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