So I dig into the books of the rhymes that I made
To now test to see if I got pull
Hit the studio, 'cos I'm paid in full"
Eric B. & Rakim are a Hip-Hop duo from Long Island, NY, composed of DJ Eric B. (born Eric Barrier on November 8, 1963) and rapper Rakim (born William Michael Griffin Jr. on January 28, 1968).
The duo is hailed as one of the most exemplary acts of The Golden Age of Hip Hop, if not the most. According to AllMusic, even while they were active during this time, they "were almost universally recognized as the premier DJ/MC team in all of hip-hop". Between Rakim's groundbreaking lyricism (credited with pioneering the use of internal and multisyllabic rhymes in hip-hop) and Eric B.'s sample-heavy production, which became a template for future hip-hop producers, their influence on the genre cannot be overstated.
They formed in 1986, and released four albums from 1987 to 1992 before splitting in 1993 and pursuing solo careers, with Rakim releasing three albums between 1997 and 2009. In 2016, Eric B. announced via Twitter that he and Rakim had reunited after 23 years, and they went on tour the following year.
Popular songs from the duo include "Paid in Full," "Microphone Fiend", “Know the Ledge” and "I Ain't No Joke."
The Other Wiki
has a good writeup about their career.
Discography:
As a duo
- Paid in Full (1987)
- Follow The Leader (1988)
- Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990)
- Don't Sweat The Technique (1992)
Rakim solo albums
- The 18th Letter (1997)
- The Master (1999)
- The Seventh Seal (2009)
The following tropes are paid in full:
- Answer Song: "Eric B. is President" started as this toward Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done for Me Lately," with two lines standing out as The Artifact of this idea.But now it's out of hand cuz you told me you hate me
And then you ask what have I done lately - Big Applesauce: From "I Know You Got Soul":Now if you're from Uptown, Brooklyn- bound,
The Bronx, Queens, or Long Island Sound - Boastful Rap: The majority of Rakim’s catalog is about how good his flow and/or lyrics are.
- A God Am I: Rakim was (and still is) known as “the god emcee”.
- God-Is-Love Songs: "Move The Crowd"All praises due to Allah
- The Golden Age of Hip Hop
- Hymn to Music: "Lyrics of Fury," "Microphone Fiend," "Keep 'Em Eager to Listen," etc. etc.
- Listeners Are Geniuses: "To The Listeners"
- The Leader: Rakim, on the song "Follow The Leader"
- Money Song: "Paid In Full"
- Only Known by Initials: "The R"
- Product Placement: From "Relax With Pep":Here come the right one baby and Dr. Pepper
- Protest Song: "Casualties of War," rapped from the perspective of a soldier in The Gulf War, who had previously served in The Vietnam War.
- Recycled Lyrics: "It ain't where you from it's where you're at," which first appeared in "I Know You Got Soul," turned up later in "In The Ghetto."
- Sampling:
- Famously used Ofra Haza's "Im Nin'alu" on "Paid in Full"
- Also on "Paid in Full," the
one-bar breakbeat from "Ashley's Roachclip" by the Soul Searchers that was eventually Sampled Up by countless artists later on. This song started the craze.
- Serious Business: "I Ain't No Joke"
- Silly Love Songs: "Mahogany", though Rakim's lyrics & delivery are less silly and more suave.
- Single Stanza Song: "Paid in Full"
- We Used to Be Friends: While recording Don't Sweat The Technique, both Eric B. and Rakim expressed interest in solo careers, but when the time came to leave MCA Records in 1992, Eric refused to sign the release contract, fearing Rakim would abandon him. The ensuing court battle lasted over five years, and essentially killed their friendship for the next 20+ years. Said lawsuit also derailed Rakim's solo career until 1997.
