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.
Love Me
Rakim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Promise you won't do me wrong (for sure)
If I turn you on (yeah)
Promise you'll stay all night long (on on)
Making love til dawn
Yo, it's time to bring the day in, fresh out the crib sauteing
That's when I saw her, the kind you wanna see more of
The sexy aura, it made it hard to ignore her
Expression her possession of property skyrocket
I'm investing in her presence and in time it profits
I take a acre for you, fertilize the soil
And make it boil, til it produce black oil
The shorty sweet as, the flavor of forty divas
Photos and features, worth more than Mona Lisa's
It's lady luscious, tender touches my blood rushes
Smiles and blushes, on billboards and buses
And me, I'm just a bronze skinned calm gentleman
Slim fit and open arms mellow wit a don's grin
Ghetto disciplined, could be your confidant beyond friend
It's one of Allah's men, Rakim, show me love
[Chorus]
Promise you won't do me wrong (uh)
If I turn you on (go ahead, uh)
Promise you'll stay all night long (uh, yeah)
Making love til dawn (turn me on love)
Promise you won't do me wrong
If I turn you on (yeah)
Promise you'll stay all night long
So we can get it on (check it out)
I'm in effect mode, I keep the ep sewed
When you express your finesse to your dress code
Every step's a pose, you've been blessed and it shows
My interest grows, the effervesce explodes
Because this chick's, characteristics, mystic
Hips are thick, just a little bit of lipstick
Can't resist it, description Egyptian smile
Queen of the Nile, that means she dipped in style
She re-mind of Nefertiti, yes indeed-y
But it's hard to get it like hieroglyphic graffiti
Studied her exhibits and checked her colorful curves
Intellect with swerves I could of wrecked my nerves
That's my word, digging her enigma that exist
In a sister, carefully wrapped in her figure
We connect like a collision and hug, just to knowledge
Her wisdom, speed up my metabolism, show me love
[Chorus]
Your m.o. is hard not to notice, so my motives
Is to stay focused, body moves like aerobics
Attractions, vibes I caught came from your ways
And actions but mind frame hard to explain
No acting or mind games, but thinking of what can happen
Is migraines, the x-rated though remains
We relaxing, and you nagging me for the agony
To your anatomy, by the fractions
Your measurements, the pleasure's in every inch of your temple
I travel twenty-three million miles of your mental
Chemistry, between you and me, in harmony
Causing angles to meet, like trigonometry
Or pyramids, that's where your deepest, treasures are hid
Then it gets, odoriferous, cause I know where it is
I mastered that, cause it's easy when you react
The all-natural aphrodisiac, show me love
[Chorus: x2]
Promise you won't do me wrong
If I turn you on
Promise you'll stay all night long
Making love til dawn...
The song "Show Me Love" by Rakim is about falling in love with a woman whose beauty and intelligence he admires. He promises that he will love and respect her and that their love will last all night until dawn. In the first verse, the singer talks about seeing the woman for the first time and being drawn to her beauty. He invests in her and her potential and promises to put in the work to make their relationship profitable. In the second verse, he talks about her mystique and her intellect and how these qualities attract him to her. He also mentions their physical chemistry and how their love-making is natural and intense.
The chorus is an affirmation that the singer will be a good partner and that they will have a great time together. It is a promise to be there for the other person and to make love until the sun comes up. The song overall has a smooth, sensual feel, and the lyrics paint a picture of a passionate love affair.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, check it out, show me love
The singer is requesting his lover to show him love and affection.
Promise you won't do me wrong (for sure)
He asks his lover to promise that she won't hurt him.
If I turn you on (yeah)
He wants his lover to confirm that he excites her.
Promise you'll stay all night long (on on)
The singer wants his lover to commit to spending the entire night with him.
Making love til dawn
He wants to engage in sexual activities with his lover until sunrise.
Yo, it's time to bring the day in, fresh out the crib sauteing
The singer is excited to start a new day and is ready to leave his home.
Around the way-in, swerve on, surveying
He is wandering around the area, searching for something or someone.
That's when I saw her, the kind you wanna see more of
The singer sees a woman who he is immediately attracted to and wants to know better.
The sexy aura, it made it hard to ignore her
The woman had a very attractive presence that drew the singer towards her.
Expression her possession of property skyrocket
The woman possesses valuable assets that have significantly increased in value.
I'm investing in her presence and in time it profits
The singer is willing to invest his time and effort in developing a relationship with the woman, believing it will be profitable.
I take a acre for you, fertilize the soil
The singer is willing to offer the woman a significant amount of land and resources.
And make it boil, til it produce black oil
He will work hard to develop the land until it produces oil, which is valuable.
The shorty sweet as, the flavor of forty divas
The woman is incredibly attractive and charming.
Photos and features, worth more than Mona Lisa's
The woman's pictures and attributes are so valuable that they could rival the famous painting Mona Lisa.
It's lady luscious, tender touches my blood rushes
The woman is incredibly attractive and makes the singer's heart race when she touches him.
Smiles and blushes, on billboards and buses
The woman is so attractive that she could be featured in advertisements.
And me, I'm just a bronze skinned calm gentleman
The singer considers himself to be a calm, collected gentleman with brown skin.
Slim fit and open arms mellow wit a don's grin
He is physically fit and has a welcoming, charming smile.
Ghetto disciplined, could be your confidant beyond friend
He is disciplined and trustworthy, someone who could be a close friend and confidant.
It's one of Allah's men, Rakim, show me love
The singer is a follower of Allah and his name is Rakim. He is once again asking for his lover's affection.
Your m.o. is hard not to notice, so my motives
The way that the woman carries herself is impossible to ignore, and the singer is revealing his motives.
Is to stay focused, body moves like aerobics
His goal is to stay focused on the woman, who has a physically captivating body.
Attractions, vibes I caught came from your ways
The singer has been attracted to the woman because of the energy and vibes she gives off.
And actions but mind frame hard to explain
Her thought processes are difficult for him to comprehend and articulate.
No acting or mind games, but thinking of what can happen
He doesn't want to play games with her; instead, he wants her to know what possibilities exist between them.
Is migraines, the x-rated though remains
The singer's thoughts of engaging in sexual activities with the woman are causing him headaches, but he is still intrigued by the idea.
We relaxing, and you nagging me for the agony
They are in a relaxed state, but she is still pushing him to engage in sexual activity.
To your anatomy, by the fractions
She is asking him to show appreciation for her physical attributes.
Your measurements, the pleasure's in every inch of your temple
The singer finds pleasure in every part of her body.
I travel twenty-three million miles of your mental
He is intrigued by her way of thinking and has traveled mentally for an extensive period to understand her.
Chemistry, between you and me, in harmony
The chemistry between them is in balance and is working well.
Causing angles to meet, like trigonometry
The chemistry is causing them to come together at different angles, like in mathematics.
Or pyramids, that's where your deepest, treasures are hid
The singer believes that the woman has many valuable treasures hidden deep within her, comparable to a pyramid.
Then it gets, odoriferous, cause I know where it is
He is confident that he knows where her hidden treasures are and is excited about it.
I mastered that, cause it's easy when you react
The singer has learned how to find her hidden treasures because she responds positively to his actions.
The all-natural aphrodisiac, show me love
The singer believes that their connection is enough to create an aphrodisiac effect and is asking his lover to show him love once again.
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats the main hook, emphasizing the singer's request for his lover's affection throughout the song.
[Chorus: x2]
The chorus repeats twice more, continuing to emphasize the singer's request for his lover's affection.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HUBERT BARCLAY III EAVES, JACK KNIGHT, NICK LOIZIDES, TIJUAN FRAMPTON, WILLIAM GRIFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TaCticaless
Perfect!
Holip sism
Agreed
Michael Malapi
Rakim is unmatched, the only mc 2nd to him is thr GZA