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.
Move the Crowd
Eric B. & Rakim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suddenly I had this fever
Was it me or either summer madness
'Cause I just can't stand around
So I get closer and the closer I get, the better it sound
My mind starts to activate, rhymes collaborate
'Cause when I heard the beat, I just had to make
Somethin' from the top of my head
How could I move the crowd
First of all, ain't no mistakes allowed
Here's the instructions, put it together
It simple ain't it, but quite clever
Some of you been tryin' to write rhymes for years
But weak ideas irritate my ears
Is this the best that you can make?
'Cause if not and you got more, I'll wait
But don't make me wait too long 'cause I'ma move on
The dancefloor, when they put somethin' smooth on
So turn up the bass, it's better when it's loud
'Cause I like to move the crowd
Move the crowd (hey)
Move the crowd (hey)
Move the crowd (hey)
Move the-, move the-, move the crowd (hey)
Move the crowd (hey)
Move the-, move the-, move the-, move the-
Move the crowd (hey)
Move the-
Move the crowd (hey)
Move the crowd (hey)
Ra-, Ra-, Rakim (hey)
Ra-, Ra-, Rakim (hey)
Ra-, Ra-, Ra-, Ra-, Ra-, Ra-, Ra-, Rakim (hey)
Imagine me wit' the heat that's made by solar
It gets stronger every time I hold a
Microphone, check the tone to get started
The line for the microphone is departed
So leave it up to me, my DJ is mixin'
Everyone is movin' or eager to listen
Your hands in the air, your mouth, shut
'Cause I'm on the mic and Eric B. is on the cut
For those that know me, indeed I like to flow
Especially when the music's goin' slow
It gives me a chance to let everybody know
It's time to bust out the Rakim show
I'm the intelligent wise, on the mic I will rise
Right in front of your eyes 'cause I am a surprise
So I'ma let my knowledge be born to a perfection
All praise is due to Allah and that's a blessing
Wit' knowledge of self, there's nothin' I can't solve
At three-hundred and sisty degrees, I revolve
This is actual fact, it's not an act, it's been proven
Indeed, and I proceed to make the crowd keep movin'
Move the-, move the-, move the crowd (hey)
Move the-, move the-, move the-, move the-
Move the-, move the-, move the crowd (hey)
Move the crowd (hey)
Move the crowd (hey)
Move the crowd (hey)
Move-, move-, move-, move-, move-, move-, move-, move the crowd (hey)
Move the-, move the-, move the-, move the-
Move the-, move the-, move the crowd (hey)
Move-, move-, move-, move-, move-, move-, move-, move the crowd (hey)
Move-, move-, move-, move-, move-, move-, move-, move the crowd (hey)
Move-, move-, move-, move-, move the crowd (hey)
Move the crowd (hey)
The lyrics of Eric B. & Rakim's "Move The Crowd" express the duo's philosophy of hip-hop and their commitment to performing exceptional music. Rakim describes standing next to the singer and feeling a fever for the music that compels him to move closer to the music; this is the inspiration behind his opening verse. He then describes making music in the moment, using his wit and creativity to compose something fresh and vibrant. He then tells the listeners that creating excellent music is not an easy task, but once you master it, it becomes irresistible. He encourages aspiring rappers and poets to keep trying until they become masters of their craft.
The chorus, "move the crowd," is Rakim's shout out to the listeners that he wants them to enjoy his music and to be active and energetic, to dance and spin to the beat. He encourages the audience to let go and immerse themselves in the experience of hip-hop. Rakim also expresses his ideas about hip-hop's power to unite and inspire people, and how he and Eric B. seek to create music that can live up to those standards. He speaks about the journey from self-awareness to intellectual growth and ends with paying homage to Allah for providing him with the perspective to achieve enlightenment.
Overall, "Move The Crowd" is a song that resonates with hip hop purists as it speaks about the essence of the genre, and it captures the spirit of how Rakim revolutionized rap.
Line by Line Meaning
Standin' by the speaker
I was standing by the singer
Suddenly I had this fever
I had an urge to do something
Was it me or either summer madness
I wondered if it was me, or just a feeling from summer madness
'Cause I just can't stand around
I couldn't stand still
So I get closer and the closer I get, the better it sound
As I got closer to the music, it sounded better to me
My mind starts to activate, rhymes collaborate
My mind starts to think of lyrics and words collaborate
'Cause when I heard the beat, I just had to make
As soon as I heard the beat, I had to make a song
Somethin' from the top of my head
I made something up quickly
So I fell into the groove of the wax and I said
I began to feel the rhythm of the music and began to sing
How could I move the crowd
I wondered how could I make the audience dance
First of all, ain't no mistakes allowed
I couldn't make any mistakes
Here's the instructions, put it together
Here are the steps, put them together
It simple ain't it, but quite clever
It's simple, but pretty clever
Some of you been tryin' to write rhymes for years
Some of you have been trying to write lyrics for a long time
But weak ideas irritate my ears
But if your ideas are weak, I won't like it
Is this the best that you can make?
Is this the best you can do?
'Cause if not and you got more, I'll wait
If you have something better, I'll wait to hear it
But don't make me wait too long 'cause I'ma move on
But don't make me wait too long, because I'm going to move on
The dancefloor, when they put somethin' smooth on
When a smooth song comes on, people start dancing on the dancefloor
So turn up the bass, it's better when it's loud
Turn up the bass, it sounds better when it's loud
'Cause I like to move the crowd
I like to make the crowd dance
Imagine me wit' the heat that's made by solar
Visualize me with the heat that's generated by the sun
It gets stronger every time I hold a
It gets stronger every time I hold the mic
Microphone, check the tone to get started
Microphone, check the tone before I get started
The line for the microphone is departed
The line for using the microphone is gone
So leave it up to me, my DJ is mixin'
So let me handle it, my DJ is mixing the music
Everyone is movin' or eager to listen
Everyone is dancing or waiting to listen
Your hands in the air, your mouth, shut
Your hands are in the air and your mouth is shut
'Cause I'm on the mic and Eric B. is on the cut
Because I'm singing and Eric B. is making the beats
For those that know me, indeed I like to flow
For the people who know who I am, I like to sing
Especially when the music's goin' slow
Especially when the music is slow
It gives me a chance to let everybody know
It gives me a chance to let everyone know
It's time to bust out the Rakim show
It's time for the Rakim show to start
I'm the intelligent wise, on the mic I will rise
I'm the intelligent and wise one, and I'll rise when I sing
Right in front of your eyes 'cause I am a surprise
Right in front of your eyes, because I'm a surprise
So I'ma let my knowledge be born to a perfection
So I'll let my knowledge be spoken perfectly
All praise is due to Allah and that's a blessing
Thanks to Allah for all of the blessings
Wit' knowledge of self, there's nothin' I can't solve
With self-knowledge, there's nothing I can't solve
At three-hundred and sisty degrees, I revolve
At 360 degrees, I turn around
This is actual fact, it's not an act, it's been proven
This is a proven fact, not just an act
Indeed, and I proceed to make the crowd keep movin'
Indeed, and I continue to make the crowd dance
Ra-, Ra-, Rakim (hey)
My name is Rakim
Move the-, move the-, move the crowd (hey)
Make the crowd dance
Move the-, move the-, move the-, move the-
Make it lively
Move the-, move the-, move the crowd (hey)
Make the crowd dance
Move the crowd (hey)
Make the crowd dance
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Eric Barrier, William Griffin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Imalostboy
Standing by the speaker, suddenly I had this
Fever, was it me or either summer madness
Cuz I just can't stand around
So I get closer and the closer I get, the better it sound
My mind starts to activate, rhymes collaborate
Cuz When i heard the beat, I just had to make
Something from the top of my head
So I fell into the groove of the wax and I said
How could I move the crowd
First of all, ain't no mistakes allowed
Here's the instruction, put it together
It simple ain't it but quite clever
Some of you been trying to write rhymes for years
But weak ideas irritate my ears
Is this the best that you can make?
Cuz if not and you got more, I'll wait
But don't make me wait too long coz I'm a move on
The dancefloor when they put something smooth on
So turn up the bass, it's better when it's loud
Cuz I like to move the crowd
Move the crowd...
Verse two:
Imagine me wit the heat that's made by solar,
It gets stronger everytime I hold a
Microphone, check the tone to get started
The line for the microphone is departed
So leave it up to me, my DJ is mixing
Everyone is moving or eager to listen
Your hands in the air, your mouth, shut!
Cuz I'm on the mic and Eric B is on the cut
For those that know me, indeed I like to flow
Especially when the music's going slow
It gives me a chance to let everybody know
It's time to bust out the Rakim show
I'm the intelligent wise on the mic I will rise
Right in front of your eyes cuz I am a surprise
So I'ma let my knowledge be born to a perfection
All praise due to Allah and that's a blessing
Wit knowledge of self, there's nothing I can't solve
At 360 degrees, I revolve
This is actual fact, it's not an act, it's been proven,
Indeed and I proceed to make the crowd keep moving
Move the crowd...
@revolutionarybutgangsta8936
I'm 48 and BIASED, but 86-96 was the BEST years of Hip Hop!
@fusionn4316
Golden age of hip hop
@baldersn4474
im 49 and i agree..plus also House,Rock amd Indie..
@sampletheworld-music
you left out 84-86. Prime time!!
@jimmynickelz
When DMC heard Rakim for the 1st time he said "am I over?"
@butterflylovenj7300
I agree. Glad I came up during that era.
@borood1188
This man is the greatest rapper ever and did it with pure artistry. Never an expletive, a put down of a woman, a glorification of a crime life. Just Picasso level stuff on the mic.
@NYC1370
nobody was spitting like Rakin back then he's the original G.O.A.T 🎤
@bigmetroidfan1263
"How can I move the crowd? First of all, ain't no mistakes allowed." That's a classic line.
@newbuttahman5793
I Know right