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 Marlβs 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 β known as Eric B & Rakim β is widely regarded as among the most influential and groundbreaking of hip-hop groups. The duoβs first single, "Eric B. Is President" (#48, 1986) b/w βMy Melody,β was a success and got the duo a contract with the fledgling Island Records sub-label 4th & B'way. The duoβs next single, the smash βI Know You Got Soul,β 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 β '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 βI'm Backβ. 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 βKnow the Ledgeβ" 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.
black messiah
Rakim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the Black society
And to the Black Panther party, we salute
It's the God Rakim, let's go
Uh, uh
1948, Chicago, Illinois
A young Panther was born
Excellent athlete, he excelled in the classroom too
High supreme action speed, that's when his passions grew
Racial injustices, poverty, slavery
He went to college, studied law, then joined the NAACP
A lot of bad things happened
People need to have answers
Why should he keep asking?
So he joined the Black Panthers
Have a mission, need assistant
Invite, try to get all of them
Fight capitalism, the socialism
Fight fire with war
The right cause, grow plan
That requires understanding
The life course, a good man
The Black Messiah Fred Hampton
A good man
Am I a good man?
A good man
Am I a good man?
Am I a good man?
A good man
The man had a lot of heart
Some say a lot of nerves
The man had a lot of smarts
The man with the million dollar words
Led by example
Righteous people wanna follow
Take a special kind of man to
Unite the gangs in Chicago
Made 'em march in peace
Become allies, soldiers
Supervised and policed
They brutalized and controlled us
He wouldn't miss a lot of tricks
Told them what he knew about law
Informed them about politics
Told them what he knew about war
All races, one vision
The American activist
Began the Rainbow Coalition
Everybody thought Jackson did
Genocide, a global bliss
Poetry like a vocalist
FBI's most wanted list
Revolutionary socialist
A good man
Am I a good man?
A good man
Am I a good man?
Am I a good man?
A good man
(Here we go)
They can't take it no longer
He getting bigger by the hour
Everyday getting stronger
The people give him more power
Intelligent, disciplined
He can organize confusion
Militant, different
He can recognize illusions
Maybe overthrow the government
Protest, riots
Maybe even run for President
But who would want to keep him quiet?
The informants on the inside
They still seems unstoppable
But this is always how our leaders die
Because they getting too powerful
Like the barrel of a gun, crucified
He was only twenty-one
Look at all the things he did in a short time
Imagine all the things that he could've done
If he could speak from the grave (uh)
Fred Hampton would say this
You can kill a Black Panther
But the Panther still exists
This record is dedicated to the Chairman Fred Hampton
May you rest in everlasting peace
And to his family
His queen Akua Njeri
And his son, the Chairman Fred Hampton Jr.
Peace, love and respect
The song "Black Messiah" by Rakim is a tribute to Fred Hampton, a revolutionary socialist and civil rights activist who was the Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. The lyrics start off by acknowledging the Black society and the Black Panther Party, followed by a brief narration of Fred Hampton's life. The song highlights Fred Hampton's achievements and aims to inspire listeners to emulate his actions.
The song tells us that Fred Hampton was born in 1948 in Chicago and grew up to be an exceptional athlete and a bright student. His passion for activism grew when he witnessed racial injustices, poverty, and slavery around him. He went to college, studied law, and joined the NAACP. But he realized that asking questions was not enough, and he joined the Black Panthers to have a mission and fight for the right cause. He worked tirelessly to bring people together, unite gangs in Chicago, and supervised them to end brutality and control.
The second half of the song shows how Fred Hampton's power kept growing, and he was even considered as a potential candidate for the US Presidency. However, his leadership and belief in revolutionary socialism made him enemies in the form of informants and government officials. Fred Hampton was only 21 years old when he was murdered while he slept in his apartment on the FBI's orders.
The song pays tribute to him and his family, urging people to remember his message and keep his spirit alive to fight for justice.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, respect and appreciation
Showing admiration and honor
To the Black society
To the African American community
And to the Black Panther party, we salute
Giving salutation to the organization which is dedicated to achieve social justice for Black people
It's the God Rakim, let's go
Introducing the performer of the song, Rakim
1948, Chicago, Illinois
The time and place where Fred Hampton, the Black Messiah, was born
A young Panther was born
Fred Hampton was destined to become a leader of the Black Panther Party
He became a man when he was just a little boy
A highly intelligent and mature individual from a young age
Excellent athlete, he excelled in the classroom too
Not only was he physically gifted, but he also had a sharp mind
High supreme action speed, that's when his passions grew
His athletic ability fueled his drive to work for a better world
Racial injustices, poverty, slavery
The societal issues that Fred Hampton saw around him
He went to college, studied law, then joined the NAACP
Fred Hampton studied law as a way to gain knowledge about achieving social justice for Black people, and he joined the NAACP to gain experience fighting for equality
A lot of bad things happened
Hampton experienced many of the injustices he was fighting against
People need to have answers
The community needed solutions to the systemic problems they faced
Why should he keep asking?
Hampton decided it was time to take action and make positive changes
So he joined the Black Panthers
Fred Hampton became a member of the revolutionary Black Panther Party
Have a mission, need assistant
The Black Panther Party had goals and needed support to achieve them
Invite, try to get all of them
The Black Panther Party sought to recruit as many people as possible in order to create change on a larger scale
Fight capitalism, the socialism
The Black Panther Party opposed the capitalist system and promoted socialist ideals
Fight fire with war
The Black Panthers believed that sometimes it was necessary to fight against oppression in order to effect change
The right cause, grow plan
The goals of the Black Panther Party were just, and they worked to create a plan to achieve them
That requires understanding
In order to create real change, the Black Panthers needed to fully understand the societal problems they were fighting against
The life course, a good man
Fred Hampton had a vision of how to improve life for Black people, and he was a charismatic, dedicated leader
The Black Messiah Fred Hampton
The Black Panther Party regarded Fred Hampton as a leader and savior for the African American community
Am I a good man?
Rakim ponders if he is living up to the standards set by a man like Fred Hampton
The man had a lot of heart
Fred Hampton was passionate about fighting injustice and improving the lives of Black people
Some say a lot of nerves
Some may have thought that he was too bold in his aims and actions
The man had a lot of smarts
Fred Hampton was highly intelligent and knowledgeable about the ways to achieve social justice
The man with the million dollar words
Fred Hampton had a way with words that inspired and motivated people
Led by example
Fred Hampton was an effective leader because he practiced what he preached and led by example
Righteous people wanna follow
People who shared Fred Hampton's vision were drawn to him and wanted to be part of his movement
Take a special kind of man to unite the gangs in Chicago
Fred Hampton was able to bring together rival gangs in order to work towards a common goal
Made 'em march in peace
Fred Hampton was able to turn gang members into peaceful protesters
Become allies, soldiers
Gang members became allies in the Black Panther Party's fight against societal oppression
Supervised and policed
Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party monitored their community for signs of injustices and sought to prevent further harm
They brutalized and controlled us
The Black Panther Party and the community they served were victims of police brutality and systemic oppression
He wouldn't miss a lot of tricks
Fred Hampton was shrewd and quick-witted, he wouldn't let systemic problems or injustices go unnoticed
Told them what he knew about law
Fred Hampton educated people about the ways they could use the law to achieve social justice
Informed them about politics
Fred Hampton taught people about political processes and how to participate in them effectively
Told them what he knew about war
Fred Hampton understood that sometimes force was necessary to achieve their goals, and taught others how to best utilize that force
All races, one vision
The Black Panther Party was made up of people from all races, united in their vision for a more just world
The American activist
Fred Hampton, and the Black Panther Party, worked to improve conditions for all Americans
Began the Rainbow Coalition
Fred Hampton helped create a coalition of organizations working for social justice
Everybody thought Jackson did
Jesse Jackson is often credited with creating the Rainbow Coalition, but it was actually started by Fred Hampton
Genocide, a global bliss
Fred Hampton recognized that Black people, and other marginalized groups, were the victims of attempted genocide on a global scale
Poetry like a vocalist
Fred Hampton had a way with words that was compared to that of a musician
FBI's most wanted list
The FBI targeted Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party as enemies of the state
Revolutionary socialist
The Black Panther Party worked to upend the current system of government and replace it with a socialist one
They can't take it no longer
The Black Panther Party had grown too powerful and influential for the government to ignore
He getting bigger by the hour
Fred Hampton's influence was growing quickly
Everyday getting stronger
The Black Panther Party's momentum was building and they were making real progress
The people give him more power
The community empowered Fred Hampton by supporting his ideas and his movement
Intelligent, disciplined
Fred Hampton was highly intelligent and had a strong work ethic and dedication to his cause
He can organize confusion
Fred Hampton was able to bring about order and clarity in situations that were previously chaotic and confusing
Militant, different
The Black Panther Party was different from other civil rights organizations of the time because they promoted militancy and force, if necessary
He can recognize illusions
Fred Hampton was able to identify false claims or propaganda that was used to obscure the truth
Maybe overthrow the government
The Black Panther Party sought to create such radical change that they would have to overthrow the existing system of government
Protest, riots
The Black Panthers used protests and riots as a means of creating social change
Maybe even run for President
Fred Hampton's activism could have led him to pursue a political career
But who would want to keep him quiet?
Those in power were threatened by Fred Hampton's influence and hoped to silence him
The informants on the inside
The FBI had informants within the Black Panther Party who were feeding them information and working against Fred Hampton and the group
They still seem unstoppable
Despite government opposition, the Black Panther Party was still making progress and gaining influence
But this is always how our leaders die
Throughout history, powerful leaders who threaten the status quo have been targeted and eliminated
Because they getting too powerful
When leaders become too powerful, they are often viewed as a threat to the government or ruling class
Like the barrel of a gun, crucified
Leaders like Fred Hampton are often killed in a violent, tragic manner
He was only twenty-one
Fred Hampton died tragically young, before he could fully realize his vision
Look at all the things he did in a short time
Despite his youth, Fred Hampton accomplished a great deal and made a significant impact on the world around him
Imagine all the things that he could've done
Fred Hampton had a boundless potential that was tragically cut short
If he could speak from the grave (uh)
If Fred Hampton were able to return from the dead and speak to us, what would he say?
Fred Hampton would say this
Rakim imagines what Fred Hampton would say if he were able to return and speak to us
You can kill a Black Panther
The government targeted the Black Panthers and tried to silence them through violence
But the Panther still exists
Despite government opposition, the ideal of the Black Panther Party lives on and continues to inspire people today
This record is dedicated to the Chairman Fred Hampton
Rakim created this song as a tribute to the life and legacy of Fred Hampton
May you rest in everlasting peace
Rakim wishes Fred Hampton peace and rest after his difficult life fighting for social justice
And to his family
Rakim also acknowledges the family of Fred Hampton and the sacrifices they made in support of his work
His queen Akua Njeri
Akua Njeri was the partner of Fred Hampton and was dedicated to the work of the Black Panther Party
And his son, the Chairman Fred Hampton Jr.
Fred Hampton Jr. carried on the legacy of his father and continued to fight for social justice throughout his life
Peace, love and respect
A final message promoting peace, love, and respect for all people
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Clarence Reid, William Griffin, Willie Clark
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fr.sxtyxm
LYRICS :
[Intro]
Love, respect, appreciation
To the Black Messiah
To the Black Panther Party, we salute
It's God Rakim, let's go
[Verse 1]
1948, Chicago, Illinois, a young panther was born
He became a man when he was just a little boy
Excellent athlete, he excelled in the classroom too
High supreme action speed, that's when his passions grew
Racial injustices, poverty, slavery
He went to college, studied law, then joined the NAACP
A lot of bad things happΠ΅ned, people need to havΠ΅ answers
Why should he keep asking? So he joined the Black Panthers
Have a mission, known the system, invite, try to get all of them
Fight capitalism, the socialism, fight fire with water
The right cause, grow plan, that requires understanding
The life course of a good man, the Black Messiah Fred Hampton
[Hook]
Am I a good man (Am I a good man?)
A good man
Am I a good man? (Am I a good man)
A good man
[Verse 2]
Man had a lot of heart, some say a lot of nerves
Man had a lot of smarts, the man with the million dollar words
Led by example, righteous people wanna follow
Take a special kind of man to, unite the gangs of Chicago
Made 'em march in peace, become allies, soldiers
Supervised the police, they brutalized and controlled us
He wouldn't miss a lot of tricks, told them what he knew about law
Informed them about politics, told them what he knew about war
All races, one vision, the American activist
Began the Rainbow Coalition, everybody thought Jackson did
Genocide, a global bliss, poetry like a vocalist
FBI's Most Wanted list, revolutionary socialist
[Hook]
Am I a good man (Am I a good man?)
A good man
Am I a good man? (Am I a good man)
A good man (Here we go)
[Verse 3]
They can't take it no longer, he getting bigger by the hour
Everyday getting stronger, the people give him more power
Intelligent, disciplined, he can organize confusion
Militant, different, he can recognize illusions
Maybe overthrow the government, protest, riots
Maybe even run for President, but who would want to keep him quiet?
The informant's on the inside, he still seems unstoppable
But this is always how our leaders die because they getting too powerful
Like the barrel of a gun, crucified, he was only 21
Look at all the things he did in a short time
Imagine all the things that he could've done
If he could speak from the grave, Fred Hampton would say this:
"You can kill a Black Panther, but the Panther still exists"
[Outro]
This record is dedicated to the Chairman Fred Hampton
May you rest in everlasting peace
And to his family, his queen, Akua Njeri
And his son, the Chairman Fred Hampton Jr
Peace, love and respect.
@muraddersimij1442
1948, Chicago, Illinois, a young panther was born
He became a man when he was just a little boy
Excellent athlete, he excelled in the classroom too
High supreme action speed, that's when his passions grew
Racial injustices, poverty, slavery
He went to college, studied law, then joined the NAACP
A lot of bad things happΠ΅ned, people need to havΠ΅ answers
Why should he keep asking? So he joined the Black Panthers
Have a mission, known the system, invite, try to get all of them
Fight capitalism, the socialism, fight fire with war
The right cause, grow plan, that requires understanding
The life course of a good man, the Black Messiah Fred Hampton
Man had a lot of heart, some say a lot of nerves
Man had a lot of smarts, the man with the million dollar words
Led by example, righteous people wanna follow
Take a special kind of man to, unite the gangs of Chicago
Made 'em march in peace, become allies, soldiers
Supervised the police, they brutalized and controlled us
He wouldn't miss a lot of tricks, told them what he knew about law
Informed them about politics, told them what he knew about war
All races, one vision, the American activist
Began the Rainbow Coalition, everybody thought Jackson did
Genocide, a global bliss, poetry like a vocalist
FBI's Most Wanted list, revolutionary socialist
They can't take it no longer, he getting bigger by the hour
Everyday getting stronger, the people give him more power
Intelligent, disciplined, he can organize confusion
Militant, different, he can recognize illusions
Maybe overthrow the government, protest, riots
Maybe even run for President, but who would want to keep him quiet?
The informant's on the inside, he still seems unstoppable
But this is always how our leaders die because they getting too powerful
Like the barrel of a gun, crucified, he was only 21
Look at all the things he did in a short time
Imagine all the things that he could've done
If he could speak from the grave, Fred Hampton would say this:
"You can kill a Black Panther, but the Panther still exists"
@l__jauregui
Rakim doesn't follow the beat, the beat follows Rakim. He just was born to do this.
@DHAIVAT-ALLCAPSWHENSPELLED
Godrapper for a reason πππ
@michaelkorlion9248
Why in the world is this underrated??
@youngrenzel7462
Guess people hate good stuff.
@deewilson1384
Should have been the theme song for the movie.
@nubianwarriorgoddess9341
You can kill a revolutionary but you can't kill the revolution
@reggiebarker1279
CORRECTLY SAID, QUEEN BY NATURE, YOU R !
@ashandrake9515
True
@Armando316
This is what Rakim needs. When he has the right kind of production, his records are untouchable. He still has it in to deliver a monumental album.
@TheGrandTurk
The God MC is sounding particularly potent these days. Remember when top tier producers in Hip Hop united with Nas to make Illmatic, one of the best albums of all time? We need the best to step up and do the same with Rakim.