
No serious discussion of the music’s greatest performers is held without a deferential accounting of his achievements, and no serious rap artist grips a microphone without channeling some of his legend. The single marked a turning point in the Rap world – raising the bar for future emcees and revolutionizing the way rhymes are delivered to this day. is President in 1986 with long time collaborator Eric B. Universally referenced as one of the Masters of the Microphone and an influence and inspiration to his peers and followers alike, Rakim first exploded onto the scene with the release of iconic Eric B. Album DescriptionIn the history of the Hip-Hop, few artists have had as great an impact on the development and progression of the art forms lyrical style as Rakim Allah. See More Your browser does not support the audio element. Paid in Full is essential listening for anyone even remotely interested in the basic musical foundations of hip-hop - this is the form in its purest essence. Just to name a few: Rakim's tossed-off "pump up the volume," from "I Know You Got Soul," became the basis for M/A/R/R/S' groundbreaking dance track Eminem, a devoted Rakim student, lifted lines from "As the Rhyme Goes On" for the chorus of his own "The Way I Am" and the percussion track of "Paid in Full" has been sampled so many times it's almost impossible to believe it had a point of origin. If sampling is the sincerest form of admiration in hip-hop, Paid in Full is positively worshipped. There are also three DJ showcases for Eric B., who like Rakim was among the technical leaders in his field. The title cut, meanwhile, planted the seeds of hip-hop's material obsessions over a monumental beat. & Rakim topped it with the similarly inclined "I Ain't No Joke," a stunning display of lyrical virtuosity. Is President" and "My Melody." "I Know You Got Soul" single-handedly kicked off hip-hop's infatuation with James Brown samples, and Eric B. The key cuts here are some of the most legendary rap singles ever released, starting with the duo's debut sides, "Eric B.

Rakim basically invents modern lyrical technique over the course of Paid in Full, with his complex internal rhymes, literate imagery, velvet-smooth flow, and unpredictable, off-the-beat rhythms. The stripped-down production might seem a little bare to modern ears, but Rakim's technique on the mic still sounds utterly contemporary, even state-of-the-art - and that from a record released in 1987, just one year after Run-D.M.C.

& Rakim's Paid in Full only continues to grow in stature as the record that ushered in hip-hop's modern era. One of the most influential rap albums of all time, Eric B.

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