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Back to Paid in Full 25-Year Anniversary

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Lyrics: "It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you/ Without a strong rhyme to step to/ Think of how many weak shows you slept through/ Time's up, I'm sorry I kept you"

Song: "I Know You Got Soul"

On a debut album, apologizing to your audience for the wack rhymes they've been forced to listen to until you showed up is a bold move. Perhaps that's why Rakim was such a charismatic figure in hip-hop since his emergence. He basically announced to the masses that anyone before him was not measuring up, and he arrived to fix that. From a lack of "strong rhymes" to "weak shows," Ra was stating that there was a deficit in hip-hop and he was there to fill that void. Mission accomplished.