The Source |Lazarus Becomes First Detroit Rapper to Collab With Rakim On His Latest Single “Not To Be Defined”

In a uncommon and historic second for Hip Hop, Detroit emcee Lazarus groups up with the legendary Rakim, delivering a soul-stirring, bar-heavy anthem titled “To not Be Outlined.” Greater than only a collaboration, this monitor serves as a generational bridge uniting golden period precision with modern-day grit, mind, and cultural delight.

Rakim, usually hailed as “The God MC,” laid the lyrical basis for all the pieces hip-hop would finally turn into. His inner rhyme schemes, godlike presence, and cerebral bars redefined the MC archetype. To listen to him side-by-side with Lazarus, a full time board licensed doctor and full time rapper, is to witness two wordsmiths with a shared respect for lyricism, fact, and impression.

The place Rakim brings timeless knowledge and basic cadence, Lazarus counters with Detroit authenticity, world perspective, and surgical sharpness, all delivered with a fireplace that refuses to be diluted.

Lazarus faucets into his Punjabi heritage and upbringing within the Motor Metropolis. He has been bred by the elite emcees of Detroit, having labored with and mentored by the likes of D12 and Royce Da 5’9”. He carries the soul of Motown with him by each verse and proudly reps his metropolis right here on this monitor as he makes historical past by changing into the primary ever Detroit artist to collab and shoot a music video with Rakim.

“You possibly can’t put me in no field, I’m not to be outlined.” The refrain alone summarizes the music’s mission: to interrupt boundaries musical, cultural, and private. Whether or not referencing road life, systemic traps, or the temptations of fame, each MCs warn, train, and elevate, by no means straying from their roots or ethical compass.

This isn’t a monitor chasing radio developments or TikTok virality. It’s a press release piece. A manifesto. An act of rebel in opposition to the watered-down mainstream, and a reminder that actual hip-hop nonetheless breathes alive in message, supply, and soul.

Strains like “I make a predator retreat, get a president impeached” or “Bought the guts of a Punjabi, you thinkin’ you courageous?” are greater than intelligent; they’re weapons of thought, aimed immediately on the listener’s conscience.

For Lazarus, it is a crowning second in a profession that’s at all times leaned on substance over floor. For Rakim, it’s one other notch in a belt that already carries the burden of a whole style’s evolution.

Collectively, they’ve created one thing that feels much less like a music and extra like a cultural doc—an audio scroll of road knowledge, resistance, and delight.

In an age of disposable singles and fleeting fame, “To not Be Outlined” stands as a monument etched in ability, imaginative and prescient, and fact. It’s a reminder that some voices can’t be labeled, tamed, or ignored. As a result of some artists don’t match the mildew they break it.