Of course you've got the older heads that will only consider Big Daddy Kane, KRS ONE, or Rakim. Quality arguments can be made for each men, as they all are among my top fifteen favorite rappers. Right now is not the time and place for me to give my favorites or anything, but I will say that Rakim is easily the most influential rapper to ever touch a mic.
In 1987, Eric B. and Rakim released their debut album Paid In Full, after a ton of singles had been circling around and building some hype. The album revolutionized rap in many ways. Rakim was the first to throw in complex rhymes and tackle social issues, at a time when rap was nothing more than some shit you'd play at a party. He was also among the first to mix together intelligence and social awarness, while still making the music fun. Paid In Full was one of the first albums of it's kind to be such a commercial succes, selling over one million units. Eric B. was already the go to DJ in New York but this put him on another level. Rakim on the other hand, reached a whole new level of popularity and everything he touched turned to gold.
On a side note, this album almost never happened. Ok, it would've been released but without the main star, Rakim. Freddie Foxxx was originally supposed to be the rapper of this group but showed up late to a recording session. In his place, Rakim stepped in and made the most out of his opportunity. I feel bad for Freddie, though, You know that guys not living in the hamptons and these album sales sure would have helped his economical state. Still, it's hard to imagine a time when this legendary duo didn't exist so I'm thankful for that. Even if if was at the expense of Freddie Foxxx's career.
Paid In Full is the groups best album, regardless of what you may hear. Their follow up, Follow The Leader, is considered a classic by many, but I won't give away my opinion on that just yet. Their third album, Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em also received five stars from The Source, back when that actually meant something. So they've got some good shit out there, but nothing beats their debut.
Lets Begin...
1. I Ain't No Joke
You and your whole family know damn well you've already heard this song. If you haven't, well good job for living under a rock that much. Yes, this is a legendary and decade defining song that I love as much as everyone else. Eric B.'s drums are simple and the horns mix together perfectly while Rakim spits one of hip hops most quotable songs. I wonder If Rakim had any idea what he was doing when he wrote down these lyrics, they've certainly left a huge impact on the genre. I don't know if it's physically possible for me not to sing along when I hear it. Okay, I'm done.
2. Eric B. Is On The Cut
Just like Rakim, Eric. B was a master in his respected field. This is the first of of three DJ cuts, which is basically Eric B. making sure he wouldn't be forgotten when album hit shelves. If sampling is the truest form of hip hop admiration, then this Paid In Full is just worship. Not bad for what it is.
3. My Melody
Unfortunately, most Marley Marl beats sound too dated for todays fans to get into, but that's not an issue on "My Melody". His lone instrumental has a slow tempo to it, which meshes together nicely with Rakim's methodical raps. If slower tempo beast aren't your thing, well you better get the fuck over it, this is a damn masterpiece. This is actually a remix, as the original didn't appear until the albums re-release, but this version is just better so don't sweat it. How Rakim is able to eat up twenty one rappers at the same time is a mystery to me, but this is bursting at the seams with quotables.
4. I Know You Got Soul
Every rapper alive has stollen lyrics from Rakim, as this is another track that's a greatest hits collection of Rakim's quotable lyrics. Just throw on any of these song if you're curious to hear where your favorite rapper got his lines. Furthermore, this track single-handedly kicked of hip hops obsession with James Brown samples. If you're a fan of those, well now you know who to thank.
5. Move The Crowd
Although it has since changed, this was my favorite track from Paid In Full for a while. It still sounds great today, but Rakim lies about the meaning of MC. Sorry, it's actually "master of the ceremonies" not "move the crowd. (thanks to A Tribe Called Quest for that little piece of information.) Wow, the frequencies that the Tribe shows up in out posts is getting out of hand, I'll admit it. What can I say, they preach knowledge.
6. Paid In Full
The title track has been sample so many times it's almost impossible to believe it had an origin point, but that's the case for most of these song. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album, which is no small feat. There's a remixed version on the re-release, which alone makes it worth the extra couple bucks. I've always thought this was too short, but that's most likely because Rakim stops rapping half way through. Great song, though.
7. As The Rhyme Goes On
Excluding the DJ cuts, this is the only song that's not as iconic as the other songs, so you're not going to be familiar with this one. The beat is decent and the Barry White sample kind of scares me, but Rakim Allah still sounds good. Eminem weirdly sampled this in "The Way I Am", which is all I can think about when I hear this song.
8. Chinese Arithmetic
The second DJ cut on the album is also the best. This instrumental sample is so stereotypical towards Asians that it wouldn't have even been released today. Thankfully no one really gave a shit about that type of thing in the 80s so this was good to go. Overall, though, it's a very nice cut that stays interesting the whole way through.
9. Eric B. Is President
Yeah, you've heard this one as well, but a refresher never hurts. I wasn't a big fan of this when I first heard it but I can appreciate it much more after gaining more knowledge about our chosen genre. The instrumental on here just might be the best on the whole damn album and still sounds great today. I don't know if you've ever realized it, but this song is also really fucking long, clocking in at just over six minutes.
10. Extended Beat
Appropriately named, Eric B. gives the listeners an extended beat of "Move The Crowd". Not sure how necessary this was but Paid In Full just would have been stupid if it wasn't ten tracks long. The beat sounds good but you'll be tired of it by the time it ends.
Rating: 5/5
I don't have the nerve not to give this a classic rating, but it helps that Paid In Full still sounds great, even today. They eventually got it, but these guys could have given less of a fuck about radio play, which is awesome. Both members made attempts to recreate the magic here, but nothing was able to touch the original. Eric B.'s beats sound exactly how he wanted, avoiding any changes the record label wanted to make. Rakim had no idea what the fuck he was about to start when he wrote down these lyrics, but I'm sure he knew that he had something special. Just liked the rest of hip hop, this was as unfiltered as it would ever be, and it sounds great. Wondering if I recommend this? Take a fucking guess. Paid In Full is essential listening to anyone even remotely interested in the basic musical foundation of hip-hop. This is as pure as rap can get, so do what you must to get your hands on a copy.