Rakim - Strong Island

[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")

Written by:
ERIC BARRIER, WILLIAM GRIFFIN

Publisher:
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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