It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you
Without a strong rhyme to step to
Think of how many weak shows you slept through
Time's up, I'm sorry I kept you
Thinking of this, you keep repeating you miss
The rhymes from the microphone soloist
And you sit by the radio, hand on the dial, soon
As you hear it, pump up the volume
Dance wit the speaker till you hear it blow
Then plug in the headphone, 'cause here it go
It's a four letter word when it's heard, it control
Your body to dance, you got it, soul
Detects the tempo like a red alert
Reaches your reflex, so let it work
When this is playing, you can't get stuck wit
The steps, so get set and I'm a still come up wit
A gift to be swift, follow the leader, the rhyme will go
Def wit the record that was mixed a long time ago
It can be done but only I can do it
For those that can dance and clap your hands to it
I start to think and then I sink
Into the paper like I was ink
When I'm writing, I'm trapped in between the lines
I escape when I finish the rhyme, I got soul
The stage is empty
A beat like this might tempt me
To pose, show my rings and my fat gold chain
Grab the mic like I'm on soul train
But I'll wait, 'cause I mastered this
Let the others go first so the brothers don't miss
Eric B break the sticks, you got it
Rakim will begin when you make the mix
I'll experiment like a scientist
You wanna rhyme, you gotta sign my list
'Cause I'm a manifest and bless the mic I hold
You want it next? Then you gotta have soul
'Cause if you ain't got it, I'm a make an encore
Take the mic, make the people respond for
The R, 'cause that's the way it'll have to be
If you wanna get on after me