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In the words of the late, great |
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Martin Luther |
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King "How long? Not long" ... |
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Won't be long, uh huh |
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Uh, uh Sing along [Chorus - Rakim] (Tracey Horton) - w/ ad libs (It won't be long, 'til the trouble and the struggle is gone The hustle make the struggle get gone) |
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It's hard to make a move, we strugglin |
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Everybody hate to lose but they love to win (It won't be long, 'til the world sings the words to our song That way we forever live on) |
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Back on my grind, |
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I'm hustlin |
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It's just a matter of time and |
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I'll come up again [Verse 1 - Rakim] |
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They told me hustle never prolong |
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But I got caught up in the struggle like a slow song (uh huh) ' |
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Cause my love and respect for this is so strong |
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I question the state of hip-hop (uh), major labels, etc. and so on (uh) |
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The show'll go on, still fiend to get my blow on |
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But if it's like this, then |
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I might quit |
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But hold on (uh), this can only go wrong but for so long (uh huh) |
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Get right quick or |
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I might flip |
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Try to keep a tight lip, not to complain |
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Ramblin, mind scramblin 'cause patience ain't blockin the pain (uh uh) |
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Mic sick, lyrics is still locked in the brain (uh huh) |
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Like Mike |
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Vick sittin in jail watchin the game (uh) |
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I wait 'til the day |
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I can play my position (yeah) |
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Or should |
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I say the die |
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I obey my addiction (uh huh) |
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Then complete my legacy (uh) |
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Without compromisin my artistic integrity (come on) [Chorus] - w/ ad libs [Verse 2 - Rakim] |
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So when they ask where |
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I go from here (go 'head) |
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The road and the goal is clear (uh) but it's so severe (uh) |
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Sometimes |
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I feel like lettin go, |
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I swear I had setbacks my whole career (straight y'all) |
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Messin with my grind's like messin with my mind |
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But yo, I'm still breathin, so |
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I guess it's just a sign (uh huh) |
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But it's meaning to the message in the lines (word up) |
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Some things happen for a reason like a blessing in disguise |
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But success was in my eyes, the shine was blindin me |
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The fame, a little bit of change, it took some time to see |
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The lesson for the wise, profit more |
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Time to be a record and the prize was poppin off |
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Finally I made a couple of moves, got my own label (got to get it) |
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Me and a couple of dudes, we at the dope table (let's get that money) |
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Took a oath to stay true, now it's an empire |
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Put out the new |
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Rakim album and it's fire [Chorus] - w/ ad libs [Verse 3 - Rakim] |
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Feel like |
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I'm back where |
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I belong when |
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I'm in the booth (uh) |
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Produce and perform at my pinnacle (uh huh) |
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Speak the truth in my songs and my interviews (the truth) |
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For the youth and my dons and my women too (uh huh) |
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Guap insisted, watch your business with a drama dunn (get that money) |
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Hustlers is where we get persona from |
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Gotta get it, not just wish a dollar come |
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We optimistic since |
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Obama won |
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But these days of recession |
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We ain't safe yet (uh huh), pray, a paycheck away from the |
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Great Depression (uh) |
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Major stressin but we wait for blessings |
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Long as the |
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Federal Reserve still paper pressing |
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I wrote the plot for gettin this cabbage in the hood |
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Where the average cat can triple his status in the hood |
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Don't stop, 'til we livin lavish in the hood |
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I'm like Barack with |
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The Stimulus |
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Package in the hood [Chorus] - w/ ad libs [Outro - Tracey Horton] - w/ |
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Rakim ad libs until fade |
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It won't be long, 'til the trouble and the struggle is gone |
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The hustle make the struggle get gone |
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It won't be long, 'til the world sings the words to our song |
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That way we forever live on |