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, Wyandanch Long Island
|
Scientific rhymin' invented a new sound when he met with
|
Eric Barrier from East Elmhurst
|
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 Marley 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 13 next had New York on lock
|
Gods on every block, jams in every park
|
I remember hearin' Kurtis 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 4th & 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 Freddie 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, some 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 "Oh My God" with Dr. Dre. The album was
|
dismantled because of creative differences. Thee end
|
to the new beginning. Yeah. Next book, KRS-One. Peace."
|
|
-----------------
|
U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography Of Rakim)
|
| Nas |
