[Intro: Rakim]
In the words of the late, great Martin Luther King
"How long? Not long" ...
Won't be long, uh huh
Uh, uh
Sing along

[Hook: Tracey Horton] (with Rakim ad-libs)
It won't be long 'til the trouble and the struggle is gone
The hustle make the struggle get gone
It's hard to make a move, we strugglin
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
Back on my grind, I'm hustlin
It's just a matter of time and I'll come up again

[Verse 1: Rakim]
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, etc. 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
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 can play my position (yeah)
Or should I say the day I obey my addiction (uh huh)
Then complete my legacy (uh)
Without compromising my artistic integrity (come on)
[Hook: Tracey Horton] (with Rakim ad-libs)

[Verse 2: Rakim]
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
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 like a blessing in disguise
But success was in my eyes, the shine was blindin me
The fame, a little bit of change, it took some time to see
The lesson for the wise, profit more
Time to be a record and the prize was poppin off
Finally I made a couple of moves, got my own label (got to get it)
Me and a couple of dudes, we at the dope table (let's get that money)
Took a oath to stay true, now it's an empire
Put out the new Rakim album and it's fire

[Hook: Tracey Horton] (with Rakim ad-libs)

[Verse 3: Rakim]
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 business with a drama dunn (get that money)
Hustlers is where we get persona from
Gotta get it, not just wish a dollar come
We optimistic since Obama won
But these days of recession
We ain't safe yet (uh huh), pray, a paycheck away from the Great Depression (uh)
Major stressin but we wait for blessings
Long as the Federal Reserve still paper pressing
I wrote the plot for gettin this cabbage in the hood
Where the average cat can triple his status in the hood
Don't stop, 'til we livin lavish in the hood
I'm like Barack with The Stimulus Package in the hood
[Hook: Tracey Horton] (with Rakim ad-libs)

[Outro: Tracey Horton] (with Rakim ad-libs until fade)
It won't be long, 'til the trouble and the struggle is gone
The hustle make the struggle get gone
It won't be long, 'til the world sings the words to our song
That way we forever live on