cold feeling
Rakim Lyrics


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[Intro: Rakim]
Yeah (allowed it)
Guess who (Raahaaaah)
Uhh, Ayatollah (allowed it)
From the song (Raaah)

[Verse 1: Rakim]
Let the games begin, it's nothing but pain for them
I - don't - play - I - win
I got plain again that's why I came again
It's the R-A-K-I-M
Come through in a by, lean low like I'm doin a crime
Empty ya nines and bend in the dime
Thoughts hard to find that's why I got 'em losin they mind
I'm bettin rhymes, til the end of times
Shame on some, can't wait til the fame is done
You can curse if you pray for the day to come
Stay with the gun, stay in the slum, stay number 1
To the day the earth drift away from the sun
I meditate and let the ancient spirits speak through the pen
So every word I display a true or a gem, or holdin the grim
Still shootin two in ya men
If you think the world's greatest can't do it again

[Chorus](4x)
There's a cold, cold feeling in my heart

[Verse 2: Rakim]
Yo, in the life for thuggin, we like to get high from puffin
Forty-five is bustin, like live percussion
Will them thighs be bobbin
That's why we try to stay alive in hustlin
But some of us die for nothing
Try to clock on the block, that's horn it with boats on it
With Ghetto Legends to America's Most Wanted
Lost souls in the crossroads of sidewalk
Life is soft when you live and die in New York
You've been wrong before
You'll be missin til your picture's on the wall
On the side of a corner store
Either flowin on tour, or goin to war
I was born to ball what the f**k is wrong wit y'all
I wrote the scripture
My lyrics just spoken with a flow
There's no vision whole hit in the motion picture
Watchin the style you see +Apocalypse Now+
And you can feel what I feel when I'm rockin the crowd

[Chorus]

[Verse 3: Rakim]
From beyond the stars, it's the fiend Rah
With a God's spoon to bomb my 16 bars
So when they aks why you grievin huh
Doin my shit ain't bizar
Tell 'em you just seen God
Broads is panick cause Black Jesus is track divas
And packin fiend it's just like heaters, causin panick
Although I'm organic, my rap reaches to where the track
Devious speakers Ra's off the planet
Focus and click I'm unseen so you hope it's a glimpse
Foto reflexes of Total Eclipse
I put the world in a state of a let-up
The way I'm puttin in work
Yo, stay out the way or get hurt
As I mastercrash that allow me to stash the cash
This is the shit, they don't have to blast
So grab your glass, and your grass, and your hash
Cause this is just the beginning of the Aftermath

[Chorus]
No doubt
Word




Thug Baby
New York City

Overall Meaning

The song "Cold Feeling" by Rakim is a powerful and evocative piece that explores many themes such as life in New York, struggle, and violence. From the very first verse, Rakim sets the tone with a sense of urgency and intensity, letting his listeners know that he's not here to play around. The opening line "let the games begin, it's nothing but pain for them" is telling of the type of energy Rakim is bringing to the track. His effortless delivery and mastery of language are evident in lines like "empty your nines and bend in the dime" and "thoughts hard to find that's why I got them losing their mind."


The chorus, "there's a cold, cold feeling in my heart," is repeated throughout the song, serving as a reminder of the harsh realities that Rakim and so many others face in their lives. He addresses issues like hustling on the block and the loss of innocent lives that come with it. He touches on the constant need to stay number one and always be on top, even when the fame is done. The third verse takes on an almost otherworldly quality, with Rakim referencing "beyond the stars" and calling himself the "fiend Rah." He talks about putting the world in a state of let-up, with his work being unmatched and unstoppable.


Overall, "Cold Feeling" is a complex and layered track that showcases Rakim's immense talent as both a rapper and a storyteller. His vivid imagery and immaculate flow make it easy to get lost in the world he's creating through his lyrics.


Line by Line Meaning

Let the games begin, it's nothing but pain for them
I am ready to start and inflict pain on my opponents


I - don't - play - I - win
I am not here to play, only to win


I got plain again that's why I came again
I am returning to my roots to show that I am still great


Come through in a by, lean low like I'm doin a crime
I arrive inconspicuously, like I am doing a crime


Empty ya nines and bend in the dime
I force my opponents to surrender and pay tribute


Thoughts hard to find that's why I got 'em losin they mind
My complex ideas leave my opponents confused and frustrated


I'm bettin rhymes, til the end of times
I am confident in my skills, and will continue to bet on myself forever


Shame on some, can't wait til the fame is done
Some people will only see my worth when I am gone


You can curse if you pray for the day to come
Your negativity only fuels my determination to succeed


Stay with the gun, stay in the slum, stay number 1
Despite adversity, I will always be on top


To the day the earth drift away from the sun
My reign will last until the end of time


I meditate and let the ancient spirits speak through the pen
I draw inspiration from the past to create timeless art


So every word I display a true or a gem, or holdin the grim
My words are either authentic, valuable, or portray harsh realities


Still shootin two in ya men
I am still a force to be reckoned with, even after all these years


If you think the world's greatest can't do it again
Don't underestimate my abilities to rise to the top again


From beyond the stars, it's the fiend Rah
I am otherworldly in terms of talent and ability


Tell 'em you just seen God
My skills are divine and unmatched


Broads is panick cause Black Jesus is track divas
My female fans are excited and panic-stricken due to my undeniable talent


I put the world in a state of a let-up
My music has the power to completely captivate people


So grab your glass, and your grass, and your hash
Celebrate and indulge in my success with drugs and alcohol




Contributed by Keira G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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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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