Eric B & Rakim_The Millennium Collection

Their success came before the gangsta rap of the ’90s, and actually they never would have fit in that genre. Though the microphone was a figuratively referred to as weapon, there was no intention of killing anyone, except fake emcees’ spirits. There couldn’t be an East Coast/West Coast flap with Eric B. & Rakim because everyone loves them, all over the world in fact. The remix of “Paid In Full” was a top 10 hit in the UK, an in-demand 12” in New York, and still is a popular dance floor anthem in Europe. Though they never rapped in “bling bling” fashion, Paid In Full’s 1986 album cover is almost a template for Cash Money Millionaires’ album covers some 14 years later. Examples of the legendary duo’s role in shaping music and hip-hop are countless. The beautiful thing about Eric B. & Rakim is that, all of the accolades and honors aside, all you have to do is listen and the legend speaks for itself. The beats – Eric B.’s productions early on using James Brown’s grooves and, later, layering sounds and loops with a bottom that can’t be denied. Now listen to the lyrics – full of double or triple entendres with crystal clear imagery and references to religion, family and street life, delivered in rapid-fire fashion. You can’t catch all of the words because the flow is so smooth and quick, so you just check the tone of Rakim’s voice, an instrument in itself.

TRACK LISTING
1.I KNOW YOU GOT SOUL
2.ERIC B IS PRESIDENT
3.I AIN’T NO JOKE
4.PAID IN FULL (SEVEN MINUTES OF MADNESS – THE COLDCUT REMIX)
5.FOLLOW THE LEADER
6.LYRICS OF FURY
7.MICROPHONE FIEND
8.LET THE RHYTHM HIT ’EM
9.IN THE GHETTO
10.THE PUNISHER
11.KNOW THE LEDGE

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