Guess Who's Back ft. DJ Premier
Rakim Lyrics


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"Once again back is the incredible"

Yeah, yeah
It's the return of the Wild Style fashionist
Smashing hits, make it hard to adapt to this
Put pizazz and jazz in this, and cash in this
Mastered this, flash this and make em clap to this
DJ's throw on cuts and obey the crowd
Just pump the volume up, and play it loud
Hip-Hop's embedded, before I said I wouldn't let it
But me and the microphone is still magnetic
Straight off the top, I knew I'd be forced to rock
Dance floors just stop, the spot's scorching hot
Hoping I open Rakim Allah seminars
Massage at the bar smoking ten dollar cigars
While I admire midas, with more vision than TV's
I find it easy catching diabetes from fly sweeties
Sit back and wait to hear a slamming track
Rocking jams by popular demand, I'm back

[Chorus]
I control the crowd, you know I hold it down
When it drop you know it's jiggy when you hear the sound
From town to town, until it's world reknowned
And I rock New York City all year around

Check it out
It's on so you can swerve when it's heard in clubs
Thought patterns displayed on Persian rugs
Equations are drawn up in paisley form
Mic it stay warm, my flow is Evian
Deep as a Nautilus, you stay dipped in Ra style
From the shores of Long Island to Panama Canal
Intellect pitches new trends like a clothes designer
I'm in effect, quicker than medicines in China
Split the mic open fill it with something potent to go in
And take a toke then, mental planes start floating
Hot science is smoking altitudes cause choking
Product is hypnotic you're soaking and still smoking
Showing better scenes than grams of amphetamines
Plans to scheme, means I'll forever fiend
Long as the mic is loud and the volume is pumping
I'ma move crowds to 2000

[Chorus]

Yo, my rhymes and lyrics, find spirits like a seance
Since fat Cray-ons, I write and display chaos
My plan is damage, the diagram to where the jam
I take advantage, until the crowd go bananas
What a rush I hear cuts then I lust to touch
Microphones get clutched by the illustrious
Word spread I inherited, many ways to say the unsaid
Born with three 7's in my head
In time no one can seem to blow your mind as far as this
To find you'll need philosophers and anthropologists
Astrologists, professors from your smartest colleges
With knowledge of scholarships, when Ra be dropping this
Some of the things I know, will be in your next Bible
When I die go bury me and my notebook in Cairo
With the great God from Egypt manifest was write rhymes
Align with the stars, I come back to bless the mic

[Chorus: x2]

"Once again, back is the incredible"
Word up, Rakim Allah the Microphone Fiend is back, ya know what I mean?
"Rakim Allah"
Till death do us part
"Once again, back is the incredible"
It's on
"Rakim Allah"

"Once again back is the incredible
The incredible, the incredible
The incredible




Once again back is the incredible
Rhyme animal, the incredible"

Overall Meaning

In the first verse of Rakim's "Guess Who's Back," he declares his return as the "incredible" and notes that he is a "Wild Style fashionist." This means that he is a talented rapper with a unique style, influenced by the hip-hop culture of "Wild Style." Rakim boasts about his ability to create "smashing hits" and add "pizazz and jazz" to his music, and highlights his mastery of his craft. He notes that DJs play a significant role in the hip-hop community and instructs them to pump up the volume and play his music loudly. In the second verse, Rakim alternates between describing his thought patterns and his lyricism. He boasts about being "in effect, quicker than medicines in China" and notes that his "flow is Evian" - that is, it is clean and refreshing. He compares himself to a designer, saying he pitches new trends with his intellect. Lastly, he emphasizes his power as an artist, saying that as long as the mic is loud and the volume is high, he will continue to move crowds.


Line by Line Meaning

Once again back is the incredible
Rakim Allah the Microphone Fiend is back


Smashing hits, make it hard to adapt to this Put pizazz and jazz in this, and cash in this Mastered this, flash this and make em clap to this
My music is innovative and difficult to imitate. I blend various styles to create unique, catchy songs that generate profits and leave audiences cheering.


Hip-Hop's embedded, before I said I wouldn't let it But me and the microphone is still magnetic
I always knew I'd be drawn to Hip Hop, despite my initial hesitation. My talent for rapping is undeniable- I can move crowds with just my voice and a mic.


Straight off the top, I knew I'd be forced to rock Dance floors just stop, the spot's scorching hot
I'm talented enough to freestyle and entertain the crowd without a plan. When I perform, people can't help but dance and have a great time.


Deep as a Nautilus, you stay dipped in Ra style From the shores of Long Island to Panama Canal
My lyrical content is intricate and profound, and my style is distinctive. I'm recognized as a talented rapper from my hometown in Long Island to faraway Panama.


Hot science is smoking altitudes cause choking Product is hypnotic you're soaking and still smoking
My music is powerful and captivating. It fills people with energy and makes them feel like they're on top of the world, but it also has a hypnotic effect that keeps them coming back for more.


My plan is damage, the diagram to where the jam I take advantage, until the crowd go bananas
I skillfully map out my performances to maximize the hype and energy, and I know how to read the crowd to make sure they're having a great time.


With knowledge of scholarships, when Ra be dropping this Some of the things I know, will be in your next Bible When I die go bury me and my notebook in Cairo With the great God from Egypt manifest was write rhymes Align with the stars, I come back to bless the mic
My lyrics are profound and full of wisdom, to the point that they could be included in religious texts. I have a deep respect for both the history and future of Hip Hop, and I know that my words will continue to inspire generations to come.


"Once again, back is the incredible" Word up, Rakim Allah the Microphone Fiend is back, ya know what I mean? "Rakim Allah" Till death do us part "Once again, back is the incredible" It's on "Rakim Allah"
My reputation as a skilled and innovative rapper precedes me, and I'll continue to make great music until I die. Rakim is my name, and the microphone is my weapon of choice.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WILLIAM GRIFFIN, CARLTON RIDENHOUR, ERIC BARRIER, RODOLFO ANTONIO FRANKLIN, JAMES HENRY BOXLEY III, ERIC T. SADLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Brian


on R.A.K.I.M.

Ra, Ra, Ra, Ra, Ra, Ra

R, rugged and rough, that's how I do it

A, Allah, who I praise to the fullest
K, keep it movin'
I stand alone
M, it's my crown, my world, my throne
R, rugged and rough, that's how I do it
A, Allah, who I praise to the fullest
K, keep it movin'

I stand alone
M, it's my crown, my world, my throne

Ayo, when Rakim Allah attack, it's a wrap, y'all, relax
The almanac, just show me where the party's at
Seminars and tracks, cause, comas, and cardiacs
Broads and cats screaming, "oh, my God, he's back"
Just imagine, I hit the lab and get it crackin'
A thousand styles in one verse, rhythms will switch patterns
Chicks get stabbed in the back, 'til they get spasms
Known to spit a magnum, or split an atom
Who woulda known that Jesus would come back to the ghetto
On that level, and that thorough, like a black hero
And pack metal, so rap rebels, will back pedal
The pharaoh of five boroughs, and take over the rap world
Gettin' bizarre, hardcore, this is for y'all
The crib or the park, play it when you get in the car
Chill at the bar, sip somethin' or split a cigar
Get with your dogs, don't be alarmed, this kid is the bomb

It's the R, rugged and rough, that's how I do it
A, Allah, who I praise to the fullest
K, keep it movin'
I stand alone
M, it's my crown, my world, my throne
R, rugged and rough, that's how I do it
A, Allah, who I praise to the fullest
K, keep it movin'
I stand alone
M, it's my crown, my world, my throne

Uh, yeah, yo, I used to paint this flow, on ancient scrolls
And learn to make this dough where gangstas roll
Think like the late great Capone when the bank is closed
It's cats that claim they bold, but they ain't this cold
I'm from New York City even pretty chicks act up
Niggas get clapped up, you stack up, they stick that up
Quick to strap up, you'd think my name was "kid, back up"
Big niggas, pick that up or lift that up
Raised by gangstas and gamblers, hustlers, con artists
And convicts, killers and dons
Drug dealers, players and pimps, smooth talkers
Stick-up kids, thugs, real niggas and gods
Haunted by every soul that lay dead in the turf
Cursed by every spirit that never made it to birth
Since the Moon separated from Earth
That's why they say I'm the greatest that ever orchestrated a verse

It's the R, rugged and rough, that's how I do it
A, Allah, who I praise to the fullest
K, keep it movin'
I stand alone
M, it's my crown, my world, my throne
R, rugged and rough, that's how I do it
A, Allah, who I praise to the fullest
K, keep it movin'
I stand alone
M, it's my crown, my world, my throne

Ayo, toast to that, it's the cat that broke backs
To a soul clap, I smoke a track, how dope is that
Pope of rap, wrote backs that most slack
That note back before they turned coke to crack
To my dogs hearin' sirens on the firearms
Outcome die in wars or behind iron bars
The boulevard, retire frauds when I evolve
Try and rob my dialogue, I am God
Chicks moan just to get next to my throne
And sniff my cologne and get Ra alone
Sex pots at home, I'm testosterone
Caress spots, dress drops, bed rocks the bone
Hit the floor, it's hot for 2003
Hits galore, who rock a style as wild as me?
Rest assured, when I rock def crowds and scream
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim

It's the R, rugged and rough, that's how I do it
A, Allah, who I praise to the fullest
K, keep it movin'
I stand alone
M, it's my crown, my world, my throne
R, rugged and rough, that's how I do it
A, Allah, who I praise to the fullest
K, keep it movin'
I stand alone
M, it's my crown, my world, my throne
R, rugged and rough, that's how I do it
A, Allah, who I praise to the fullest
K, keep it movin'
I stand alone
M, it's my crown, my world, my throne
R, rugged and rough, that's how I do it
A, Allah, who I praise to the fullest
K, keep it movin'
I stand alone
M, it's my crown, my world, my throne

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