Eric B. & Rakim — Follow The Leader

[Verse 1: Rakim] Follow me into a solo, get in the flow And you can picture like a photo Music mix, mellow maintains to make Melodies for emcees, motivates the breaks I'm everlasting, I can go on for days and days With rhyme displays that engrave deep as x-rays I can take a phrase that's rarely heard Flip it - now it's a daily word I can get iller than 'Nam, I kill and bomb But no alarm - Rakim'll remain calm Self-esteem makes me super, superb and supreme But for a microphone, still I fiend This was a tape, I wasn't supposed to break I was supposed to wait, but let's motivate I want to see you keep following and swallowing Taking and making, biting and borrowing Brothers tried and others died to get the formula But I'mma let you sweat, you still ain't warm, you a Step away from frozen, stiff as if you're posing Dig into my brain as the rhyme gets chosen So follow me and while you're thinking you were first Let's travel at magnificent speeds around the universe What could you say as the Earth gets further and further away Planets as small as balls of clay Astray into the Milky Way, worlds out of sight Far as the eye can see not even a satellite Now stop and turn around and look As you stare in the darkness, your knowledge is took So keep staring, soon you suddenly see a star You better follow it, 'cause it's the R This is a lesson if you're guessing and if you're borrowing Hurry hurry step right up and keep following the leader [Verse 2: Rakim] This is a lifetime mission, vision a prison Aight, listen In this journey you're the journal, I'm the journalist Am I eternal? Or an eternalist? I'm about to flow long as I can possibly go Keep you moving 'cause the crowd said so Dance! Cuts rip your pants Eric B on the blades bleeding to death, call the ambulance Pull out my weapon and start to squeeze A magnum as a microphone, murdering emcees Let's quote, a rhyme from a record I wrote (Follow the leader) Yeah, dope 'Cause every time I stop it seems you're stuck As soon as you try to step off you self-destruct I came to overcome before I'm gone By showing and proving and letting knowledge be born Then after that I live forever. You disagree? You say never? Then follow me From century to century, you'll remember me In history, not a mystery or a memory God by nature, mind raised in Asia Since you was tricked, I have to raise ya From the cradle to the grave But remember - you're not a slave 'Cause we was put here to be much more than that But we couldn't see because our mind was trapped But I'm here to break away the chains, take away the pains Remake the brains, rebuild my name I guess nobody told you a little knowledge is dangerous It can't be mixed, diluted, it can't be changed or switched Here's a lesson if you're guessing and borrowing Hurry, hurry step right up and keep following the leader [Verse 3: Rakim] A furified freestyle - lyrics of fury My third eye make me shine like jewelry You're just a rent-a-rapper, your rhymes are minute-maid I'll be here when it fade, I'll watch you flip like a renegade I can't wait to break and eliminate On every traitor or snake, so stay awake And follow and follow because the tempo's a trail The stage is a cage, the mic is a third rail I'm Rakim, the fiend of a microphone I'm not him, so leave my mic alone Soon as the beat is felt, I'm ready to go So fasten your seatbelt, 'cause I'm about to flow No need to speed, slow down and let the leader lead Word to daddy...indeed The R's a rolling stone, so I'm rolling Directions is told then the rhymes are stolen Stop buggin' a brother said dig him, I never dug him He couldn't follow the leader long enough so I drug him Into danger zone he should arrange his own Face it, it's basic, erase it change your tone There's one R in the alphabet It's a one letter word and it's about to get More complex from one rhyme to the next Eric B. be easy on the flex I've been from state to state, followers tailgate Keep coming but you came too late, but I'll wait So back up, regroup, get a grip, come equipped You're the next contestant, clap your hands, you won a trip The price is right don't make a deal too soon How many notes, can you name this tune? Follow the leader is a title/theme/task Now you know, you don't have to ask Rap is Rhythm and Poetry, cuts create sound effects You might catch up if you follow the records E wrecks Until then keep eating and swallowing You better take a deep breath and keep following the leader