Strong Island (Album Version (Explicit))

[Rakim] One two Yeah, yeah, "Rough enough to break New York from Long Island" Yeah it's the God baby, Long Island's own, Barbarian of the microphone, "Rough enough to break New York from Long Island" It's for y'all niggas And the streets just a couple of miles East of Mecca Where peeps touch nothing but style heat and cheddar Compete with ya livelihood to eat better And ain't nothing sweet but the ladies who speak wetta With a torn smile, trying to get my song on file It's on now, the whole town done gone wild Kick rhymes off my heartbeat as a unborn child Then developed a strong style on Long Isle Won't be long now, I started rhyming young I designed for fun, knowing my time would come I started, paying dues DJ'in with crews Learning the inner city rules, conveying the news Soon as the jam start the man's art'll jam parks Slam so hard it remains a landmark The rhyme that I'm styling, smooth as a violin But "Rough enough to break New York from Long Island" ("Rough enough to break New York from Long Island"( Like any G.O.D., loose on a spree for new degrees Things to do and see until nothing is new to me A true MC usually be into a breeze And I can still see New York City through the trees My advance slams put you outside looking in Or the other way around, that depends, look again Took a pen so you could zero in on my book of gems It extends from the Hamptons to Brook-lyn Through every hoodie in town, to learn the Boogie Down Til every DJ around, wanted to put me down Rhymes got rougher til I was ready to blast off And harass all from Suffolk County to Nassau Where we keep the money piling, keep the honies smiling Keep the heater just in case kids start whyling The rhyme that I'm styling, smooth as a violin "Rough enough to break New York from Long Island" ("Rough enough to break New York from Long Island) Grew up in Wyndanch, formerly known as Crime-Danch Me and my mans we travel lands to find jams Where violence usually ends in sirens By all means, we all fiend for finance We make cash on the street called straight path We take class, build with the Gods with great math Everyday true to the street, and never fronted Along the way, learned from the best that ever done it Being exposed to life's highs and lows Got my flows ready for shows, I'm ready for the pros I put it on a tape and then the city I tested Then on the radio the are's requested Now the whole world's whyling, all the girls smiling You know, it's on, soon as they let the crowd in The rhyme that I'm styling, smooth as a violin "Rough enough to break New York from Long Island" Word up.. I want to give a big up to Long Island, stomping grounds, for real ("Rough enough to break New York from Long Island") Crime-Danch, one love baby, word up ("Rough enough to break New York from Long Island") I want to give a crazy shout out to all the DJ's back in the day Who used to let me smoke they microphones, ya know what I mean? Big up to DJ Maniac, DJ Teddy Tuff, and DJ Cool Breeze ("Rough enough to break New York from Long Island") Word up ("Rough enough to break New York from Long Island")