Nas: "The unauthorized copy. Dedication to my children, my child
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Destiny Jones. To my niece and nephews, Suree, Malik, Jabari.
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The world is yours. Acknowledgements: First off, I wanna
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thank God. And I wanna thank everybody for helping me out
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with this. Couldn't do it without you. Chapter 1."
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[Verse 1: Nas]
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January 28, 1968
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Born into this world as William Griffin The Great
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Chapter 1, Wyandanch Long Island
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Scientific rhymin' invented a new sound when he met with
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Eric Barrier from East Elmhurst
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The melody they created was the first
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Burst on the scene, 1986 with Clap To This
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'87 dropped a classic disc
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The facts is the tracklist was like four
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The vocals, the beats -- according to Marly Marl
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Recorded in my hometown Queensbridge
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That's why it's so relative
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This biography was unauthorized
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I spit it how it was given to author Nas
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William changed his name at sixteen to Rakim Allah
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'Cause Clarence 13X had New York on lock
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Gods on every block, jams in every park
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I remember hearin' Curtis Blow saying
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"It can't get better than this"
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'Til Run DMC blew my brains to bits
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From leather coats to shell toes to the stan smiths, to Dapper Dan kicks
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First million-dollar deal ever in rap, 18th Letter did that
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From 4th & Broadway to Uni to MCA
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We followed the leader to Harlem's Apollo Theatre
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Supreme rapped and the 50 that don't rap
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Fort Green, Queens, Strong Island Wolfpack
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Paid In Full posse, hot they was on
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And Ra had his firstborn
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With the next line I'ma be easy
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His wisdom's name is Fifi
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EPMD put a record out, was dope
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Tension spread, and I quote "Smack me and I smack you back"
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Sounded like the answer to the I Ain't No Joke track
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For a second it ain't look good
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Little tension buzzin' from Wyandanch to Brentwood
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Misunderstood, all forgot by sixteen when I met Freddy Foxx
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Totin' burners, the whole coast's most concern was
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How was Rakim's flow, made Christians convert with Islamic ways
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Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em was the third LP
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A sophisticated mean one, before similar voices were King Son
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A few others, but sooner or later, the game was Ra's kingdom
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At sixteen, son was watchin' him, mesmorized
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Respect, not jockin' him, was so amazin', besides
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He came on the stage with lasers in his eyes
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Walk with me now
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[Nas talking]
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"Unauthorized biography of Rakim. Epilogue: Mother was
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a jazz singer. Nephew to R & B legend Ruth Brown
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Discography: Paid In Full, Follow The Leader, Let
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The Rhythm Hit 'Em, Don't Sweat The Technique. That's
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the end of the group. Went off to solo. Dropped the
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R, then the 18th Letter, and I think, somethin', The
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Master. Was signed to Aftermath, scheduled to release
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an album Oh My God with Dr. Dre. The album was
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dismantled because of creative differences. Thee end
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to the new beginning. Yeah. Next book, KRS ONE. Peace."
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-----------------
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U.b.r. (Unofficial Biography Of Rakim)
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| Nas |
