How I Get Down )
Rakim Lyrics

Before the dough came, my whole aim, was blow like propane
Before I had money, my goal was to become successful and explode like propane

Control the whole domain, and then show no shame
Dominate the entire industry and have no regrets about it

Make rappers go ? and they so lame, playing with no game
Make other rappers speechless and embarrassed, because they have no skill

Put em on the lil plane til they can't claim no fame
Make them so insignificant that they can never claim to be famous

I got, the range, better, stay in the slow lane
I have the ability to do anything I want, but I choose to take it slow

I make the flow change from hurricanes to a slow rain
I can switch up my style from fast-paced and intense to slow and mellow

Your thoughts are so plane, I rearrange / your whole frame
Your ideas are boring and unoriginal, but I can come in and completely revamp them

Until my whole name grow out your brain like Rogaine
My name becomes permanently ingrained in your memory like hair growth from Rogaine

Letter by letter, I put words together / Once merged, apart never, they be heard forever
I take great care in crafting my lyrics, and once they are put together, they will never be forgotten

And then I grab a pen and stab him in his abdomen / And smash him in, throw his mic like a javelin
I lyrically destroy my opponents and physically attack them, using their own mic as a weapon

Then I explain verses, that remain on the surface / At times it get deep, but I never defeat the purpose
I break down my lyrics so that even surface-level listeners can understand, but I never compromise the meaning

Never go out, to go the dough route, forever hold out / I never sold out, for any amount, no doubt
I'll never sacrifice my artistic integrity for money, and I'll always hold out for what I believe is right

That's how I get down, so tell me how you like that / I hit the town, hold it down on a tight track / I start a party now, everybody like rap / Haters are mad cause they gave the are the mic back
My style and approach are unique and undeniable, and even those who don't like it can't deny its appeal

I like to hang where everything seem to happen at (ya know?) / It's Ra's habitat, I'm like that czar Arafat
I like to be where the action is, and it's my natural environment. I compare myself to a powerful leader like Yasser Arafat

And yes I have a gat, snap like a Israeli / A terrorist I never miss blowing up kids daily
I have a gun and am quick to use it. Like an Israeli soldier, I'll always hit my intended target

Me and my team, vision like a radar screen / Intervene and yo, cut the mic off, cause Ra fiend
My team and I are always on the lookout for opportunities, and we'll aggressively take them. If anyone tries to stop me, they'll regret it

I do a thing thing, I write the songs they sing / Make sure that they swing, from New York to Beijing
I am the one who writes the hit songs, and I ensure that they have a great rhythm that appeals to people all around the world

Put your thoughts in the sling and your brain is gangrene / Pull in the ring, repeating and saying the same thing
If I criticize your ideas, it will infect your mind like gangrene. But instead of repeating yourself, try to improve upon them

Xerox, zero, no match, you ditto / Copy machine, couldn't reprint my ?
You are nothing more than a copycat of me, and no machine could ever replicate my style

My new style, that I produce now's beyond two-thou' / I knew how, since a juvenile, to make a ka-pow
My current style is even better than it was in the past, and I've known how to make an impact since I was young

When the night's falling, I can hear the mic calling / I like balling, I cut back like Mic Jordan
I am always ready to perform, especially at night when I can hear the music calling me. I ball like Michael Jordan, but I also know when to slow down

This is for y'all while I'm spitting literature's / Lyrics'll ball like Allen Iverson dribble the ball
This song is dedicated to my fans while I am spitting literary genius. My lyrics are as impressive as Allen Iverson's dribbling skills

They hopeless, whoever approaches my high explosives / My vision sadicious, and freestyle's ferocious
Anyone who tries to challenge me will be defeated, and my mindset is sadistic. My ability to freestyle is powerful and unstoppable

I wrote this, words flew over my head like a locust / I turned the beat up, sat back, and stayed focused
I wrote this song effortlessly, as if the words were swarming around me like a plague of locusts. I turned up the beat, relaxed, and stayed locked in