"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 blazin microphones a habit
 At least once durin the course of a day, it's automatic
 In ghetto apparel, mind of a Egyptian Pharoah
 Far from shallow, thoughts travel like an arrow
 Allah's monotony, so far they can't stop me
 You know, Ra want property like Mumar Khadafi
 More thoughts than Bibles, recital - taught disciples
 A sawed off mic, so words scatter like a rifle
 Thoughts that's trifle, I'm bustin these for you
 Aiyyo, technical difficulties is through

 {DJ Premier cuts early Eric B. & Rakim records}
 "It's been a long time.."
 ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist"
 "It's been a long time.."
 ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist"
 "It's been a long time.."
 ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist"
 "It's been a long time.."
 "It's been a long time.."

 [Rakim]
 When I float at night, I show em new heights, I go to write
 They know I strike with new prototypes to blow the mic
 Critics and biters, don't know where my source of light is
 Still leave authors and writers with arthritis
 Cursed kids like the Pyramids when they found the style
 First to ever let a rhyme flow down the Nile
 The rebirth of hip-hop'll be dropped now
 cause the crowd didn't hear the original in a while
 So be alarmed, what you bout to see is the bomb
 Like, 3-D in 'Nam, vivid like CD-Rom
 Info kept like "internet.com"
 My note-book's my bond like the Holy Qu'ran
 Since I came in the door, said it before
 But no I ain't down with Eric B. no more
 At night the open mic be invitin me to rhyme
 So yo I'm online, 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.."
 ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist"
 "It's been a long time.."
 ".. Rakim, the microphone soloist"
 "It's been a long time.."
 "It's been a long time.."

 "It's been a long time.." {extended scratch}
 "It's been a long time.." {extended scratch}
 "It's been a long time