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Rakim

William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), known by his stage names Rakim (or simply Ra), Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time.[1][2][3][4] Eric B. & Rakim's classic album Paid In Full was named the greatest hip hop album of all time by MTV.

In addition to his career as a rap artist, he is an author and a poet. Rakim's rapping, which pioneered the use of internal rhymes in hip hop, set a higher standard of lyricism in the genre and served as a template for future rappers. Rakim began his career as a emcee for part of one of the most important rap duos of the golden age hip hop era: Eric B. & Rakim.

Early life

Rakim is the nephew of American R&B singer and actress Ruth Brown. He grew up in Wyandanch, New York, and became involved in the New York hip hop scene at 18. Eric B. brought him to Marley Marl’s house to record "Eric B. is President." At the time Griffin was fresh out of high school and on his way to college, but he decided to forgo higher education and instead chose to record with Eric B.[1]

Griffin was introduced to the Nation of Islam in 1986, joined The Nation of Gods and Earths (also known as the 5 Percent Nation), and took the name to Rakim Allah.[5]

Rapping career

In 1986, Rakim started to work with New York-based producer-DJ Eric B. The duo — known as Eric B & Rakim — is widely regarded as among the most influential and groundbreaking of hip-hop groups.

On July 7, 1987, the duo released their debut album, Paid in Full, on the Island-subsidiary label 4th & B'way Records. The duo recorded the album at hip hop producer Marley Marl's home studio and Power Play Studios in New York City, following Rakim's response to Eric B.'s search for a rapper to complement his disc jockey work in 1984. The album peaked at number fifty-eight on the Billboard 200 chart and produced five singles: "Eric B. Is President", "I Ain't No Joke", "I Know You Got Soul", "Move the Crowd", and "Paid in Full".

"Eric B. Is President" was released as the first single with "My Melody" as the B-side.[6] It peaked at number forty-eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and number forty on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales.[7] The track sparked debate on the legality of unauthorized sampling when James Brown sued to prevent the duo's use of his music.[8] PopMatters' Mark Anthony Neal called it "the most danceable hip-hop recording" of 1986.[9] Touré of The New York Times wrote of the song, "It is Rakim's verbal dexterity as well as his calm, deep voice and dark tone that has made this song a rap classic: 'I came in the door/ I said it before/ I'll never let the mic magnetize me no more/ But it's bitin' me/ Fightin' me/ Invitin' me to rhyme/ I can't hold it back/ I'm looking for the line/ Takin' off my coat/ Clearin' my throat/ The rhyme will be kickin' it/ Til I hit my last note.'"[10] The second single, "I Ain't No Joke", peaked at number thirty-eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[7] Described as one of the album's "monumental singles",[11] Michael Di Bella wrote in the All Music Guide to Rock that "Rakim grabs the listener by the throat and illustrates his mastery of the rhyming craft".[12]

The third single, "I Know You Got Soul", peaked at number thirty-nine on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, number thirty-four on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales, and number sixty-four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[7] The track's production contains "digitized cymbal crashes, breathing sounds, and a bumping bass line."[13] The song popularized James Brown samples in hip hop songs.[14] The British band M|A|R|R|S sampled the line, "Pump up the volume", on their number one UK single, "Pump Up the Volume".[15] Rolling Stone ranked it at number 386 on "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[16] The fourth single, "Move the Crowd", peaked at number three on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and number twenty-five on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales.[7] The track's b-side, "Paid in Full", was released as a single in 1987 and later remixed by the production duo Coldcut. The remix used several vocal samples, most prominently "Im Nin'Alu" by Israeli singer Ofra Haza.[15] In 2008, the song was ranked at number twenty-four on VH1's "100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs".[17]

Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released July 25, 1988 on MCA-subsidiary label Uni Records. It is the follow-up to their debut album Paid in Full (1987). The album was recorded at Power Play Studios in New York City and produced, arranged, and composed by the duo, with additional contributions from Rakim's brother Stevie Blass Griffin.

While its singles attained moderate success, the album performed better on music charts than Eric B. & Rakim's debut album and reached number 22 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Albums chart. It has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States. Released during the hip hop's "golden age", Follow the Leader was well-received by critics and has since been recognized by music writers as one of the most groundbreaking and influential hip hop albums of all time.

Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em

Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em is the third album by groundbreaking hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released in 1990. The group's sound develops further, with Rakim adopting a deeper, more aggressive tone of voice, and more mature and serious subject matter. Musically, the production ranges from smoother soulful tracks such as "In the Ghetto" to the hard-edge assault of the title track "Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em." Despite the fact that it doesn't boast singles as popular as the duo's previous albums ("Paid in Full" and "Follow the Leader") it is considered by many to be the duo’s most coherent album. The album is one of a few that have received a "five-mic" rating when it was reviewed in The Source. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.

The back cover features a dedication to the memories of Rakim's father William and producer Paul C.,[18] who had worked on many of the album's tracks before his murder in July 1989. His protégé Large Professor completed his work. Neither receive credit in the album's notes.[19][20]

Don't Sweat the Technique and dissolution of the duo

Don't Sweat the Technique was Eric B. and Rakim's fourth and final album, released in 1992. The title track was a minor radio hit. "Casualties of War" was also released as a single and contains some of Rakim's most political lyrics. "Know the Ledge" first appeared in the film Juice under the title "Juice (Know the Ledge)".

However, Eric B. refused to sign the label's release contract, fearful that Rakim would abandon him. This led to a long and messy court battle involving the two musicians and their former label MCA Records. The legal wrangling eventually led to the duo dissolving completely.

Solo career

Rakim eventually returned to recording in 1997 with The 18th Letter, which included collaborations with DJ Premier and Pete Rock; which was released in two versions, one of which included an Eric B. & Rakim greatest hits disc titled The Book of Life. The critical reception of the album was positive, and it was certified gold.

In 1999, Rakim released The Master, which received very good reviews as well.[1]

Aftermath Entertainment

Rakim was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label in 2000,[21] 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.[22] After Rakim eventually left Aftermath Entertainment, he stated that the reason he departed the label was because of creative differences with Dr. Dre. Rakim used a metaphorical example that Dr. Dre wanted Rakim to write about killing someone, while Rakim wanted to write about the resurrection of someone.[23]Rakim signed with DreamWorks Records shortly afterward, but the label closed its doors shortly after that.

Other experiences

In 1995, Rakim released a previously unreleased song called "New York to Cali." The song was included in the album Unreleased Jewels and later appeared on a compilation called Dirty Harry Make My Day.

Rakim 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". In 1999, he worked with The Art of Noise on a single entitled "Metaforce".[24]

Rakim was engaged in a lawsuit with reggaeton performer R.K.M (formerly Rakim) over the use of the name "Rakim". Rakim won the rights to the name.

Rakim was featured in an All-Pro Football 2K8 commercial.

Rakim played for the first time in 12 years in England, at the Camden Jazz Cafe, on the 2nd June 2011. He played to an audience of about 350 people including guest Jack Prendergast.

The Seventh Seal

The Seventh Seal was released on November 17, 2009, after several delays on Rakim's own Ra Records, TVM, and SMC Recordings and distributed through Fontana and Universal Music Group.[25] Considered a comeback album after a ten-year gap between releases, the album features the two singles: "Holy Are You", which was released on July 14, 2009, and "Walk These Streets" which was released on October 7, 2009. It features production from several renowned hip hop artists, including Nottz, Needlz, Jake One, and Nick Wiz [26]

The album sold 12,000 copies in the United States by November 22, 2009, according to SoundScan.[27] Upon its release, The Seventh Seal received generally mixed or average reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 59/100 from Metacritic.[28]

In an interview with Billboard in 2007, when asked about story behind the title, Rakim said,

The number 7 has a lot of significance. The seventh letter of the [Supreme] alphabet is G—that stands for God. There are seven continents, seven seas. The Seventh Seal deals with that and also some revelations in the Bible. Some call it the end of the world, but for me it's the end of the old and the beginning of the new. By me naming my album that, I'm using it metaphorically in hip hop. I'm hoping to kill the old state of hip hop and start with the new.[29]

In an interview in early 2009, when asked about the new generation of hip hop fans, Rakim said,

I don't accept that the new generation is looking for anything different than what we've always been looking for. Depending on the moment, they want bangers that make them crack their neck, they want tracks that put them in a zone where they can sit back and chill. The ladies want something that makes them feel sexy and loved. And everyone wants something that makes them think a little bit — at least sometimes. Every generation wants that real hip-hop. And I've always been able to bring that.[30]

In another interview with Billboard in 2009, he stated,

The seals are from the Bible—Revelations and the coming of the Apocalypse. But Islam, Judaism, Christianity—all have a version of the same events. The Lion of Judah breaks the seven seals one by one, each imparting knowledge and inflicting catastrophe, ending with seven trumpets announcing the end of Times. After the Apocalypse, God rises from the ashes to recreate the Kingdom, taking only the greatest elements from the past with them. When you look at Hip-Hop, I want to do that: to spit fire and take our best from the ashes to build our kingdom; to recognize all the regional styles, conscious lyrics, the tracks, underground, mainstream, the way we treat each other. Lose the garbage and rebuild our scene. I've always tried to insert consciousness and spirituality in my records, interpreting the writings of all cultures and religions and how they apply to life in modern times.[31]

Music and style rhyme technique

Rakim's rhyming deviated from the simple rhyme patterns of early 1980s hip hop. His free-rhythm style ignored bar lines and had earned comparisons to Thelonious Monk.[6] The New York Times' Ben Ratliff wrote that Rakim's "unblustery rapping developed the form beyond the flat-footed rhythms of schoolyard rhymes".[32] While many rappers developed their technique through improvisation, Rakim was one of the first to demonstrate advantages of a writerly style, as with for instance his pioneering use of internal rhyme.[33] Unlike previous rappers such as LL Cool J, KRS-One, and Run-D.M.C., who delivered their vocals with high energy, Rakim employed a relaxed, stoic delivery.[34][35] According to MTV, "We'd been used to MCs like Run and DMC, Chuck D and KRS-One leaping on the mic shouting with energy and irreverence, but Rakim took a methodical approach to his microphone fiending. He had a slow flow, and every line was blunt, mesmeric."[36] Rakim's relaxed delivery resulted from his jazz influences; he had played the saxophone and was a John Coltrane fan.[6][37][38][39] His subject matter often covered his own rapping skills and lyrical superiority over other rappers.[40][41]

Allmusic editor Steve Huey characterized Rakim for his "complex internal rhymes, literate imagery, velvet-smooth flow, and unpredictable, off-the-beat rhythms."[42] Pitchfork Media writer Jess Harvell described his rapping as "authoritative, burnished, [and] possessing an unflappable sense of rhythm".[41] Paid in Full, which contains gritty, heavy, and dark beats,[43] marked the beginning of heavy sampling in hip hop records.[32] Of the album's ten tracks, three are instrumentals.[44] As a disc jockey, Eric B. had reinstated the art of live turntable mixing.[37] His soul-filled sampling became influential in future hip hop production.[36] Music critic Robert Christgau noted that Eric B. had incorporated "touches of horn or whistle deep in the mix" of his sampled percussion and scratches.[45]

Themes and lyrical content

Rakim's lyrical themes and topics included talk of hip hop ("I Ain't No Joke"), rapping ("Microphone Fiend"), boasting a wealth and mafia leader, which in turn merged with the rap theme ("Follow the Leader") as well as action ("Casualties Of War"), life in the ghettos of New York ("In the Ghetto") and romance ("Show Me Love").

In "Paid In Full" speaks volumes about hip hop culture: rapping, b-boy, etc. In some subjects showing off wealth. "Follow the Leader" followed very similar tracks to the old one, but this time talking about issues mobsters, or emcees.

Followed almost the same theme in almost all albums with Eric B., but it was not until "Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em" and the soundtrack song "Know the Ledge" on that show his aggressive side, talking about issues as drug dealers or street violence.

Influence and legacy

Eric B. & Rakim's Paid in Full, known widely as one of the most influential hip hop albums of all time.

Paid in Full was released during the period in hip hop that became known as the golden age hip hop era.[46] Alex Ogg considered it the duo's magnum opus in his book The Men Behind Def Jam.[34] Rakim's rapping set a blueprint for future rappers and helped secure East Coast hip hop's reputation for innovative lyrical technique.[33][47] Author William Cobb stated in To the Break of Dawn that his rapping had "stepped outside" of the preceding era of old school hip hop and that while the vocabulary and lyrical dexterity of newer rappers had improved, it was "nowhere near what Rakim introduced to the genre".[46] The New York Times' Dimitri Ehrlich, who described the album as "an artistic and commercial benchmark", credited Rakim for helping "give birth to a musical genre" and leading "a quiet musical revolution, introducing a soft-spoken rapping style".[48] Allmusic's Steve Huey declared Paid in Full one of hip hop's most influential albums and "essential listening" for those interested in the genre's "basic musical foundations".[42] MTV ranked it at number one in "The Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time", stating it raised the standards of hip hop "both sonically and poetically" and described it as "captivating, profound, innovative and instantly influential".[36] The album is broken down track-by-track by Rakim in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique.[49]

Rolling Stone magazine listed it at number 227 on "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", calling it "Ice-grilled, laid-back, diamond-sharp: Rakim is a front-runner in the race for Best Rapper Ever, and this album is a big reason why."[50] Similarly, Blender magazine included the album in its "500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die".[51] Time magazine listed it as one of the eighteen albums of the 1980s in its "All-TIME 100" albums; editor Alan Light acknowledged the record for changing the "sound, flow, and potential" of hip hop and that if Rakim is "the greatest MC of all time, as many argue, this album is the evidence".

Jess Harvell of Pitchfork Media complimented Rakim for an "endless display of pure skill" and described the album as "laidback and funky", but believed it contained "too much filler to get a free 'classic' pass".[41] Pitchfork Media placed Paid in Full at number fifty-two in its "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s"; editor Sam Chennault wrote that Rakim inspired a generation of MCs and "defined what it meant to be a hip-hop lyricist".[52] The rappers who have used the unique rapping style employed by Rakim and attribute it as inspiration include GZA, and Raekwon (from the Wu-Tang Clan), Nas, Kool G. Rap, Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Lloyd Banks, and many more.[48][53] On July 11, 1995, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album platinum.[54] As of December 1997, it has sold over a million copies.[48]

Musical tributes

  • Tupac Shakur pays homage to Rakim in his song "Old School" he raps, "(Eric B. and) Rakim was, the shit to me". In this song Tupac also mentions he was present when Eric B. and Rakim first performed "I Ain't No Joke" in the Latin Quarters. This was in 1987 when a teenage Shakur was still living in NY rapping under the moniker, MC New York.
  • Raekwon (from the Wu-Tang Clan) dedicated a tribute to Rakim titled "Rakim Tribute," which was released on DaVinci Code: The Vatican Mixtape Vol. II in 2006.
  • 50 Cent makes a reference to Rakim on his hugely successful collaborative effort "Hate It or Love It" with The Game. "Daddy ain't around, probably out committing felonies/my favorite rapper used to sing Ch-Check out my melody," referencing Eric B & Rakim's hit "My Melody".
  • Shock-G paid homage to Rakim by playfully reciting lines from the Eric-B & Rakim song "I Know You Got Soul" in the Digital Underground song Doowutchyalike: "since ya came here ya gotta show & prove, and do that dance until it don't move.."
  • Saul Williams mentions Rakim in the song "Twice The First Time", stating: "not until you've listened to Rakim on a rocky mountain top have you heard hip hop" and also in the song "Penny For A Thought" where he says "..., something like Rakim said. I could quote any MC, but why should I? how would it benefit me?"
  • Epik High samples "Eric B. is President" in their song "Funkdamental" on their third album, Swan Songs.
  • Kurupt references Rakim on Snoop Dogg's debut album, Doggystyle. On "For All My Niggaz and Bitches," Kurupt says, "Who's jokin'? Rakim never joked, so why should I, loc? now that's my idol...."
  • Ghostface Killah references Rakim in the end of "Paisely Darts," by saying that he is better than every artist except for Rakim, referring to him as "the older god". On his album More Fish, the first track, "Ghost is Back", makes use of the beat from "Juice (Know the Ledge)". He also raps some lines from "Move the Crowd" in "Ghost Deini."
  • Eminem has also paid tribute to Rakim's style as an inspiration and references lines from "My Melody" in his song “I'm Back”. The hook in Eminem's song "The Way I Am" is an homage to the line "I'm the R, the A, to the KIM. If I wasn't then why would I say I am?" from Eric B and Rakim's "As the Rhyme Goes On".
  • Nas made a similar reference in Got Ur Self A...: "I'm the N the A to the S-I-R / and If I wasn't I must've been Escobar". Also, on his Street's Disciple album, there is a track titled "U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim)" where he tells a short version of Rakim's musical career and life.
  • Jay-Z paid tribute to Rakim in his 2007 hit "Blue Magic," where he states: "Eighty-seven state of mind that I'm in/I'm in my prime so for that time I'm Rakim." Jay also recalls Rakim's line "So easily will I E-M-C-E-E" with "So easily do I W-H-I-P."
  • Killah Priest references Rakim in many of his songs. He states: "I remind you of Rakim but I'm not him."
  • Scroobius Pip mentions Rakim in his song "Fixed" from the album Angles, as an example of hip hop as art, in the lines "Take it back to the start/Like KRS and Rakim use passion and heart". He also mentions him in his song "Snob".
  • The Game directly refers to Rakim in the first line of the third verse of "Da Shit" by saying, "I'm the West Coast Rakim, got niggaz blocked in." He also mentions Rakim in his song "Angel" on LAX: "So I start hip-hop and I understand why Common used to love her. She got me open so I even had to fuck her. But I used the rubber, cause she was married to Rakim". The Game also refers to Rakim with the line "too close to the edge, that's what Rakim said" in the song "Wake the Dead".
  • David Banner refers to Rakim and his song "Microphone Fiend" from the album Westside, with the lyrics "I've been rappin since Rakim but im still Fiendin'"
  • Apathy pays homage to Rakim in his song "Hip Hop is Dead" on Baptism by Fire. Apathy raps, "Remember that video 'I Ain't No Joke', Rakim had a chain that'll break your neck, I'm trying to get paid in full and get that check."
  • R.A. The Rugged Man references Rakim in his song "On The Block" referring to the golden age, "that's when Rakim ran shit."
  • Rage Against the Machine covered the song "Microphone Fiend" as the opening song on their final album, Renegades, in 2000.
  • Canibus pays homage to Rakim on his 1000-bar song "Poet Laureate Infinity", most notably with the bars "I been toe to toe with the best, I ‘Know the Ledge’" and "As odd as it may seem, the Microphone Fiend, Is God of the Hip Hop regime"
  • Brother Ali calls Rakim his hero in his song "As Real As Can Be". He also references the line "I came in the door/said it before" from "Eric B is President" in his song "Whatcha Got" where he raps "I came in the door/1984".
  • Drunken Tiger (South Korean hip-hop artist) features Rakim on the track "Monster" off of his 2009 album, "Feel gHood Muzik: The 8th Wonder".
  • Eazy-e Samples Rakim's song "My Melody" in the song "Eazy-Duz-It"
  • Jay-Z references Rakim in his song "Run This Town" rapping, "Please follow the leader/So Eric B. we are/Microphone fiend/It's the return of the god/Peace god..."
  • Jin references Rakim in his song "It's All Over" from "The Emcee's Properganda" album with the line "y'all needa follow the leader like Rakim gave the orders"
  • Nas paid tribute in his song "The World Is Yours" by saying "The fiend of hip-hop has got me stuck like a crack pipe"
  • N.W.A. pay tribute in their song "Express yourself" with the line " some drop science but I'm dropping English"
  • Scott Van Pelt recently said on his radio show that '...because I'm Paid in Full like Rakim'
  • Saigon mentions Rakim in his song 'Hip-Hop' stating "We crown Rakim the king, cos he was calling the gods of earth that came with bling bling"
  • J-Live pays tribute to Rakim in his song, Epilogue, with the line "Now you could be the next Rakim-Shakespeare/your still ten steps away from having a career."
  • Maino in a collaboration with Rakim on 'walk these street'; "Chillin' on the block, then listening to Ra-kim".
  • Snoop Dogg raps "Paid in Full" in the movie "Old School"
  • Limp Bizkit's song "My Way" samples "My Melody" by Rakim.
  • Jurassic 5 references Rakim's line from My Melody in their song Concrete Schoolyard with the line "You shouldn't have told me/The pyramids can hold me/So now a contest is what you owe me/Pull out your beats, pull out your cuts/Give us a mic, whatup/And we goin' tear shit up."
  • Tego Calderon pays homage to Rakim in his song "Boricuas NY 2" with the line "'cause we know demasiado MC/tu sabes los wannabees/un CD y se creen Rakim/know what I mean".
  • Robin Thicke covered the song "Mahogany" under the title of "Mrs. Sexy" on his 2009 album Sex Therapy.
  • Q-Unique mentions Rakim in his song "Crack Era" with the line "Rakim's lyrics taught me more than the teacher's scribbled chalk."
  • MF Grimm refers to Rakim in his song "Together", with the line "Rakim said no mistakes allowed, so we corrected him, by disectin' him."
  • LL Cool J refers to Rakim in his song "The Boomin' System" with the line "Like Rakim said: I wanna move the crowd."
  • Esham mentions Rakim in his song "Stop Selling Me Drugs", referring to the album "Paid In Full."
  • Shad compares himself to Rakim in his song "Yaa I Get It" with the line "No other pro is so proficient/the coldest spittin'/Rakim north pole edition."
  • Reef the Lost Cauze refers to Rakim in his song "I aint no Rapper" with the line "I'm gonna end up in all your top 10s, like G Rap, Big Daddy and Rakim.."
  • Jay-Z refers to the Eric B. & Rakim song "Eric B. Is President" in his song The Watcher 2 with the line "'Til I came through the door, Like "Eric B. for Pres," respect me in this BITCH!"".
  • Slaughterhouse (group) rap "Lyrical Murderer, Blame Rakim" in their song "Lyrical Murderers" in reference to his huge influence over the rap supergroup's famed lyricism.

Discography

Main article: Rakim discography

With Eric B.

1987 Paid in Full
1988 Follow the Leader
1990 Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em
1992 Don't Sweat the Technique

Solo

1997 The 18th Letter
1999 The Master
2009 The Seventh Seal

Compilation albums

2008 The Archive: Live, Lost & Found

References

  1. ^ a b c Huey, Steve. "Rakim Biography". allmusic. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  2. ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, "There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs", Thunder's Mouth Press, p.324.
  3. ^ "The Greatest MCs Of All Time". MTV.com. 2006-03-09. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
  4. ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, "The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition", Penguin, p. 126.
  5. ^ Ahearn, Charlie (February 1991), "The Five Percent Solution", Spin, vol. 6, no. 11, p. 56
  6. ^ a b c Freedom duLac, Josh. (October 2, 2006). "A Stop-and-Go Hip-Hop Show". The Washington Post. Accessed September 5, 2008.
  7. ^ a b c d "allmusic Paid in Full > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Accessed August 4, 2008.
  8. ^ Simon & Schuster (2001). "Eric B and Rakim". The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Accessed August 4, 2008.
  9. ^ Neal, Mark Anthony (November 19, 2003). "...And Bless the Mic for the Gods: Rakim Allah". PopMatters. Accessed August 4, 2008.
  10. ^ Touré (August 14, 1994). "Pop View; Only One Star in the Two Schools of Rap". The New York Times. Accessed August 6, 2008.
  11. ^ Huey, Steve. "allmusic Eric B. & Rakim > Biography". Allmusic. Accessed August 15, 2008.
  12. ^ Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. p. 374. Backbeat Books. ISBN 087930653X.
  13. ^ Perry, Imani (2004). Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop. p. 52. Duke University Press. ISBN 0822334461
  14. ^ "allmusic Paid in Full > Overview". Allmusic. Accessed August 6, 2008.
  15. ^ a b Wojcik, Pamela Robertson; Knight, Arthur (2001). Soundtrack Available. p. 254. Duke University Press. ISBN 0822328003.
  16. ^ "I Know You Got Soul". Rolling Stone (December 9, 2004). Accessed September 12, 2008.
  17. ^ Winistorfer, Andrew (September 29, 2008). "VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs". Prefix magazine. Accessed October 14, 2008.
  18. ^ http://fatlacemagazine.uproxx.com/?p=1633
  19. ^ http://crunkster.abstractdynamics.org/archives/003807.html
  20. ^ http://www.nodfactor.com/2008/09/29/420
  21. ^ Elon Johnson and Heather Parry (October 27, 2000). "Rakim Signs With Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records". MTV. Retrieved January 24, 2008.
  22. ^ "Q & A w/ Rakim: Guess Who's Back?" ThaFormula.com (2005). Retrieved January 24, 2008.
  23. ^ Rakim. "[1]". youtube. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  24. ^ Metaforce single at Discogs
  25. ^ "Hip-Hop Legend RAKIM Drops "Holy Are You" On July 28, 2009. Lead Single From Long Awaited Album THE SEVENTH SEAL". 2003-07-18. Retrieved 2003-08-23.
  26. ^ Paine, Jake (2003-09-24). "Details Emerge On Rakim's Seventh Seal". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
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