[Intro: Rakim]
In the words of the late great... Martin Luther King:
"How long? Not long" [beat starts] [11 seconds 
insrtumental]
Won't be long...
Uh-huh!
Uh, uh!
Sing along!
[Chorus: (Rakim)]
[Tracey H.:]
It won't be looooong (uh-huh!) 'til the trouble and the 
struggle is gooooone.
The hustle make the struggle get gooooone.
[Rakim:]
It's hard to make a move, we strugglin'! (uh-huh!)
Everybody hate to lose (uh!) but they love to win. 
(uh!)
[Tracey H.:]
It won't be looooong 'til the world sings the words to 
our sooooong. (sing along!)
That way we forever live ooooon! (uh!)
[Rakim:]
Back on my grind, I'm hustlin'. (uh-huh!)
It's just a matter (uh-huh!) of time an' I'll come up 
again! (uhh!)
[Rakim:]
They told me hustle never prolong
But I got caught up in the struggle like a slow song. 
(uh-huh!)
Cause my love and respect for this is so strong
I question the state of Hip-Hop (uh), major labels, et 
cetera and so on! (uh!)
The show'll go on. - Still fiend to get my blow on
But if it's like this, then I might quit.
But hold on! (uh!) - This can only go wrong - but for 
so long (uh-huh!)
Get right quick or I might flip!
Try to keep a tight lip, not to complain 
(sssssshhhhhhh!)
Ramblin', mind scramblin' cause patience ain't blockin' 
the pain. (uh-uh!)
Mic' sick, lyrics is still locked in the brain, (uh-
huh!)
Like Mike Vick sittin' in jail watchin' the game. (uh!)
I wait 'til the day I (day I!) - play my position 
(ch'eah!)
Or should I say the day I - obey my addiction. (uh-
huh!)
Then complete my legacy (uh!)
Without compromisin' my artistic integrity. (c'mon!)
[Chorus: (Rakim) {Tracey Horton}]
[Tracey H.:]
It won't be looooong (won't be long!) 'til the trouble 
and the struggle is gooooone. (uh!)
The hustle make the struggle get gooooone.
[Rakim:]
It's hard to make a move, we strugglin'!
Everybody hate to lose but they love to win. 
{yeeeaahhhhhh! hmmmmmmmm!}
[Tracey H.:]
It won't be looooong {OOOH!} 'til the world sings the 
words to our sooooong. (no words!)
That way we forever live ooooon! {OOOH!}
[Rakim:]
Back on my grind, I'm hustlin'. (yeah, it's true!)
It's just a matter of time (uh!) an' I'll come up 
again! (uh-huh!)
[Rakim:]
So when they ask where I go from here (go 'head!)
The road and the goal is clear (uh!) but it's so 
severe. (uh!)
Sometimes I feel like lettin' go, I swear
I had setbacks my whole career. (straight y'all!)
Messin' with my grind's like messin' with my mind (uh!)
But yo! - I'm still breathin', so I guess it's just a 
sign. (uh-huh!)
But it's meaning to the message in the lines (word up!)
Some things happen for a reason (uh!) like a blessin' 
in disguise.
But success was in my eyes, the shine was blindin' me
The fame and a little bit of change, it took some time 
to see!
The lesson for the wise - profit more. (uh!)
Time to be a record and the prize (uh-huh!) was poppin' 
off. (uh!)
Finally I made a couple of moves. - Got my own label 
(gotta get it!)
Me and a couple of dudes, we at the dope table. (let's 
get that money!)
Took a oath to stay true (uh!) now it's an empire
Put out the new Rakim album and it's fire!
[Chorus: (Rakim) {Tracey Horton}]
[Tracey H.:]
It won't be looooong (uhh!) 'til the trouble and the 
struggle is gooooone. (won't be long!)
The hustle make the struggle get gooooone. (won't be 
long!)
[Rakim:]
It's hard to make a move, we strugglin'! (uhh!)
Everybody hate to lose but they love to win. 
{yeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh!} {OOOOH!}
[Tracey H.:]
It won't be looooong 'til the world sings the words to 
our sooooong. {OOOOH!}
That way we forever live ooooon! (uh-huh!)
[Rakim:]
Back on my grind, I'm hustlin'. (yeah!)
It's just a matter of time (uh-huh!) an' I'll come up 
again! (yeah!)
[Rakim:]
Feel like I'm back where I belong when I'm in the booth 
(uh!)
Produce and perform at my pinnacle. (uh-huh!)
Speak the truth in my songs and my interviews (the 
truth!)
For the youth and my dons and my women, too! (uh-huh!)
Guap insisted. - Watch your bidness with a drama, dunn. 
(get that money!)
Hustlers is where we get persona from!
Gotta get it, not just wish a dollar come (uh, go get 
it!)
We optimistic since Obama won.
But these days of recession
We ain't safe yet! (uh-uh!) - Pray! - A paycheck away 
from the Great Depression. (uh!)
Major stressin'! - But we wait for blessings
Long as the Federal Reserve still paper pressing. (uh!)
I wrote the plot - for gettin' this cabbage in the hood 
(uh-huh!)
Where the average cat can triple his status in the 
hood.
Don't stop! - 'Til we livin' lavish in the hood (uh-
huh!)
I'm like Barack (uh!) with "The Stimulus Package" (uh!) 
in the hood.
[Chorus: (Rakim) {Tracey Horton}]
[Tracey H.:]
It won't be looooong 'til the trouble and the struggle 
is gooooone. (soon it's over!)
The hustle make the struggle get gooooone. 
{ooooooohhhhh-ohhhhhhh!}
[Rakim:]
It's hard to make a move, we strugglin'! (uh-huh!)
Everybody hate to lose but they love to win. {yeee-
aahhh-yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!}
[Tracey H.:]
It won't be looooong {OOOOH!} 'til the world sings the 
words to our sooooong. {OOOOH!}
That way we forever live ooooon! (you know the words, 
sing along!) {OOOOH!}
[Rakim:]
Back on my grind, I'm hustlin'.
It's just a matter of time {OOOOH!} an' I'll come up 
again! {OOOOH!}
[Bridge: Tracey Horton (Rakim)]
It won't be looooong (stay focused!) 'til the trouble 
and the struggle is gooooone. (change gon' come!)
The hustle make the struggle get gooooone. (just be 
ready for it!) [beat fades out]
It won't be looooong 'til the world sings the words to 
our sooooong.)
That way we forever live ooooon!