Eric B. & Rakim were almost universally recognized as the best DJ & MC duo. Not only was their chemistry superb, but individually, each represented the absolute peak in their respective skills. Eric B. was a hugely influential DJ and beatmaker whose taste for hard-hitting James Brown samples touched off a stampede through the Godfather of Soul's back catalog that continues up to the present day. Rakim, meanwhile, still tops fan polls as the greatest MC of all time. He crafted his rhymes like poetry, filling his lines with elaborate metaphors and complex internal rhymes, and he played with the beat like a jazzman, earning a reputation as the smoothest-flowing MC ever to pick up a mic. His articulation was clear, his delivery seemingly effortless, and his influence on subsequent MCs incalculable. Together, their peerless technique on the microphone and turntables upped the ante for all who followed them, and their advancement of hip-hop as an art form has been acknowledged by everyone from Gang Starr to the Wu-Tang Clan. While certain elements of their sound might come off as slightly dated today, it's also immediately clear how much of a hand Eric B. & Rakim had in leading hip-hop into the modern age.
Eric B. was born Eric Barrier in 1965 in Elmhurst, Queens; his future partner, William Griffin, Jr., was born in 1968 and also hailed from the suburbs of New York, specifically Wyandanch, Long Island. At age 16, Griffin converted to Islam and adopted the name Rakim Allah. Barrier played trumpet and guitar early on, but switched to the turntables in high school, and eventually landed a job as the mobile DJ for radio station WBLS. It was there that he met Rakim, and the two officially formed a partnership in 1985. Their first single -- "Eric B. Is President" (an ode to Barrier's DJ skills) b/w "My Melody" -- was released on the tiny Harlem-based indie label Zakia. It was a street-level sensation during the summer of 1986, and the duo was picked up by the larger 4th & Broadway imprint. The equally monumental singles "I Ain't No Joke" and "I Know You Got Soul" sampled James Brown and his cohort Bobby Byrd, respectively, and their utter funkiness began to revolutionize the sound of hip-hop. Moreover, Rakim's line "pump up the volume" on the latter track was in turn sampled itself, becoming the basis for M/A/R/R/S' hit of the same name.
In 1987, 4th & Broadway issued the duo's full-length debut, Paid in Full; accompanied by a mighty underground buzz, the record climbed into the Top Ten on the R&B LP charts (as would all of their subsequent albums). Additionally, the British DJ duo Coldcut remixed the title cut into a bona fide U.K. smash. The exposure helped make "Paid in Full"'s drum track one of the most sampled beats this side of James Brown's "Funky Drummer"; it provided the foundation for Milli Vanilli's "Girl You Know It's True," among many other, more credible hits. On the heels of Paid in Full, Eric B. & Rakim signed with MCA subsidiary Uni and consolidated their reputation with another landmark hip-hop album, 1988's Follow the Leader. The title cut took its place among the classic singles already in their canon, and Jody Watley soon tapped the duo for a guest spot on her 1989 single "Friends," which brought them into the pop Top Ten for the first and only time.
The 1990 follow-up Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em proved relatively disappointing from a creative standpoint, although 1992's slightly jazzier Don't Sweat the Technique was a more consistent affair that bolstered their legacy. As it turned out, the record also completed that legacy. The duo's contract with MCA was almost up, and they had discussed the possibility of each recording a solo album. Unfortunately, the resulting tension over the future of their partnership ultimately destroyed it. In the aftermath of the breakup, various legal issues prevented both parties from starting their solo careers for quite some time.
Know The Ledge
Eric B. & Rakim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the thought takes place uptown
I grew up on the sidewalk where I learned street talk,
And then taught to hawk New York-
I go to Queens for queens to get the crew from Brooklyn,
Make money in Manhattan and never been tooken,
Go Uptown and the Bronx to boogie down,
Get strong on the Island, recoupe, and lay around.
Props back up, suckers get smacked up
Don't doubt the clout, you know what I'm about
Knocking niggaz off, knocking niggaz out
Shaking em up, waking em up
Raking em up, breaking em up...
Standing on shaky grounds too close to the edge
Let's see if I know the ledge
Corners' trifling 'cause shorty's here
I get cock-d liffin' forty's of beer;
Here's a sip for the crew that's deceased,
If I get revenge, then they rest in peace.
Somebody's got to suffer, I just might spare one-
And give a brother a fair one!
Stay alert and on "p's".
And I do work with these- like Hercules,
Switch to southpaw, split your right jaw
'Cause I don't like y'all, I'm hype when night fall.
Smooth but I move like an army
Bulletproof down in case brothers try to bomb me,
Putting brothers to rest like Elliot ness
'Cause I don't like stress
Streets ain't a place for innocent bystanders to stand
Nutting's gonna stop the plan
I'll chill like Pacino, kill like DeNiro
Black Gambino, die like a hero
Living on shaky grounds too close to the edge
Let's see if I know the ledge!
Shells lay around on the battleground
Dead bodies are found throughout the town.
Tried to put shame in my game to make a name, I'm a
Put it on a bullet, put it in your brain.
Rip the block like a buckshot,
Who cares where it goes, just keep the casket closed,
No remorse when a life is lost
I paid my dues- paid the cost!
...And my pockets are still fat,
Wherever I'm at, I get the welcome mat.
Even if my crew steep with one deep
I attract attention, people like to peep
So come say hi to the badguy
Don't say goodbye, I don't plan to die!
'Cause I get loose and I got troops
And crazy juice!
In control of many like Ayatollah Khomeini
Hang out wit Smith and Wesson, don't try to play me.
I'm at war alot, like Anwar Sadat..
But no warning shot, my gun is warm alot.
When I cook beef, the smoke will never clear,
Areas in fear but this here's a fear!
Living life too close to the edge
Hoping that I know the ledge....
A brand new morn, no time to yawn
Shower's on, power's on
Late for school, I catch the train
Girls sip "Cristal" and whisper my name
I push up like an exercise,
Check the intellect and inspect the thighs
Select the best one, pull her to the side
Keep her occupied for the rest of the ride
Read my resume she's know I'm 'ready cool
Just meet me after school,
We can moan and groan until your mom come home ,
And you be calling me Al "dope" Capone.
Sweatin' me, she didn't want to let me loose-
Come get me, that's if you want to sip the juice
Cause the streets await me, so I take my gun off safety
Cause alot of niggaz hate me
Coming out of the building, they set me up
Sprayed wit automatics, they wet me up
In a puddle of blood, I lay close to the edge
I guess I didn't know the ledge....
The lyrics of Eric B. & Rakim's "Know The Ledge" use vivid storytelling to describe the dangers of living life on the edge. The song is about a young man's journey through the streets of New York City as he navigates the treacherous world of drugs, violence, and survival. He explains how he grew up on the sidewalks of the city, learning street talk and how to hustle to survive. The singer of the song travels to different boroughs of New York City, making money and building his reputation as a tough guy. As the song progresses, he becomes increasingly paranoid and aware of the dangers around him. He describes a shootout and being set up by enemies, ultimately getting shot and left for dead.
The song speaks to the gritty reality of street life, highlighting the dangers involved in trying to make a living in impoverished communities. It is an allegory for the society at large, where the pursuit of power and success can lead individuals to live on the edge and take risks that have dangerous consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Sip the juice cuz I got enough to go around,
Drinking alcohol because there is plenty to go around.
And the thought takes place uptown
My thoughts and ideas materialize in Uptown.
I grew up on the sidewalk where I learned street talk,
I grew up on the sidewalk and learned the vernacular of the streets.
And then taught to hawk New York-
I also learned how to sell goods in New York.
I go to Queens for queens to get the crew from Brooklyn,
I go to Queens to pick up women who are my queens, and then head to Brooklyn to get my crew.
Make money in Manhattan and never been tooken,
I make money in Manhattan without ever being arrested.
Go Uptown and the Bronx to boogie down,
I go Uptown and to the Bronx to dance and have a good time.
Get strong on the Island, recoupe, and lay around.
I get strong on Long Island and recover before relaxing for a while.
Time to bulid my juice back up-
It's time to replenish my alcohol supply.
Props back up, suckers get smacked up
I will get back my respect and fight anyone who disrespects me.
Don't doubt the clout, you know what I'm about
Do not underestimate my power, you know what I am capable of.
Knocking niggaz off, knocking niggaz out
I am capable of taking out my opponents either by killing them or knocking them unconscious.
Shaking em up, waking em up
I shake up and wake up my opponents, either physically or metaphorically.
Raking em up, breaking em up...
I take their money and either defeat or destroy them.
Standing on shaky grounds too close to the edge
I am on unstable ground, close to danger.
Let's see if I know the ledge
Let's see if I am capable of keeping myself safe from danger.
Corners' trifling 'cause shorty's here
The corners are dangerous because I am here.
I get cock-d liffin' forty's of beer;
I drink 40 oz bottles of beer.
Here's a sip for the crew that's deceased,
I take a sip of beer for the crew members that have died.
If I get revenge, then they rest in peace.
If I take revenge on behalf of my deceased crew members, then I hope they will finally rest in peace.
Somebody's got to suffer, I just might spare one-
Someone has to pay for what has happened, and I will likely spare one person.
And give a brother a fair one!
I will give one brother a fair fight.
Stay alert and on "p's".
Stay alert and aware of the surroundings.
And I do work with these- like Hercules,
I work with weapons like Hercules did.
Switch to southpaw, split your right jaw
I will switch to southpaw stance to surprise my opponent and strike them on the right side of the jaw.
'Cause I don't like y'all, I'm hype when night fall.
I hate my opponents and get hyped up when the night falls.
Smooth but I move like an army
I move smoothly and stealthily, like an army does.
Bulletproof down in case brothers try to bomb me,
I am wearing a bulletproof vest in case my enemies try to shoot me.
Putting brothers to rest like Elliot ness
I put my enemies to rest, like Elliot Ness put away criminals.
'Cause I don't like stress
I don't like stress and will eliminate anything that causes it.
Streets ain't a place for innocent bystanders to stand
The streets are not safe for innocent people to be in.
Nutting's gonna stop the plan
Nothing will stop my plan or mission.
I'll chill like Pacino, kill like DeNiro
I will remain calm like Al Pacino, but will kill like Robert DeNiro if necessary.
Black Gambino, die like a hero
I am like a black version of the Gambino crime family, and will die like a hero.
Living on shaky grounds too close to the edge
I am living in a dangerous situation, too close to the edge of disaster.
Let's see if I know the ledge!
Let's find out if I am capable of keeping myself safe from danger.
Shells lay around on the battleground
Bullet shells are lying around where the fighting took place.
Dead bodies are found throughout the town.
People have been killed and their bodies can be found throughout the town.
Tried to put shame in my game to make a name, I'm a
Someone tried to bring me down to make a name for themselves, but it won't work.
Put it on a bullet, put it in your brain.
I put my opponent's name on a bullet and then shoot them in the head.
Rip the block like a buckshot,
I destroy the block like a buckshot destroys everything in its path.
Who cares where it goes, just keep the casket closed,
It doesn't matter where the bullet goes, as long as the casket is kept closed.
No remorse when a life is lost
I don't feel any remorse for taking a life.
I paid my dues- paid the cost!
I have been through many trials and tribulations which have cost me a lot, but I have paid my dues.
...And my pockets are still fat,
Despite everything I have been through, I am still rich.
Wherever I'm at, I get the welcome mat.
Wherever I go, I am always welcomed and respected.
Even if my crew steep with one deep
Even if I am alone, I still have my crew supporting me.
I attract attention, people like to peep
People are attracted to me and like to keep an eye on me.
So come say hi to the badguy
Come say hello to the villain.
Don't say goodbye, I don't plan to die!
Don't say goodbye to me, because I do not plan on dying anytime soon.
'Cause I get loose and I got troops
I become loose and unpredictable when I am with my crew.
And crazy juice!
I am often under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
In control of many like Ayatollah Khomeini
I am in control of many people, like Ayatollah Khomeini was.
Hang out wit Smith and Wesson, don't try to play me.
I hang out with my guns, do not try to mess with me.
I'm at war alot, like Anwar Sadat..
I am often at war with people, like Anwar Sadat was.
But no warning shot, my gun is warm alot.
I don't give any warning shots, my gun is always warm and ready to fire.
When I cook beef, the smoke will never clear,
When I have a problem with someone, it will never be resolved peacefully.
Areas in fear but this here's a fear!
People are afraid of me, and they should be.
Living life too close to the edge
I am living in a dangerous situation, too close to the edge of disaster.
Hoping that I know the ledge....
I am hoping that I am capable of keeping myself safe from danger.
A brand new morn, no time to yawn
It is a new morning and there is no time to be tired.
Shower's on, power's on
I take a shower to get ready for the day and am feeling powerful.
Late for school, I catch the train
I am going to school and running late, but manage to catch the train.
Girls sip "Cristal" and whisper my name
Girls are drinking expensive champagne and whispering my name.
I push up like an exercise,
I push my way through crowds of people like doing an exercise.
Check the intellect and inspect the thighs
I check out a woman's intelligence and physical appearance at the same time.
Select the best one, pull her to the side
I choose the best woman and take her aside to talk to her.
Keep her occupied for the rest of the ride
I keep her occupied with conversation for the remainder of the train ride.
Read my resume she's know I'm 'ready cool
She reads my resume and knows that I am cool and capable.
Just meet me after school,
She agrees to meet me after school.
We can moan and groan until your mom come home ,
We can have sex until her mom comes home.
And you be calling me Al "dope" Capone.
After sex, she will call me Al 'dope' Capone.
Sweatin' me, she didn't want to let me loose-
She is sweating me and doesn't want me to leave.
Come get me, that's if you want to sip the juice
If you want to drink alcohol with me, then come get me.
Cause the streets await me, so I take my gun off safety
I need to be armed because I am going into the dangerous streets.
Cause alot of niggaz hate me
Many people hate and want to harm me.
Coming out of the building, they set me up
Someone sets me up as I am leaving the building.
Sprayed wit automatics, they wet me up
I am shot with automatic weapons and wounded.
In a puddle of blood, I lay close to the edge
I am lying in a pool of my own blood, close to death.
I guess I didn't know the ledge...
I guess I was not capable of keeping myself safe from danger.
Contributed by Eli S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jumahamis227
Its a blasphemy not to honor Rakim as one of the greatest MCS ever lived
@Salman.khan786
juma hamis Facts!!!! ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฝ
@archiejackson2315
And u know that...
@Kayzef2003
Nobody ever dared.
@rohaaniidaalii9758
The greatest ever. ...goat
@SAMack-xd2fn
He is number 1
@JBalla20
Itโs so crazy that Rakim did the drums for this beat. He killed it
@toshizohijikata9164
NATIONAL TREASURE
@3hooks781
Dude's musician for sure! Also plays sax!
@TheArknessm
Wow, didn't know that. Respect the God MC even more now