Rakim

Rakim

Rakim (full name Rakim Allah, born William Michael Griffin Jr, January 28 1968, in Wyandanch, Long Island, New York) is an African-American rapper. His new rapping style which was smooth, seemingly effortless, and had remarkably complex rhyming schemes involving internal-rhymes and metaphors.

Biography

The nephew of R&B star Ruth Brown, Rakim became involved in the New York hip hop scene at a young age. He became a Muslim, taking the name Rakim Allah, in 1984. Rakim's impact on Hip Hop was so impressive that it helped him top more free 'Greatest MC' Polls than any other MC.

Eric B. & Rakim

In 1985 he formed a musical partnership. Eric B. and Rakim subsequently became one of the most well-known and influential groups to emerge from hip hop's so-called "Golden Age" (1986-1993), with many of their tracks becoming hip hop classics, including "Follow The Leader", "Paid In Full", "Eric B Is President", "Microphone Fiend", and "Don't Sweat the Technique". Prior to Rakim's arrival on the scene, hip hop rhyming still exhibited strong ties to rapping's roots in improvisatory toasting, in very regular meter and rhyme scheme (Run DMC, Kurtis Blow, and others), with simple lyrics and a steady and heavily prounounced rhythm. Rakim, in contrast, says he tried to model his flow after the saxophone's instrumentation in a jazz song. The All Music Guide's Steve Huey wrote in the early 2000s that "Rakim's flow is smooth and liquid, inflected with jazz rhythms and carried off with an effortless cool that makes it sound as though he's not even breaking a sweat. He raised the bar for MC technique higher than it had ever been." Rakim's use of metaphor and elaborate phrasing (in contrast to previous hip hop's relatively simple lyricism) was also extremely influential, with Pitchfork Media critic Jess Harvell writing in 2005 that "Rakim's innovation was applying a patina of intellectual detachment to rap's most sacred cause: talking shit about how you're a better rapper than everyone else. He was the supreme exponent of rapping-about-rapping." However beneath this surface of subject matter there frequently was some deeper metaphorical message. In general for example, Rakim as a rapper represented the spitirtual or moral teacher, the audience that was to be entertained were his students and the rappers he lyrically disposed of represented those who were willfully opposed to the path of wisdom (life wisdom). "Scientists try to solve the context, Philosopher's are wondering what's next. Pieces are took to last who observe them, They couldn't absorb them, they didn't deserve them; my ideas are only for the audience's ears, for my opponents it might take years" -Rakim, Don't Sweat The technique (1991). On the violent streets of New York city in the 1980's and early 90's, many rappers saw fit to include messages of moral education in their music and Rakim was at the forefront of this movement, employing both literal and figurative language in his lyrics to that end.

Solo career

Eric B. & Rakim broke up in 1992 after releasing four albums. Due to legal wrangling over royalties and his contracts with both his record label and with Eric B, Rakim did not release a solo album for another five years. He returned in 1997 with The 18th Letter, which included collaborations with DJ Premier and Pete Rock; released in two versions, one of which included an Eric B. & Rakim greatest hits disc titled The Book of Life, the album was fairly well-received critically and was certified gold. In 1999, Rakim released The Master, which was considerably less successful than its predecessor, failing to crack the Top 50 on Billboard's album chart and receiving mixed reviews.

Rakim was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label in the early 2000s, for work on an album tentatively titled Oh My God. The album underwent numerous changes in artistic direction and personnel and was delayed several times. While working on the album, Rakim made guest appearances on numerous Aftermath projects, including the hit single "Addictive" by Truth Hurts, the Dr. Dre-produced "The Watcher Part 2" by Jay-Z, and Eminem's 8 Mile soundtrack. However Rakim left the label in 2003 and Oh My God was indefinitely shelved, a result of creative differences with Dre.

On April 27, 2004, Rakim was arrested regarding an outstanding paternity matter from 2001. The rapper said he was unaware of the warrant, but he agreed to pay $2,000 in child support for his 14 year-old son. He was released the next day but because of the warrant, that night's Wu-Tang Clan performance (opening for Ghostface) at the Roseland Ballroom was canceled.

Rakim claimed to be working on a new album in 2004 but as of 2006, it has not been released. Recent rumors have claimed that he is planning to sign to Talib Kweli's label, fueled by their collaboration on the track "Getting Up Anthem Part 1". While nothing came of the rumors, Ra has stated he is still considering the label as distribution.

In 2006, Rakim claimed to be currently working on a new album, scheduled to be released this year, titled The Seventh Seal based on the passage in the Book of Revelations. According to Rakim, he is taking the seventh seal and "making it relevant to hip hop and life itself." As of now, no official news on what label is handling the distribution for the album. At his November 25, 2006 concert at BB Kings, Rakim announced that he will be releasing the first single from his upcoming album in January, 2007 to be followed by the release of the new album in February.

Rakim also announced that he will be embarking on a 22-date national tour starting in mid-August.

In March 2007 Chinga Chang Records will release "Offical Joints" with new music from Rakim and other NYC rappers.

Legacy

Many hip hop/rap artists (both underground and mainstream) acknowledge a huge debt to Rakim's innovative style; one of his more prominent fans is Nas, who dedicated a song to Rakim, "U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim)", on his album, Street's Disciple.

Rakim is one of the greatest lyricist in hip hop history,and also made cameos in the Juelz Santana video "Mic Check", the Timbaland & Magoo video "Cop That Disc" and the Busta Rhymes video "New York Shit". Eric B. and Rakim's classic album Paid In Full was named the greatest hip hop album of all time by MTV.

Discography

Albums

Solo:

• The 18th Letter/The Book Of Life (2CD) (1997) (Gold)
• The Master (1999)
• The Seventh Seal (Ra Records 2007)

With Eric B:

• Paid in Full (1987) (Platinum)
• Follow the Leader (1988) (Gold)
• Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990) (Gold)
• Don't Sweat The Technique (1992)

Mixtapes:

• J-Love - Legends Vol.1 (2004)

Also appears on

• "Friends" (with Jody Watley) (1989)
• "Contribution" (with Mica Paris) (1991)
• "Heat It Up" (from the soundtrack to the film Gunmen) (1993)
• "Shades of Black" (from the Pump Ya Fist: Hip-Hop Inspired by the Black Panthers album) (1995)
• "Hoodlum" (with Mobb Deep and Big Noyd) (1997)
• "Off The Hook" (with Jody Watley) (1998)
• "Metaforce" (with Art of Noise) (1999)
• "Concrete Jungle" (with Bob Marley) (1999) (Chant Down Babylon)
• "The Militia II" (with Gang Starr and WC) (1999)
• "I'll Buss 'Em U Punish 'Em" (with Canibus) (2000)
• "I Am" (G-Dep featuring Kool G Rap and Rakim (2001) (Child of the Ghetto)
• "After U Die" (with Dr. Dre) (Dretox) (2005)
• "Addictive" (with Truth Hurts) (2002)
• "R.A.K.I.M." (from the 8 Mile soundtrack) (2002)
• "The Watcher 2" (Jay-Z featuring Dr. Dre, Rakim, and Truth Hurts) (2002) (The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse)
• "Streets Of New York" (with Alicia Keys and Nas) (The Diary of Alicia Keys) (2003)
• "Getting Up Anthem" (with Talib Kweli) (2005)
• Recites the hook of "You Know The Deal" off Lloyd Banks' Rotten Apple