Biography

With a smoother, more hypnotically listenable version of Run-DMC's streetwise forthrightness, Eric B. & Rakim added another layer of depth to 1980s rap music. Among the first acts to articulate a hip-hop worldview, the duo represented the first flowering of rap into a full-blown subculture. Rakim's skill as one of hip-hop's premier wordsmiths carried him over four records of mindblowing rhymes, exemplified by classic singles like "Microphone Fiend" and "Juice (Know the Ledge)." The duo even sparked the long-running trend of hip-hop acts guesting on R&B hits in 1989, with Jody Watley's top ten hit "Friends." The pair parted ways in 1992 with Rakim embarking on a hit-or-miss solo career.

Top Tracks

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• Don't Sweat The Technique

• Eric B. Is President

• Follow The Leader

• I Ain't No Joke

• I Know You Got Soul

• I Know You Got Soul [dub Version]

• In The Ghetto

• Know The Ledge

• Let The Rhythm Hit 'em

• Lyrics Of Fury

• Mahogany

• Microphone Fiend

• My Melody [original Mix]

• Paid In Full

• Paid In Full [seven Minutes Of Madness - The Coldcut Remix]

• What's On Your Mind?

Discography

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• Don't Sweat the Technique

  MCA

  1992

• Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em

  MCA

  1990

• Follow the Leader

  UNI Record

  1988

• Paid in Full

  4th & Broadway

  1987