Intro: The unauthorized copy. Dedication to my children, my child

Destiny Jones. To my niece and nephews, Suree, Malik, Jabari.

The world is yours. Acknowledgements: First off, I wanna

thank God. And I wanna thank everybody for helping me out

with this. Couldn't do it without you. Chapter 1.



[Verse 1:]

January 28, 1968

Born into this world as William Griffin The Great

Chapter 1, Wyndanch Long Island

Scientific rhymin' invented a new sound when he met with

Eric Barrier from East Sandhurst

The melody they created was the first

Burst on the scene, 1986 with Clap To This

'87 dropped a classic disc

The facts is the tracklist was like four

The vocals, the beats -- according to Marly Marl

Recorded in my hometown Queensbridge

That's why it's so relative

This biography was unauthorized

I spit it how it was given to author Nas

William changed his name at sixteen to Rakim Allah

'Cause Clarence 13X had New York on lock

Gods on every block, jams in every park

I remember hearin' Curtis Blow saying

"It can't get better than this"

'Til Run DMC blew my brains to bits

From leather coats to shell toes to the stan smiths, to Dapper Dan kicks

First million-dollar deal ever in rap, 18th Letter did that

From 41st & Broadway to Uni to MCA

We followed the leader to Harlem's Apollo Theatre

Supreme rapped and the 50 that don't rap

Forte Green, Queens, Long Island wolfpack

Paid In Full posse, hot they was on

And Ra had his firstborn

With the next line I'ma be easy

His wisdom's name is Fifi

EPMD put a record out, was dope

Tension spread, and I quote "Smack me and I smack you back"

Sounded like the answer to the I Ain't No Joke track

For a second it ain't look good

Little tension buzzin' from Wyndanch to Brentwood

Misunderstood, all forgot by sixteen when I met Freddy Foxx

Totin' burners, the whole coast's most concern was

How was Rakim's flow, made Christians convert with Islamic ways

Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em was the third LP

A sophisticated mean one, before similar voices were King Son

A few others, but sooner or later, the game was Ra's kingdom

At sixteen, son was watchin' him, mesmorized

Respect, not jockin' him, was so amazin', besides

He came on the stage with lasers in his eyes

Walk with me now



[Nas talking]

"Unauthorized biography of Rakim. Epilogue: Mother was

a jazz singer. Nephew to R & B legend Ruth Brown

Discography: Paid In Full, Follow The Leader, Let

The Rhythm Hit 'Em, Don't Sweat The Technique. That's

the end of the group. Went off to solo. Dropped the R, then the 18th Letter, and I think, somethin', The

Master. Was signed to Aftermath, scheduled to release

an album with my guy Dr. Dre. The album was

dismantled because of creative differences. Thee end

to the new beginning. Yeah. Next book, KRS-One. Peace."