Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Rakim
Rakim
Vocals
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Rakim
Rakim
Composer
William Griffin
William Griffin
Songwriter
Bobby Byrd
Bobby Byrd
Songwriter
Charles Bobbit
Charles Bobbit
Songwriter
Christopher Martin
Christopher Martin
Songwriter
Eric Barrier
Eric Barrier
Songwriter
Fred Babbitt
Fred Babbitt
Songwriter
James Brown
James Brown
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Mo-Suave-A Productions Inc.
Mo-Suave-A Productions Inc.
Producer
Crazy C
Crazy C
Mixing Engineer
DJ Premier
DJ Premier
Producer
James Hoover
James Hoover
Mixing Engineer
Tony Dawsey
Tony Dawsey
Mastering Engineer

Songteksten

[Verse 1]
It's been a long time
[Verse 2]
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 peformin'
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, 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?
[Verse 3]
It's been a long time
Rakim, the microphone soloist
It's been a long time
Rakim, the microphone soloist
[Verse 4]
When I'm out proppin', either, hangin' or shoppin'
People see me, stop and ask me, when the album droppin'
The wait is over, information 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' microphone's a habit
At least once durin' the course of a day, it's automatic
In ghetto apparel, mind of a Egyptian Pharaoh
Far from shallow, thoughts travel like a arrow
Allah's monotony, so far they can't stop me
You know, Ra want property like Muammar 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
Hey,yo, technical difficulties is through
[Verse 5]
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
Rakim, the microphone soloist
[Verse 6]
When I float 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 will 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, 3-D 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
[Verse 7]
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
Rakim, the microphone soloist
It's been a long time
Rakim
It's been a long time
Rakim, Rakim, Rakim
It's been a long time
Written by: Tony Draper, Tristan Jones, William Griffin
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