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Back to Paid in Full 25-Year Anniversary

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Lyrics: "Thinking of a master plan/ 'Cause ain't nothing but sweat inside my hand/ So I dig into my pocket, all my money spent/ So I dig deeper, but still coming up with lint"

Song: "Paid in Full"

"Paid In Full" is one of hip-hop's most beloved songs, especially the Coldcut remix. The track opens with this line, where Rakim is trying to find a way to make money off his rhymes. It's a plight that many rappers to this day can relate to -- from the richest to the poorest. Rakim at this point was just starting his long, fruitful career, but everyone has to start somewhere and needs the drive to do it. For Ra, it was finding nothing in his pockets and writing rhymes to fill them.