Rakim is in the DNA of every rapper that’s come after him. Rappers like Nas, Kendrick Lamar or Lupe Fiasco may have more complexity but he was the one who “split the atom” lyrically. Hip Hop wouldn’t be what it is now without his imprint on the culture.

It's crazy how reconisable a dj premier beat is. He  realy is a master of his craft.

If you listen to early commercial rap such as Run DMC, they were basically rhyming cat with hat.  Rakim changed all of that.  This one is actually more recent Rakim when he's more modern sounding.  You have to listen to Paid in Full or I Ain't No Joke and then compare it to other rap of the same era to really understand his impact.

In my opinion, Rakim is the greatest rapper to have ever done it. The God MC

One of his most slept-on tracks is 'Mahogany'... it's about Ra hanging out with a lady before he hit the stage. I'd love to see it on a poll.

Scratches are still the best thing in hip hop music for me personally, and this song is a very good example why.

Rakim was definitely one of the main catalysts for revolutionizing the way serious MC’s rhymed in the late 80s going into 90s. There were already MCs that were clever but he was the one picked up the pace to the point people were rewinding the cassettes to catch every line he said and then write it down in old composition notebook and read it like it was Shakespeare. The perfect Rakim song that exemplifies this point is “Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em” which was probably recorded in 1989 (album released in 1990). The beat on that record was perfect for Rakim’s relentless flow and every line in each verse was meant to grab your attention. And the one thing that separates Rakim from many lyricists of his caliber is he very rarely uses his profanity. He said in a interview on The Breakfast Club he said he tried to records his parents would be proud of. I say he was the best MC lyrically from 1988-1991 before his hiatus. There was no one touching that man.

YES!!! I was actually playing this in my car  a little while ago and thought about recommending it to you. Just forgot. One of my favorite rap songs and MC’s.

Rakim Allah.. the god.

Rakim Allah da god 🙌🏾

You should check dj premier ft nas, rakim, kanye west and krs1 - classic

Hip Hop (and the art of emceeing specifically) has two distinct epochs. Pre-Rakim and Post-Rakim. He’s that important. Listen to some early rap such as Kurtis Blow and hear the difference.

I do think ‘18th Letter’ is a better example of his writing ability with regards to his later work.

As far as real hiphop,especially NY hiphop from the 90s (90s style)when lyrics were intricate,complicated and smart, we analyzed and broke down lyrics..we rewound tapes so many times "YOU HEARD WHAT HE JUST SAID!?"

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I would highly recommended 18th letter by Rakim.

10:55 funny you say that. Rakim was signed to Dre and Aftermath for a few yrs in the early 00’s. No album was released and he eventually left. He said it was because Dre wanted a gangster sound and Rakim didn’t. Creative differences.

Wow this is late in Rakim's career. I wonder why someone requested this🤔🤷🏽‍♂️ I would have suggested "Microphone Fiend," "I Ain't No Joke," "I know You Got Soul," or "Follow The Leader," but this is still a solid song. I actually bought this album with my first check I received from the army

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YESSS!

Oh and BTW, I believe the entire "Paid In Full" album (the book of genesis) did not have any REAL (maybe shit) curses...I don't think he's ever referred to women as bitches... Ever