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Uplift Lyrics by Rakim

The Master

1999

[Chorus: Sample]
"Levantaré"

[Verse 1]
Yeah, it's just ghetto, kid test the devil to hit the next level
Wish they was a rebel with cerebral mettle
Inflex the bezzle with the peddle to the metal
In a thug's paradise where love have a price
So we love for life like thugs love the night
They sell drugs for ice for the Benz with the bug lights
Some hug mics to the world, hung like parasites
But life's lethal, and might mislead you
A sneak preview, watch what we do and what the hood teach you
I still see through the eye of a needle
So I can watch people
Because love backwards is evil

[Chorus: Sample]
"Levantaré"

[Verse 2]
Yo, what's this? Yo bust this. Yo it's time to uplift
They think all we do is bust clips and puff splifs
And plush whips and clutch chips and touch chicks
Flaunt rocks like Fort Knox and hawk blocks
Taunt cops with more props we want not
Panhandling with your mans and them
Scrambling, gambling, plans to win
While the cops clock 'em, fiends flock 'em
Women watch 'em, traders wanna top 'em
Ay yo what's the problem
Before the narcs knock em obviously playas plot to rob em
The ghetto got 'em, my man said it's rough at the bottom

[Chorus: Sample]
"Levantaré"

[Verse 3]
Ghetto alert, let's do whatever work to get rid of the curse
We went from 1st to America's worst
On this competitive turf, now let's inherit the earth
Let's form plots with one another, and call shots
From 12:00 o'clock 'til the next ball drop
All year around cause we suffer nonstop
You think it's rough at the bottom, it's even rougher on top
My peeps gonna have to reach and turn for me
And everybody's side of the street'll be sunny
Ain't nothing funny, burn plenty of firm honeys
And earn money and watch the century turn 20

[Chorus: Sample]
"Levantaré"

[Verse 4]
We all should, from the woods to the big city and the small hood
Everybody should be welcome to the ball if we all could
But we fall cause we brawl, yo it ain't all good
We need to play right, stay tight with ya air alight
Keep your game tight, no need to play trife
Get cheese from the daylight to the late night
And it's shouldn't take death to appreciate life
Before a lot perish, we got to cherish if Allah let us
Get proper nourish 'til the block flourish
In this metropolis, stay on top of this
You know what the prophet is, be prosperous

[Chorus: Sample]
"Levantaré"

[Verse 5]
Now we networking
Respect the next person, it'll be less hurting
Or left lurkin, while we kept our dreads working
Connect set for certain, total networking
Last chance to advance and stash grands
If you have plans to have fam and mad land
Own shine, condone crime or hold 9s
I know what the problem is, killing our own kind
To my flame throwers, train sober, remain soldiers
Stay sane so these pretty dames can hold us
Terror terrain rollers and Range Rovers so the train goers
Claim your fame, maintain, till your game's over

[Chorus: Sample]
"Levantaré"

[Verse 6]
Ghetto alert, let's do whatever work to get rid of the curse
We went from 1st to America's worst
On this competitive turf, now let's inherit the earth
There's more prize for one another, and call shots
12:00 o'clock 'til the next ball drop
All year around plus they shuffle nonstop
You think it's rough at the bottom, it's even rougher on top
My peeps gonna have to reach and turn for me
And everybody's side of the street'll be sunny
Ain't nothing funny, burn plenty and burn money
And earn money and watch the century turn 20

[Chorus: Sample]
"Levantaré"
Credits

About “Uplift” by Rakim

Read the complete lyrics to "Uplift" by Rakim from the album "The Master" in 1999. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Conscious Hip-Hop, Boom Bap, East Coast Rap.

"Uplift" is performed by Rakim. from the album "The Master" in 1999 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Uplift", explore more songs by Rakim using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Uplift" is credited to Rakim. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Uplift" appears on "The Master" in 1999.

Visit the Rakim artist page at /artist/rakim for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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