Rakim (pronounced rah-KIM) (Born William Michael Griffin Jr. on January 28,… Read Full Bio ↴Rakim (pronounced rah-KIM) (Born William Michael Griffin Jr. on January 28, 1968 in Long Island, New York, USA) is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop. He is consistently cited as one of the most skilled (and top amongst the most influential) MCs of all time due to his exceptional flow and complex lyrical craftsmanship, he revolutionized hip-hop lyricism with his complex flow, elaborate metaphors and rapid delivery. Together with Eric B, he released a number of classic albums between 1987 and 1992. To date his most successful album is 'The 18th Letter,' released in 1997 as his solo debut album.

Griffin 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 a young age. 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. Leshaun

When Griffin turned 16, he joined The Nation of Gods and Earths (also known as the 5 Percent Nation) and changed his name to Rakim Allah.

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. The duo’s first single, "Eric B. Is President" (#48, 1986) b/w “My Melody,” was a success and got the duo a contract with the fledgling Island Records sub-label 4th & B'way. The duo’s next single, the smash “I Know You Got Soul,” sparked early debate on the legality of unauthorized, uncredited sampling when James Brown sued to prevent the duo's use of a fragment of his music. Their first full length album, Paid in Full, was released in 1987, and has since been hailed as one of hip-hop's seminal albums. Their follow-up LP; Follow the Leader was released a year later, and was also well received by fans and critics. The duo recorded two more albums; Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em and Don't Sweat The Technique before they parted ways in late 1992. Due to legal wrangling over royalties and his contracts with both his record label, and with Eric B., Rakim would not release a solo album until five years later.

After splitting with Eric B., Rakim signed with his good friend at the time DeShamus "Q=BOB" Sallis of Q=BOB Records to commence his solo career, however, the label folded shortly afterward. He eventually returned 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.

Rakim was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label in 2000, 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, a result of creative differences with Dre. Rakim signed with DreamWorks Records shortly afterward, but the label closed its doors shortly after that.

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." Eric B. and Rakim's classic album Paid In Full was named the greatest hip-hop album of all time by MTV. 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. Recently, Rakim was featured in an All-Pro Football 2K8 commercial.

The Seventh Seal, Rakim's long-anticipaited album, was released November 17 2009. The first single off the album, Holy Are You, was released through his MySpace page on July 14, 2009 and was made available on iTunes July 28. A second track "Walk These Streets" ft. Maino was released in October. Rakim has been active during its recording with several national tours and special events. Rakim recently closed the Knitting Factory in NYC as the last Hip-Hop performer to walk off the historic club's stage after 25 years of underground performances.

Rakim has influenced songs by Jay-Z, Nas, The Notirious BIG, Lil- Wayne and countless others. Other rappers use many of his lyrics in their songs, often without giving credit.
Tributes to Rakim include:
* Tupac Shakur pays homage to Rakim in the song "Old School" off the album "Me Against the World"
* Raekwon of 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 "Someone like Rakim said – 'I could quote any MC, but why should I? how would it benefit me?'"
* 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 a 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". I-Kompleate has also does the same in his song "Rhymes" on the hook: "I'm not I-K-O to the N-I-C, cos if I was I wouldn't be I-Kompleate".Masta Ace uses this in the song by Bekay "Brooklyn Bridge": "I'm from the B-R double O-K L-Y-N, if I wasn't then why would I yell I am"
* I-Kompleate pays tribute and references Rakim in his songs Rhymes, Dominate (The Microphone), and I'm Ready. "Leaving a trace of R, When I chase the stars" "
* 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."
* Killah Priest references Rakim in many of his songs. He states: "I remind you of Rakim but I'm not him."
* British rapper 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".
* Nas' Street's Disciple album has a track titled "U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim)" where he tells a short version of Rakim's musical career and life.
* 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".
* 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."
* Rapper 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"
* Songs like Lloyd's "Girls Around the World" and Snoop Dogg's "Paper'd Up" sample the beat of Eric B. and Rakim's "Paid in Full" with both Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg putting their own twist on the Rakim's verse.
* 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".
* 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 "ya'll 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"
* 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"
* Jedi Mind Tricks paid tribute to Rakim by sampling two of his lines from Heat It Up in their song Saviorself, "Elements burst and gave birth to the first/Get the pen from the nurse and hook the mic up first"
Widely considered the greatest rapper of all time, he continues his career with the recently released Seventh Seal.

Livin For The City
Rakim Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the city where life is animated with colors

Contaminated with aggravated brothers, who knows where the love is?

Growing up swinging, through my upbringing

My limits is the sky from the all eye seeing

Of so-called realities filled with technicalities

I watch my steps, stay on my p's and check my casualties

Not to get played, equipped with all the tricks of the trade

I even learned from the mistakes that the next man made

I know to choose and pick the people I grow up around

I know to grow and get to know the town up and down

But there's no instructions, so many directions

A lot of crooks look to get hooked with connections

Some thought they knew all adolescence could teach

They graduated from school but fail life in the streets

Your pops taught you to strive and stay a live, no ditty

It's easy to die when you're living for the city

That's how I'm living (x3)

Yeah that's how I'm living

That's how I'm living (x3)

Yep that's how I'm living

I grow according to my environmental habitat

I hang where everything seem to happen at

I seen it all, and I've been doing that since I was small

Catch a flashback y'all, if I can recall

The days on the corner we watched the world go by

Or nights that wasn't right like when a good friend dies

I quest for the best for prepare for the worst

Never scared but I cared if I'm blessed or I'm cursed

Yes I fear no man but Allah

I'm Gomar Oras Dubar

Which is God so It's hard to see Ra

I do what I gotta do, with or without a clue

Run through any obstacle including you

Cause I ain't got to bust you, cause I got the muscle

A push any clown that tries to slow down my hustle

I gotta get by, but there's no time for pity

It's easy to die when you're living for the city

That's how I'm living (x3)

Yeah that's how I'm living

That's how I'm living (x3)

Yep that's how I'm living

That's how I'm living (x3)

Yep that's how I'm living

That's how I'm living (x3)

Yeah that's how I'm living

I'm in a zone everywhere I seem to roam is home

A rolling stone, I hold my own just like a microphone

I stay in tune, travel in harmony and set the tone

Being young but I'm grown and well-known

Try to take me out New York but you can't take New York out of me

Cause that's the only way that I know how to be

My neighbors is jealous they label us drug sellers

We may be hood dwellers, we're just a bunch of goodfellas

Cause we run wild with a passion, my style and my fashion

Is getting, kid, I'm making cash and crashing

Parties that everybody's talking about, we turn it out

I'm just a native New Yorker with clout

I know my way around any borough and any town

I make a lot of ground and I'm hard to be found

I get down to the nitty gritty, wake up with something pretty

It gets me through another day living for the city

That's how I'm living (x3)

Yeah that's how I'm living

That's how I'm living (x3)

Yep that's how I'm living

That's how I'm living (x3)

Yep that's how I'm living

That's how I'm living (x3)

Yeah that's how I'm living

Overall Meaning

In "Livin For The City," Rakim explores the complexities of growing up and surviving in a city filled with opportunities and challenges. The lyrics depict a city environment that is both vibrant and tainted, with the presence of "aggravated brothers" and a lack of love. Rakim reflects on his upbringing, emphasizing the importance of being observant and cautious to navigate the realities of life in the city. He acknowledges the influence of his surroundings and the choices he makes in selecting the people he surrounds himself with.

The song references the absence of clear instructions or guidance in navigating the many directions and potential connections within the city. Rakim highlights the struggles of adolescence, suggesting that some may excel academically but still struggle to navigate the complexities of street life. The lyrics also touch upon the themes of survival and resilience, emphasizing the need to stay alive in a challenging environment where many dangers lurk.

Overall, "Livin For The City" captures the reality of growing up in the city, where one must learn to adapt, make tough choices, and stay resilient to thrive in a sometimes harsh and unforgiving environment.

Line by Line Meaning

In the city where life is animated with colors
In a vibrant city filled with diverse experiences and opportunities

Contaminated with aggravated brothers, who knows where the love is?
Overwhelmed by the presence of angry individuals, making it difficult to find genuine affection

Growing up swinging, through my upbringing
Navigating through life's challenges and hardships while maturing

My limits is the sky from the all eye seeing
Having infinite potential and possibilities, guided by a higher power

Of so-called realities filled with technicalities
Living in a world with complex and intricate circumstances

I watch my steps, stay on my p's and check my casualties
Being cautious, mindful of my actions, and aware of the consequences

Not to get played, equipped with all the tricks of the trade
Avoiding deception and being knowledgeable about various strategies

I even learned from the mistakes that the next man made
Gaining wisdom from observing the failures and missteps of others

I know to choose and pick the people I grow up around
Being selective and intentional about the company I keep

I know to grow and get to know the town up and down
Understanding the ins and outs of my urban surroundings

But there's no instructions, so many directions
Navigating through life without a set guide, facing numerous choices and paths

A lot of crooks look to get hooked with connections
Many dishonest individuals seek opportunities to form alliances

Some thought they knew all adolescence could teach
Certain individuals believed they had learned everything during their youth

They graduated from school but fail life in the streets
Although they completed their education, they struggle to navigate the realities of urban life

Your pops taught you to strive and stay a live, no ditty
Your father taught you to work hard and survive, without any doubt or hesitation

It's easy to die when you're living for the city
The city lifestyle can be dangerous and lead to an early demise

I grow according to my environmental habitat
I adapt and develop based on the conditions and circumstances around me

I hang where everything seem to happen at
I frequent places where exciting events and activities take place

I seen it all, and I've been doing that since I was small
I have witnessed everything and been involved since a young age

Catch a flashback y'all, if I can recall
Take a moment to reminisce and remember the past

The days on the corner we watched the world go by
Spending time on street corners, observing the happenings of the world

Or nights that wasn't right like when a good friend dies
Recalling the unfortunate nights when a close friend passed away

I quest for the best for prepare for the worst
Striving to achieve excellence while also being ready for challenges

Never scared but I cared if I'm blessed or I'm cursed
Not afraid, but still concerned about whether I am fortunate or cursed

Yes I fear no man but Allah
I am not afraid of any person, only the higher power

I'm Gomar Oras Dubar
I am an individual with a strong and confident identity

Which is God so It's hard to see Ra
I am a divine being, making it difficult for others to fully understand me

I do what I gotta do, with or without a clue
I take necessary actions, whether or not I have complete knowledge

Run through any obstacle including you
Overcome any challenge, including those posed by other people

Cause I ain't got to bust you, cause I got the muscle
I don't need to resort to violence because I possess the strength and power

A push any clown that tries to slow down my hustle
I easily dismiss anyone who attempts to hinder or impede my progress

I gotta get by, but there's no time for pity
I need to thrive and survive, without wasting time feeling sorry for myself

It's easy to die when you're living for the city
The urban lifestyle can be risky and lead to an untimely death

I'm in a zone everywhere I seem to roam is home
I feel comfortable and at ease no matter where I am

A rolling stone, I hold my own just like a microphone
Continuously moving and adapting, I am self-sufficient like a microphone

I stay in tune, travel in harmony and set the tone
I am aware of my surroundings, moving in sync and influencing the atmosphere

Being young but I'm grown and well-known
Despite my youth, I have matured and gained recognition

Try to take me out New York but you can't take New York out of me
Even if I am removed from New York, my identity and experiences there remain a part of me

Cause that's the only way that I know how to be
Because it is the only way of life I am familiar with and accustomed to

My neighbors is jealous they label us drug sellers
My neighbors feel envious and stereotype us as individuals involved in selling drugs

We may be hood dwellers, we're just a bunch of goodfellas
Although we live in a disadvantaged neighborhood, we are a group of loyal and kind-hearted individuals

Cause we run wild with a passion, my style and my fashion
We live freely and enthusiastically, expressing our unique style and personal flair

Is getting, kid, I'm making cash and crashing
I am actively and successfully making money, enjoying the fruits of my labor

Parties that everybody's talking about, we turn it out
We make parties and events that gain widespread attention and excitement

I'm just a native New Yorker with clout
I am a respected and influential individual from New York

I know my way around any borough and any town
I am familiar and comfortable navigating through all areas and cities

I make a lot of ground and I'm hard to be found
I cover much distance and am elusive or difficult to locate

I get down to the nitty gritty, wake up with something pretty
I face and handle the important details and realities, starting my day with positive outcomes

It gets me through another day living for the city
This mindset and lifestyle helps me endure and survive the urban environment

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Mark Sparks, William Griffin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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