Chords for Rakim: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

[Dbm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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Welcome to Harlem, the home of innovating.
Legacies and stories of gods killing Satan.
Where they honor Harlem, Father Phillip Peyton.
The renaissance in the making.
_ Joe Louis, Lena Horne, Malcolm, [Abm] Maya, Louis [E] Armstrong.
Yo crime is the new crave, so it's a new [Gbm] crusade.
So salute the new [Dbm] cage, fight for the cause.
All the way [E] to the top, rivalry [Ab] war, life could be [Dbm] lost.
No types of remorse, born with all ways of the pop.
Until the crown is rightfully yours,
but success brings sacrifice.
And no one will say a snake, pressure could crack a pipe.
But everything has a price, but you pay with your life
in the king's paradise. _
_ _ _ _ _ [A] _ [Abm] _ [Dbm]
K-I-N-G, K-I-N-G, a king's paradise.
_ _ _ _ _ _ Check _ _ _ _ _ it, check it, the story gets complicated.
He got framed for a crime and [Eb] incarcerated.
[Dbm] _ Locked up, his altered ego builds.
Experimented on, left him with superhero skills.
Now every day, he gets twice as strong.
Bulletproof skin, but his life is torn.
The only lady he ever loved, and his life is gone.
Escape prison, fight [A] to right his [Dbm] wrongs.
No question, he gonna take on the whole hoodie
in a holy hoodie.
No weapons, no cape on.
One by one, knock him out.
Until cotton mouth [Gbm] is forgot about.
But success brings sacrifice.
And if you thinking this is a piece of cake,
you can have a slice.
But [Dbm] everything has a price, but you pay with your life
in the king's paradise. _
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_ _ _ _ _ _ King's paradise.
_ _ _ Yeah, _ _ _ _ K-I-N-G, K-I-N-G, a king's paradise. _ _ _ _ _ _
Who cares? Oh, shit. _ _ _ _ _
_ [Gbm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [A] _ _ [N] _ _ _ _
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So Rakim, man, you know, you a legend to everybody.
You've inspired so many people.
And it's just crazy to just be here with you.
And we also got Ali in the house.
Sure, yes, sir.
So _ I think we need to just get into some classics, bro.
_ Let's, uh, _ five, _ _ six, seven, eight.
_ [Fm] _ Uh-oh. _
_ _ _ I need everybody in the spot.
They hand up like this right here.
Rub your money fingers together.
We're gonna have a little fun in here.
You know what I mean?
_ _ We'll write it like this.
You know what it is?
We get paid for.
_ _ _ _ [Bbm] _
Uh-huh.
[Cm] _ _ _ _ [Fm] _ _
Yeah.
Come on.
_ _ [Bbm] _ _
_ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ [Fm] _ _
_ Yeah.
Thinking of a master plan.
[Bbm] This ain't nothing but sweat inside my [Eb] hands.
So I dig into [Cm] my pocket on my money [Fm] spent.
Dig deeper.
Still coming up with lint.
So I start my mission.
Leave my [Bbm] residence thinking how could
I get some dead [Cm] presidents?
I need money.
I used to be a stick [Fm] up kid.
So I think of all the devious things I did.
Used to roll up.
This is a hold up.
[Bbm] Nothing funny.
Stop smiling.
We still don't nothing move but the money.
[Eb] But now I learn to earn because I'm [Fm] righteous.
I feel great.
Maybe I might just search for a nine to five.
[Db] If I strive, then maybe I stay [Ab] alive.
So I walk up the street whistling [Fm] this.
Feeling out of place.
This man do I miss?
A pen and a paper.
Stereo [Db] and taper.
Me and every beer and a nice big [Ab] platter.
Fish, which is my favorite [Fm] dish.
But without the money, it's still a wish.
It sound like the dream about getting [Bbm] paid.
I dig into the books or the rhymes that [Eb] I made.
So now to test, see if I got pulled.
Hit the studio.
[Fm] Shump paid in _ _ _ [Bbm] _ _
_ _ [Cm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ [Fm] _ _
_ _ full.
_ _ [Bbm] _ _
_ [Eb] Yeah.
_ _ _ [Fm] _
Shump paid.
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_ [Cm] _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _
_ _ _ [N] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ So _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
hit one more classic.
All right.
One more classic so the band can get a little fun too.
Something with some band fun.
No King Fish said he ready to dig in.
Let's get into some black exploitation type flavor with this.
Right, exploitation.
So yo, this is what we're going to do.
Ali, you start off [Gm] the bass.
So five, six, seven, eight.
I know where y'all at. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Sip juice.
I got enough to go around.
In the dark, chase place uptown.
I grew up on the sidewalk while on the street talking
to talk to Hawthorne York.
I go to Queens for Queens to get the crew from Brooklyn.
And money in Manhattan ain't never been tooken.
Go uptown to the Bronx.
A boogie down strong on the island.
Recruit, lay around.
Time to build my troops.
Back up.
Prop stack up.
Suckers get smacked up.
Don't doubt the clout.
You know what I'm about.
Knock a nigga.
Knock him.
Shaking him up.
Breaking him up.
Waking him up.
Waking him up.
Standing on shaky ground.
Too close to the head.
Let's see if I know the lyrics. _ _ _
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Yeah.
On this trifling shorty's here.
Get cocked, D.
Looking for these beer.
Here's a sip for the crew that's deceased.
If I give revenge, then they rest in peace.
Somebody got a self I just might spare one.
And give a brother a fair one.
Stay lurking on peace.
And I do work with these like Hercules.
Switch the southpaw.
Split your right jaw.
Sound like y'all.
I'm hyper nightfall.
Smooth when I move like an army.
Bulletproof down.
King's brothers saw the bombing.
I'm putting brothers to [G] rest like Elliot Ness.
Because I don't like stress.
[C] So he say the place for innocent [G] bystanders to stand.
Nothing's gonna [Gm] stop the plan.
I kill like Pacino.
Kill like De Niro.
Black damn Pino.
Die like a hero.
Living on shaky ground.
Too close to the head.
Let's see if I [C] _ _ [Gm] _ _
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know the lyrics. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Gm] _ Right here, y'all. _
Shells lay around on the battleground.
Dead bodies are found throughout the town.
Try to feel shame.
I'm a game.
I make a name.
I'ma put it on a bullet.
Put it in your brain.
Rip the block like a buckshot.
Cares where it goes.
Just keep the casket closed.
No remorse when my life is lost.
Pay the rules.
Pay the cost.
Pockets still fat.
Wherever I'm at, I get the welcome mat.
Even if my crew is steep or one deep, I attract attention.
[Bb] People like the [G] people.
So come say hi to the bad guy.
Don't say [Gm] goodbye.
Say I don't plan to die.
So I get loose.
And I got [E] troops.
[D] Crazy [Gm] juice.
Ain't control of many.
But I ain't told commanding.
Hang out with Smith and Wesson.
Who try to play me.
I ain't wore a lot.
I don't want to die.
No more in the shop.
Gun is warm and light.
I cook beef.
Smoke will never clear.
Area is in fear.
They see it's a fear.
Living life too close to the edge.
Hoping that I know the ledge. _
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_ _ _ School morning.
No time to yawn.
Shower's on.
I was on.
Late for school.
Catch [F] the train.
[Gm] Girl sitting in the style.
Whisper my name.
I push up like an exercise.
Check the intellect and inspect the thighs.
Select the best one.
Pull up to the side.
Keep her occupied.
For the [Fm] rest of the day, I'ma be on the run.
[Gm] Read my resume.
She's already cool.
Just meet me after school.
We can moan and groan until your moms come home.
And you'll be calling me Al Gopal.
Home sweat me.
Didn't want to let me loose.
Come get me.
If you want to shift the juice, cross the streets and wake me.
So I take the gun off safety.
A lot of safety coming out of the building.
Set me up.
Sprayed with automatics.
They wet me up.
In a puddle of blood.
Lay close to the edge.
[Gb] Guess I didn't [Gm] _ know _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ the ledge.
[N] I'ma be on the run.
For the rest of the day, I'ma be on the run.
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