest in peace wit' 'em
At least when he left he'll know what hit 'im
The last breath of the words of death
Was the rhythm

Now throw you hands in the air and yo, go
Rakim will do the rest of this slow
If i speed they know you'll blow the hell up
If i slow up, catch up, hell no
Wicked as i kecked it
Don't need to remix it
'cause i prefixed it
Reversed and switched it
To perform to perfection
Section for section
Rhymes keep connectin'
Ya guessin' what's next an'
Blood pressure rise as ya damn near lost it
Ya hit the ground burnin' and woke up frostbitten
'cause when i explained ya can't complain for pain
Travel through the brain hit a vein
Then remain, let it radiate
Vibes will vibrate
Why did you violate
Now i'm 'a have to let the style brak
Moans now the tone is ingrown
After this here's thrown, gimme another microphone
Before i get that fifi i met
Whisper i wanna reach your intellect
Kiss her 'cause i wanna give her the most respect
So i shine and let the write reflect
Hold 'er, mold 'er, make 'er feel older
Lay her on my shoulder
Eeverything i told her
Makes her feel secure whenever i'm wit' 'er
And you know how i did 'er
Me and the rhythm hit 'er


8.Lyrics Of Fury

Verse one:

I'm rated 'r'...this is a warning, ya better void,
Poets are paranoid, dj's d-stroyed,
Cuz i came back to attack others in spite-
Strike like lightnin', it's quite frightenin'!
But don't be afraid in the dark, in a park,
Not a scream or a cry, or a bark, more like a spark;
Ya tremble like a alcoholic, muscles tighten up,
What's that, lighten up! you see a sight but,
Suddenly you feel like your in a horror flick,
You grab your heart then wish for tomorrow quick!
Music's the clue, when i come your warned,
Apocolypse now, when i'm done, ya gone!
Haven't you ever heard of a mc-murderer?
This is the death penalty,and i'm servin' a
Death wish, so come on, step to this
Hysterical idea for a lyrical professionist!
Friday the thirteenth, walking down elm street,
You come in my realm ya get beat!
This is off limits, so your visions are blurry,
All ya see is the meters at a volume,
Pumping lyrics of fury!

It's a ....fearified freestyle!

Terror in the styles, never error-files,
Indeed i'm known-your exiled!
For those that oppose to be level or next to this...
I ain't a devil and this ain't the exorcist!
Worse than a nightmare, you don't have to sleep a wink,
The pain's a migraine every time ya think,
Flashbacks interfere, ya start to hear:
The r-a-k-i-m in your ear;
Then the beat is hysterical,
That makes eric go get a ax and chops the wack,
Soon the lyrical format is superior,
Faces of death remain,
Mc's decaying, cuz they never stayed,
The scene of a crime every night at the show,
The fiend of a rhyme on the mic that you know,
It's only one capable, breaks-the unbreakable,
Melodies-unmakable, pattern-unecscapable,
A horn if want the style i posses,
I bless the child, the earth, the gods and bomb the rest,
For those that envy a mc it can be,
Hazardous to your health so be friendly,
A matter of life and death, just like a ethch-a-sketch,
Shake 'till your clear, make it disappear, make the next,
After the ceremony, let the rhyme rest in peace,
If not, my soul'll release!
The scene is recreated, reincarnated, updated, i'm glad you made
it,
Cuz your about to see a disasterous sight,
A performance never again performed on a mic:
Lyrics of fury!

A fearified freestyle!

The 'r' is in the house-too much tension!
Make sure the system's loud when i mention
Phrases that's fearsome...
You want to hear some sounds that not only pounds but please
your eardrums;
I sit back and observe the whole scenery,
Then nonchalantly tell you what it mean to me,
Strictly business i'm quickly in this mood,
And i don't care if the whole crowd's a witness!
I'm a tear you apart but i'm a spare you a heart,
Program into the speed of the rhyme, prepare to start,
Rhythm's out of the radius, insane as the craziest
Musical madness mc ever made, see it's
Now an emergency, open-heart surgery...
Open your mind, you will find every word'll be
Furier than ever, i remain the furture,
Battle's tempting...whatever suits ya!
For words the sentence, there's no resemblance,
You think you're ruffer, then suffer the consequences!
I'm never dying-terrifying results,
I wake ya with hundreds of thousands of volts,
Mic-to-mouth resuscitation, rhythm with radiation,
Novicane ease the pain it might save him,
If not, eric b.'s the judge, the crowd's the jury...
How do i plead to homicide?
Lyrics of fury!

They're getting furier! a fearified freestyle!


9.Mahogany

Verse one:

Me and eric b was coolin' at the paladium
Seen a all-world covered girl, i said 'hey lady i'm
Sorry if you're in a rush - don't let me hold ya up
Or interveen or interrupt, but. . .
You got the look - i wanna get to know ya better
I had to let her know - but yo, i didn't sweat her
'cause if you woulda seen what i was seein'
Almost looked korean, but european.
When she spoke, her accent was self-explanatory -
Even her body language told the story
Her name was mahogony - twin's name was ebony
I said 'my name is ra - and this is eric b'
Since the music was loud, i said 'let's take a walk,
So we could talk and see new york.
Show time doesn't start until one o'clock
And once i entered your mind i wouldn't wanna stop
Caressin' ya thoughts till we was thinkin' the same
Calm ya nerves, massage ya brain
Each mic is a mineral, poetry's protein
Verse is a vitamin - affects like codine
So tell me how you feel and i'll reveal
A pill that'll heal ya pain - 'cause i'm real
She musta od'd 'cause she couldn't resist
She spoke slowly when she told me this, she said

Chorus:

Over me, she's goin' crazy
She'll rub me on my chest and call me mr. sexy
She said she'd have my kids and help me make my next g
Tell me i ain't finesse mahogony . . .

Verse two:

So i prescribed her, something to revive
And surprise her, she's liver and much more wiser
Than the light i shine when my brain cells spark,
Come to me so we can glow in the dark
And soon, you can represent the moon
As long as i keep ya in tune
I'll tell ya who ya are and why ya here
Take it in stride 'cause it might take a year
It's funny - how time flies when ya havin' fun
We got close and it was almost one
She kissed me slow, but you know how far a kiss can go
F*ck around and miss the show
So i told her to hold that thought real tight
We can finish where we left off later on tonite
Back to the scene of the crime on time
As they introduced the 'fiend of the rhyme'
She stood with a birds-eye view of me
Thinkin' of later on of what she would do to me
The back of the room i could see her eyes gloom
Patient, but hopin' that the show was over soon
As the place was ripped in half, she made her way to the front
row
So i said 'let's go'
I packed my mic as they screamed for an encore
The speakers were blown, plus my mic was sore
Besides i got places to go, ladies to see
And she could tell me how crazy she was over me
We drove off - she said she liked the way that i performed
And couldn't wait to get 'soft and warm', i said,
'i've been watchin' you, watchin' me
Looks i received made it hard to mc
I can take a hint, so i knew that she
Wanted my 'agony agony ag-on-y' in her bod-y
Showed her some sights, then i took her to the condo
She was pipin' hot, but i kept my calm so
She asked how come i don't smile
I said, 'everything's fine, but i'm in a new york state of
mind!'
As we reached the kingdom, she said bring some
Champagne, she'll entertain then sing some
Sentimental, songs real gentle,
It hit the spot and you know where it went to
As we embraced i felt her heart pumpin'
I knew she was in the mood for somethin'
So i laid on my back and relaxed
It wasn't the perignon that made her collaspe
Over me

Chorus


10.Microphone Fiend

I was a fiend before i became a teen
I melted microphone instead of cones of ice cream
Music orientated so when hip-hop was originated
Fitted like pieces of puzzles, complicated
'cause i grabbed the mic and try to say, ' yes y'all!'
They tried to take it, and say that i'm too small
Cool, 'cause i don't get upset
I kick a hole in the speaker, pull the plug, then i jet
Back to the lab ...without a mic to grab
So then i add all the rhymes i had
One after the other one, then i make another one
To dis the opposite then ask if the brother's done
I get a craving like i fiend for nicotine
But i don't need a cigarette, know what i mean?
I'm raging, ripping up the stage and
Don't it sound amazing 'cause every rhyme is made and
Thought of, cuz it's sort of...an addiction,
Magnatized by the mixing
Vocals, vocabulary, your verses, you're stuck in
The mic is a drano, volcanoes erupting,
Rhymes overflowing, gradually growing
Everything is written in the cold, so it can coin-
Cide, my thoughts to guide,
48 tracks to slide
The invincible, microphone fiend rakim
Spread the word, 'cause i'm in
E-f-f-e-c-t
A smooth operator operating correctly,
But back to the problem, i gotta habit,
You can't solve it, silly rabbit
The prescription is a hypertone that's thorough when
I fiend for a microphone like herion
Soon as the bass kicks, i need a fix
Gimme a stage and a mic and a mix
And i'll put you in a mood or is it a state of
Unawareness? beware, it's the reanamator!
A menace to a microphone, a lethal weapon
An assasinator, if the people ain't stepping
You see a part of me that you never seen
When i'm fiending for a microphone, i'm the microphone fiend...

(verse 2:)
After 12, i'm worse that a gremlin
Feed me hip-hop and i start trembling
The thrill of suspense is intense, your horrified
But this ain't the cinemas of 'tales from the darkside',
By any means neccesary, this is what has to be done
Make way 'cause here i come....
My dj cuts material....
Grand imperial.
It's a must that i bust any mic you're hand to me,
It's inherited, it's runs in the family
I wrote the rhyme that broke the bull's back,
If that don't slow 'em up, i carry a full pack.
Now i don't want to have to let off, you should of kept off
You didn't keep the stage warm, step off!
Ladies and gentleman, you're about to see
A pasttime hobby about to be
Take it to the maximum, i can't relax see, i'm
Hype as a hyperchrondriac 'cause the rap be one-
Hell of a antidote, something you can't smoke
More than dope, you're trying to move away but you can't, you're
broke
More than cracked up, you should have backed up
For those who act up need to be more than smacked up
Any entertainer, i got a torture chamber
One on one and i'm the remainder!
So close your eyes and hold your breath,
And i'm a hit'cha wit the blow of death
Before you go, you'll remember you seen
The fiend of a microphone, i'm the microphone fiend

The microphone fiend...


11.Move The Crowd

Verse one:

Standing by the speaker, suddenly i had this
Fever, was it me or either summer madness
Cuz i just can't stand around
So i get closer and the closer i get, the better it sound
My mind starts to activate, rhymes collaborate
Cuz when i heard the beat, i just had to make
Something from the top of my head
So i fell into the groove of the wax and i said
How could i move the crowd
First of all, ain't no mistakes allowed
Here's the instruction, put it together
It simple ain't it but quite clever
Some of you been trying to write rhymes for years
But weak ideas irritate my ears
Is this the best that you can make?
Cuz if not and you got more, i'll wait
But don't make me wait too long coz i'm a move on
The dancefloor when they put something smooth on
So turn up the bass, it's better when it's loud
Cuz i like to move the crowd

Move the crowd...

Verse two:

Imagine me wit the heat that's made by solar,
It gets stronger everytime i hold a
Microphone, check the tone to get started
The line for the microphone is departed
So leave it up to me, my dj is mixing
Everyone is moving or eager to listen
Your hands in the air, your mouth, shut!
Cuz i'm on the mic and eric b is on the cut
For those that know me, indeed i like to flow
Especially when the music's going slow
It gives me a chance to let everybody know
It's time to bust out the rakim show
I'm the intelligent wise on the mic i will rise
Right in front of your eyes cuz i am a surprise
So i'ma let my knowledge be born to a perfection
All praise due to allah and that's a blessing
Wit knowledge of self, there's nothing i can't solve
At 360 degrees, i revolve
This is actual fact, it's not an act, it's been proven,
Indeed and i proceed to make the crowd keep moving

Move the crowd...


12.My Melody

Verse one:

Turn up the bass, check out my melody, hand out a cigar
I'm lettin knowledge be born, and my name's the r
A-k-i-m not like the rest of them, i'm not on a list
That's what i'm sayin, i drop science like a scientist
My melody's in a code, the very next episode
Has the mic often distortin, ready to explode
I keep the mic in fahrenheit, freeze mc's and make em colder
The listener's system is kickin like solar
As i memorize, advertise, like a poet
Keep you goin when i'm flowin, smooth enough, you know it
But rough that's why the middle of my story i tell e.b.
Nobody beats the 'r', check out my melody...

Verse two:

So what if i'm a microphone fiend addicted soon as i sing
One of these for mc's so they don't have to scream
I couldn't wait to take the mic, flow into it to test
Then let my melody play, and then the record suggest
That i'm droppin bombs, but i stay peace and calm
Any mc that disagree with me just wave your arm
And i'll break, when i'm through breakin i'll leave you broke
Drop the mic when i'm finished and watch it smoke
So stand back, you wanna rap? all of that can wait
I won't push, i won't beat around the bush
I wanna break upon those who are not supposed to
You might try but you can't get close to
Because i'm number one, competition is none
I'm measured with the heat that's made by sun
Whether playin ball or bobbin in the hall
I just writin my name in graffiti on the wall
You shouldn't have told me you said you control me
So now a contest is what you owe me
Pull out your money, pull out your cut
Pull up a chair, and i'ma tear shit up
My name is rakim allah, and r & a stands for 'ra'
Switch it around, but still comes out 'r'
So easily will i e-m-c-e-e
My repetition of words is 'check out my melody'
Some bass and treble is moist, scratchin and cuttin a voice
And when it's mine that's when the rhyme is always choice
I wouldn't have came to ?set? my name ?around the? same weak
shit
Puttin blurs and slurs and words that don't fit
In a rhyme, why waste time on the microphone
I take this more serious than just a poem
Rockin party to party, backyard to yard
Now tear it up, y'all, and bless the mic for the gods

Verse three:

The rhyme is rugged, at the same time sharp
I can swing off anything even a string of a harp
Just turn it on and start rockin, mind no introduction
Til i finish droppin science, no interruption
When i approach i exercise like a coach
Usin a melody and add numerous notes
With the mic and the r-a-k-i-m
It's a task, like a match i will strike again
Rhymes are poetically kept and alphabetically stepped
Put in order to pursue with the momentum except
I say one rhyme and i order a longer rhyme shorter
A pause, but don't stop the tape recorder

Verse four:

I'm not a regular competitor, first rhyme editor
Melody arranger, poet, etcetera
Extra events, the grand finale like bonus
I am the man they call the microphonist
With wisdom which means wise words bein spoken
Too many at one time watch the mic start smokin
I came to express the rap i manifest
Stand in my way and i'll lead a ??? words protest
Mc's that wanna be dissed they're gonna
Be dissed if they don't get from in fronta
All they can go get is me a glass of moet
A hard time, sip your juice and watch a smooth poet
I take 7 mc's put em in a line
And add 7 more brothas who think they can rhyme
Well, it'll take 7 more before i go for mine
And that's 21 mc's ate up at the same time
Easy does it, do it easy, that's what i'm doin
No fessin, no messin around, no chewin
No robbin, no buyin, bitin, why bother
This slob'll stop tryin fightin to follow
My unusual style will confuse you a while
If i was water, i flow in the nile
So many rhymes you won't have time to go for your's
Just because of a cause i have to pause
Right after tonight is when i prepare
To catch another sucka duck mc out there
Cos my strategy has to be tragedy, catastrophe
And after this you'll call me your majesty
My melody...

Verse five:

Marley marl synthesized it, i memorize it
Eric b made a cut and advertised it
My melody's created for mc's in the place
Who try to listen cos i'm dissin ???
?take off your necklace, you try to detect my pace?
?now? you're ?buggin? over ??? off my rhyme like bass
The melody that i'm stylin, smooth as a violin
Rough enough to break new york from long island
My wisdom is swift, no matter if
My momentum is slow, mc's still stand stiff
I'm genuine like leather, don't try to be clever
Mc's you'll beat the 'r', i'll say 'oh never'
So eric b cut it easily
And check out my melody...


13.Paid In Full

in full
right?
over
This def beat that i put together, i wanna hear some of them
Def rhymes, know what i'm sayin? and together, we can get
Paid in full...

Thinkin of a master plan
Cuz ain't nuthin but sweat inside my hand
So i dig into my pocket, all my money is spent
So i dig deeper but still comin up with lint
So i start my mission- leave my residence
Thinkin how could i get some dead presidents
I need money, i used to be a stick-up kid
So i think of all the devious things i did
I used to roll up, this is a hold up, ain't nuthin funny
Stop smiling, be still, don't nuthin move but the money
But now i learned to earn cos i'm righteous
I feel great! so maybe i might just
Search for a 9 to 5, if i strive
Then maybe i'll stay alive
So i walk up the street whistlin this
Feelin out of place cos, man, do i miss
A pen and a paper, a stereo, a tape of
Me and eric b, and a nice big plate of
Fish, which is my favorite dish
But without no money it's still a wish
Cos i don't like to dream about gettin paid
So i dig into the books of the rhymes that i made
To now test to see if i got pull
Hit the studio, cos i'm paid in full