Eric B. & Rakim
Advertisement
Advertisement
Top Related Artists
Biography
Erik. B and & Rakim are widely credited as advancing hip-hop in ways that were still apparent decades after their break-up. Queens native Erik Barrier honed his turntable skills while working as a mobile DJ for a local radio station while still a teenager. It was during that job that he formed a partnership with Rakim, born William Griffin Jr, who took the name Rakim Allah after converting to Islam as a teenager. Their initial singles, âErik B. Is Presidentâ and âMy Melodyâ would both go on to appear on their debut album, 1987âs Paid In Full. The combination of Rakimâs poetic rhyme schemes and laid-back, jazz-inflected flow with Erik Bâs heavy sampling of old soul records, particularly James Brown on âI Know You Got Soulâ, set the template for hip-hopâs future. The 1988 follow-up Follow the Leader did better on the chart than their debut, and it solidified their status as the premiant hip-hop artists with songs like the title track and âLyrics of Furyâ. The cracked the pop charts for the first time as a featured artist on Jody Watleyâs âFriendsâ, a number 9 hit in 1989. 1990âs Let the Rhythm Hit âEm gave them their biggest charting single to that point with the title track hitting number 2 on the rap chart, and the title track from 1992âs Donât Sweat the Technique topped it. With their contract up, and each considering solo projects, the duo split after just four LPs that all reached the top 10 of the R&B album chart. They reunited for the first time in 2017 in order to play a series of live dates.
Read All
Read Less
Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Paid In Full featuring Rakim
- Don't Sweat The Technique
- I Ain't No Joke by Rakim
- Know The Ledge
- Move The Crowd by Rakim
- Eric B. Is President
- Microphone Fiend by Rakim
- My Melody by Rakim
- Follow The Leader by Rakim
- What's On Your Mind
- Lyrics Of Fury by Rakim
- Eric B. Is On The Cut
- Juice (Know The Ledge)
- Extended Beat
- Chinese Arithmetic
- As The Rhyme Goes On
- Untouchables
- Technique (Sprite Limelight) by Eric B. & Rakim
- Mahogany
- Relax With Pep
- Keep 'Em Eager to Listen
- Keep The Beat
- Set 'Em Straight
- Kick Along
