[Nas:]
"The unauthorized copy. Dedication to my children, my child
Destiny Jones. To my niece and nephews, Suree, Malik, Jabari

The world is yours. Acknowledgements: First off, I wanna
thank God. And I wanna thank everybody for helping me out
with this. Couldn't do it without you. Chapter 1."


[Verse 1: Nas]
January 28, 1968

Born into this world as William Griffin The Great
Chapter 1, Winedance Long Island
Scientific rhymin' invented a new sound when he met with

Eric Barrier from East Sandhurst
The melody they created was the first
Burst on the scene, 1986 with Clap To This

'87 dropped a classic disc
The facts is the tracklist was like four
The vocals, the beats -- according to Marly Marl

Recorded in my hometown Queensbridge
That's why it's so relative
This biography was unauthorized

I spit it how it was given to author Nas
William changed his name at sixteen to Rakim Allah
'Cause Clarence 13X had New York on lock

Gods on every block, jams in every park
I remember hearin' Curtis Blow saying
"It can't get better than this"

'Til Run DMC blew my brains to bits
From leather coats to shell toes to the stan smiths, to Dapper Dan kicks
First million-dollar deal ever in rap, 18th Letter did that

From 41st & Broadway to Uni to MCA
We followed the leader to Harlem's Apollo Theatre
Supreme rapped and the 50 that don't rap

Forte Green, Queens, Long Island wolfpack
Paid In Full posse, hot they was on
And Ra had his firstborn

With the next line I'ma be easy
His wisdom's name is Fifi
EPMD put a record out, was dope

Tension spread, and I quote "Smack me and I smack you back"
Sounded like the answer to the I Ain't No Joke track
For a second it ain't look good

Little tension buzzin' from Winedance to Brentwood
Misunderstood, all forgot by sixteen when I met Freddy Foxx
Totin' burners, the whole coast's most concern was

How was Rakim's flow, made Christians convert with Islamic ways
Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em was the third LP
A sophisticated mean one, before similar voices were King Son

A few others, but sooner or later, the game was Ra's kingdom
At sixteen, son was watchin' him, mesmorized
Respect, not jockin' him, was so amazin', besides

He came on the stage with lasers in his eyes
Walk with me now


[Nas talking]
"Unauthorized biography of Rakim. Epilogue: Mother was
a jazz singer. Nephew to R & B legend Ruth Brown

Discography: Paid In Full, Follow The Leader, Let
The Rhythm Hit 'Em, Don't Sweat The Technique. That's
the end of the group. Went off to solo. Dropped the

R, then the 18th Letter, and I think, somethin', The
Master. Was signed to Aftermath, scheduled to release
an album Oh My God with Dr. Dre. The album was

dismantled because of creative differences. Thee end
to the new beginning. Yeah. Next book, KRS1. Peace."