It's Been A Long Time
Rakim Lyrics


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It's been a long time
It's been a long time
It's been a long time
It's been a long time
Rakim, the microphone soloist

Follow procedures, the crowd couldn't wait to see this
Nobody been this long awaited since Jesus
Who wouldn't believe this, I heard the word on the street is
I'm still one of the deepest on the mic since Adidas
They said I changed the times from the rhymes that I thought of
So I made some more to put the New World in Order
With Mathematics, put your status above the average
And help you rappers, make paragraphs with graphics
'Cause new days is dawnin', new ways of performin'
Brainstormin', I write and watch the night turn to mornin'
On and on and, I got the whole world respondin'
Rock, I keep it hot and blow the spot without warnin'
The emperor, well known for inventin' a sentence
Full of adventure, turnin' up the temperature
Rush with adrenaline, how long has it been again
To be in the state of mind that Rakim is in?

It's been a long time
Rakim, the microphone soloist
It's been a long time
It's been a long time
Rakim

When I'm out proppin', either, hangin' or shoppin'
People see me, stop and ask me when the album droppin'
The wait is over, in formation like a soldier
Like I told ya, greater, stronger, now that I'm older
I broke the code of silence with overloads of talents
My only challenge is not to explode in violence
I'm Asiatic, and blazin' microphones' a habit
At least once during the course of a day, it's automatic
In ghetto apparel, mind of a Egyptian pharaoh
Far from shallow, thoughts travel like an arrow
Allah's monotony, so far they can't stop me
You know, Ra want property like Mummar Khadafi
More thoughts than Bibles, recital taught disciples
A sawed-off mic, so words scatter like a rifle
Thoughts that's trifle, I'm bustin' these for you
Ayo, technical difficulties is through

It's been a long time
Rakim, the microphone soloist
It's been a long time
Rakim, the microphone soloist
It's been a long time
Rakim, the microphone soloist
It's been a long time
It's been a long time

When I flow at night, I show 'em new heights I go to write
They know I strike with new prototypes to blow the mic
Critics and biters don't know where my source of light is
Still leave authors and writers with arthritis
Cursed kids like the pyramids when they found the style
First to ever let a rhyme flow down the Nile
The rebirth of hip hop'll be dropped now
'Cause the crowd didn't hear the original in a while
So be alarmed, what you 'bout to see is the bomb
Like, 3D in 'Nam, vivid like CD-Rom
Info kept like internet.com
My notebook's my bond like the Holy Quran
Since I came in the door, said it before
But, no, I ain't down with Eric B. no more
At night the open mic be invitin' me to rhyme
So, yo, I'm online, it's been a long time

It's been a long time
It's been a long time
Rakim, the microphone soloist
It's been a long time
Rakim, the microphone soloist
It's been a long time
It's been a long time

It's been a long time




It's been a long time
It's been a long time

Overall Meaning

In Rakim's song "It's Been A Long Time," the rapper reflects on his absence from the hip-hop scene and asserts his dominance upon his return. The lyric "Follow procedures, the crowd couldn't wait to see this, nobody been this long awaited since Jesus" speaks to the anticipation and excitement surrounding his comeback. He also references his reputation as one of the greatest rappers of all time, with lines such as "They said I changed the times from the rhymes that I thought of, so I made some more to put the New World in Order" and "The emperor, well-known for inventin' a sentence, full of adventure turnin' up the temperature."


Throughout the song, Rakim emphasizes his talent and influence in the genre, referring to himself as the "microphone soloist," and boasting about his abilities as a lyricist. He also touches upon themes of spirituality and cultural identity, referencing Allah and Egyptian pharaohs. Ultimately, Rakim seeks to reclaim his place at the top of the rap game and assert his dominance in the genre.


Line by Line Meaning

It's been a long time
Rakim has been away from the music industry for a long time


It's been a long time
The wait for his return has been long


It's been a long time
People have been eagerly anticipating his return for a long time


It's been a long time
It's been a long time since he has released new music


Rakim, the microphone soloist
Rakim is known for his skills as a rapper and lyricist


Follow procedures, the crowd couldn't wait to see this
The fans were eagerly anticipating Rakim's return to the music world


Nobody been this long awaited since Jesus
Rakim is so highly anticipated that it's comparable to the anticipation of Jesus's return


Who wouldn't believe this, I heard the word on the street is
There are rumors about Rakim's return that are spreading on the streets


I'm still one of the deepest on the mic since Adidas
Rakim is still one of the best rappers and lyricists since he first came on the scene


They said I changed the times from the rhymes that I thought of
Rakim revolutionized the music industry with his rhymes and ideas


So I made some more to put the New World in Order
Rakim created new music to push boundaries and challenge the norm


With Mathematics, put your status above the average
Rakim used complex mathematical concepts in his lyrics to elevate his status above other rappers


And help you rappers, make paragraphs with graphics
Rakim's style of writing helped other rappers improve their lyricism and visuals


'Cause new days is dawnin', new ways of performin'
The future of music is changing and evolving, and Rakim is ready to adapt to these changes


Brainstormin', I write and watch the night turn to mornin'
Rakim spends long hours writing and creating music, watching the night turn into the morning


On and on and, I got the whole world respondin'
Rakim's music is so influential that people all over the world are responding to it


Rock, I keep it hot and blow the spot without warnin'
Rakim's music is powerful and intense, and he can capture his audience's attention without warning


The emperor, well known for inventin' a sentence
Rakim is known for his unique and innovative style of writing lyrics


Full of adventure, turnin' up the temperature
Rakim's lyrics are exciting and keep the listener engaged


Rush with adrenaline, how long has it been again
Rakim is back and ready to infuse energy and excitement into the music industry


To be in the state of mind that Rakim is in?
Rakim's creativity and innovation are unparalleled, and it's hard to replicate his state of mind


When I'm out proppin', either, hangin' or shoppin'
Even when Rakim is out in public, he's focused on creating new music and ideas


People see me, stop and ask me when the album droppin'
Fans are eager to know when Rakim's new album will be released


The wait is over, in formation like a soldier
The long wait is finally over, and Rakim is back with new music


Like I told ya, greater, stronger, now that I'm older
Rakim has grown and matured as an artist, and his music is now stronger and more impactful than ever


I broke the code of silence with overloads of talents
Rakim's skills as a rapper and lyricist are unmatched


My only challenge is not to explode in violence
Rakim is so passionate about his music that he needs to control himself to prevent outbursts of passion


I'm Asiatic, and blazin' microphones' a habit
Rakim is passionate about his music and enjoys performing and rapping


At least once during the course of a day, it's automatic
Rakim can't go a day without creating new music or rapping


In ghetto apparel, mind of a Egyptian pharaoh
Rakim's style and mindset are unique and innovative, like that of an Egyptian pharaoh


Far from shallow, thoughts travel like an arrow
Rakim's ideas and thoughts are deep and profound, and they flow quickly and easily


Allah's monotony, so far they can't stop me
Rakim has divine inspiration and motivation that propels him forward


You know, Ra want property like Mummar Khadafi
Rakim is ambitious and wants to be successful and powerful, like Mummar Khadafi


More thoughts than Bibles, recital taught disciples
Rakim's ideas and messages are more profound and impactful than religious texts like the Bible


A sawed-off mic, so words scatter like a rifle
Rakim's words are powerful and intense, like bullets fired from a sawed-off shotgun


Thoughts that's trifle, I'm bustin' these for you
Rakim's music is meaningful and impactful, and he's creating it specifically for his audience


Ayo, technical difficulties is through
Any issues or obstacles in Rakim's return to music are now resolved


When I flow at night, I show 'em new heights I go to write
Rakim's creativity and skill reach new heights when he's writing and performing music at night


They know I strike with new prototypes to blow the mic
Rakim constantly innovates and creates new music and ideas to impress his audience


Critics and biters don't know where my source of light is
Even Rakim's critics and competitors can't figure out the secret to his success and creative inspiration


Still leave authors and writers with arthritis
Rakim's lyrics are so impactful and profound that other authors and writers struggle to match his level of excellence


Cursed kids like the pyramids when they found the style
Rakim is so innovative and unique that other rappers who try to imitate his style are doomed to failure


First to ever let a rhyme flow down the Nile
Rakim was the first rapper to take hip hop and rap music to new heights and international fame


The rebirth of hip hop'll be dropped now
Rakim's return to music will spark a new period of growth and change in the hip hop community


'Cause the crowd didn't hear the original in a while
Rakim's fans have been waiting a long time to hear new music from him, and his return will be highly anticipated


So be alarmed, what you 'bout to see is the bomb
Rakim's return to music will be explosive and game-changing


Like, 3D in 'Nam, vivid like CD-Rom
Rakim's music is powerful and impactful, and it will be like a 3D experience for his fans


Info kept like internet.com
Rakim's ideas and messages are kept like valuable information on the internet


My notebook's my bond like the Holy Quran
Rakim is dedicated to his craft and uses his notebook to record and preserve his ideas, like the Holy Quran


Since I came in the door, said it before
Rakim has been known for his skills as a rapper and lyricist since the beginning of his career


But, no, I ain't down with Eric B. no more
Rakim has moved on from his previous collaborations with Eric B.


At night the open mic be invitin' me to rhyme
Rakim is constantly inspired to create new music and rap whenever he has the opportunity


So, yo, I'm online, it's been a long time
Rakim is back and active in the music industry, and it's been a long time since his fans have heard new music from him


It's been a long time
It's been a long time since Rakim has released new music


It's been a long time
The wait for Rakim's return to music has been long


It's been a long time
Rakim's fans have been eagerly anticipating his return to music for a long time


It's been a long time
Rakim has been away from the music industry for a long time


It's been a long time
It's been a long time since Rakim's music has been heard by his fans




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eric Barrier, Charles A Bobbit, James Brown, Bobby Byrd, William Griffin, Christopher E Martin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@Grandevauto

Rakim can spit a whole track without saying one curse word! Real hip hop....Amazing !

@davidolajide3707

Like nf today

@SolomonMozart

I'm a Rakim disciple. You should check out my "Five Verses" project. I use three or four curse words very deliberately on the first two verses for emphasis, then the rest is clean rap. I say the f-word twice, the n-word once, and asshole once. Peace.

@martyrx3436

Will Smith been doing that…

@twinglckz8330

@@martyrx3436 nigga will Smith?

@byronherrera6114

Nas?

9 More Replies...

@LucasAdverse

DJ Premier + Rakim = pure bliss

@DylanFowler

Prem in Hindi means bliss.

@PedroSanchez-mv5fh

IF YOU WANT TO HEAR A MODERN RAPPER CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH AS NAS AND RAKIM LYRICALLY CHECK OUT HYNT. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSRO9z5BWLwTmuMkWsOasdQ?view_as=subscriber

@FredDubnah

Preemo

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