Rakim - New York [Ya Out There?] [DJ Premier - Original Version]

Another DJ Premier produced joint from “The 18th Letter“. This song is all about representing the Big Apple. In my opinion, the beat is one of Premier’s finest pieces of art to date, with beautifully used sample of James Brown’s “Down And Out In New York City“. Lyrics: DJ Premier cuts: “If you were born in New York city let me hear say ’you know that’! You know that!“ “I was born in New York city“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “No doubt“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ “No doubt“ “New York city“ “Ya out there?“ “New York, New York“ “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “No doubt“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ “No doubt“ “New York city“ “Ya out there?“ “New York, New York“ “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ [Rakim] Aiyyo, once upon a rhyme where the scenery sets, you see stress Streets a matter of life and death, no regrets Lifes a test, strife, wit’ special effects Neighbourhoods full of reps, cities are projects Where the young cadets get stripes from the vets And comrades quest to be the next to finesse Collect debts and select bets with death threats Object - cheddar, better your total net Where trends are set from ways to express the outfits Friends get wet tryin’ to make ends connect Avenues to check, boulevards to sweat The smell of gunsmoke more common than cigarettes We got clicks for wreck We like pits for pets We got giants and jets, the knicks, yanks and mets We like much respect and sex extra wet And high-tech dialect, you ain’t catch yet DJ Premier cuts: “The Bronx“ “Ya out there?“ “No doubt“ “Ya out there?“ “Brooklyn“ “Ya out there?“ “No doubt“ [Rakim] Aiyyo, we got blocks and glocks with Big shots with big knots and big props Yo this is where the bullshit stops Where herbs get got, if you snitch you get shot We get down and leave the town in a state of shock We got dangerous hangout spots and slick cops Place called Rikers Island where kids get locked A lotta gear to rock with blocks of clothes shops Styles are top notch, this is the place to buy So bust the box the radio, station is hot Ease your mind staring at skylines from rooftops Flip scripts for chips, and new whips of the lot Quick to call a shot, politic with thick plots And eh, carnegie niggers a see what we got To make sure the core of the big apple don’t rot Where seeings believing we be achieving a lot Since disc jocks created hip hop, check it out! “Queens“ “Ya out there?“ “No doubt“ “Manhattan“ “Ya out there?“ “No doubt“ “Ya out there?“ “New York city“ “Staten Island“ “New York, New York“ “Long Island“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ [Rakim] Aiyo, we got five bouroughs of ghettos With many places to meet, you get lost in city streets The city that never sleeps Mecca ? medina the population increase The desert and the oasis, New York, the far east With gods and sheiks Pretty amazons for weeks Player dons that fleece the familys black sheep Icons that teach that we all act unique We got stats to reach so we all have to eat A mass of peeps, with they own masterpiece The crafts elite, we be going past the beat The latest technique no other place get as deep Who parks release some of the worlds greatest athletes DJ’s and MC’s and graffiti artists Who use walls and subway trains for markies We go back to b-boys, breakdancing, breakbeats And it’ll never cease and on that note We say peace DJ Premier cuts: “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “No doubt“ “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ “No doubt“ “New York city“ “Ya out there?“ “New York, New York“ “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “Ya out there?“ “New York“ “No doubt“