You were hooked because this is the best rap you will ever hear. RAKIM was the definition of Hip-hop. He brought it to another level. Alot of rappers that came after were influenced by RAKIM. You can hear it in their music. One of the best legends ever.
I’m 48 and I grew up in the Bronx . I was a 70’s baby and a adolescent in the 80’s and a young man in the 90’s . Some of the greatest eras for all type of music
J Smith im 24 from south jamaica, queens. and being born in 94’, i didnt get a chance to experience this when it came out. thanks to my parents, i was blessed to hear all this 80’s and 90’s music, definitely favor this stuff over most of the current music nowadays. you’re definitely lucky as hell.
who cares either way? not swearing doesn't make it better in any way unless you're some christian grandma or something i really don't get what your point is
True, but this track is ahead of it's time (or at the very least, timeless) in the mix/production. Hip Hop nowadays is so 'dated' (they just all use this obnoxious synth backing tracks)...while Eric B used (and performed LIVE) all these crazy mixing and sampling (awesome FAT/PHAT drum samples from the HUGE reverb-ish drum sounds of the 30-60!s) techniques that people try and emulate (poorly) via computer program, nowadays. It's weird, I find (even though the Rap genre is now the official biggest seller, as of 2017) the real golden age of Hip Hop was in the 80s and 90s. It's F'ed up. But i'm thinking music is like fashion....what was cool 20 or 30 years ago, WILL be again.
its funny you say that, i know song well, but it came on my pandora and i was thinking the same thing, this is real hip hop.. what happened to hip hop, its went so down hill...
I have to say this first time I've ever heard this track , but i couldn't fast forward ... its so smooth , it reminds of the first time i fell in love with hip hop as a 6 year old , i love this beat , and the bells/whistles its so dope
No sexually explicit lyrics, no excessive cursing, reference to drug use, reference to women as b*****, or brothers as n******, or excessive materialism.......but still one of the greatest hip hop tracks of all time. Don't tell me it can't be done.
True bro. He kept it real,he hardly ever cussed. He still sounded just as good as the best. He didn't cuss in general. On any of his songs, u never heard any of that. That goes to show you that you don't have to cuss to sound dope as an MC
I literally refuse to even hear what's happening in mainstream currently :') it's enough that my ears get auditorially assaulted in stores. It actual feels like mental pollution. It's no wonder ppls psyches tend to be absolutely trashed. The things that are being ingested/consumed..
This is 1988, at the height of the Crack epidemic. The way he takes the bleak image if being a 'fiend' and turning it into his love for the microphone is pure artistry. #namaste
Excellent reference and on point. We could walk out the door ever day and see the relentless, inescapable power of addiction. Flipped a term fraught with endless tragedy and horrors into one of the greatest songs ever made and a thing of beauty
Watching this, you realize why Rakim was so huge back in that era, he was ahead of time with his cadence, confidence and word play. He didn't babble, he spoke street and life knowledge. He was ahead of time, when people were doing "1-2-3-4 Jump on the floor" rhymes
@@KingBranBDM Thank you for Speaking of one of the GOATS in present tense... This has been and always will be on my play list since the 80's and will ALWAYS be turned up to 💯🎼🎶💪🤘
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL!!!!! THE MOST STUDIED!!!!!! THE MOST TALKED ABOUT!!!!!! THE BIGGEST GAME CHANGER!!!!! SIMPLY THE GREATEST PURE LYRICIST OF ALL TIME!!!!!
30-year-old Puerto Rican here. My father grew up in Brooklyn from the late 70s to the 80s. When I was born in 1994 he made sure I was surrounded by hip-hop. Rakim,m, LL, Run Dmc, Slick Rick, The Pharcyde and House of Pain. Then later Biggie, Dre, Em, but he NEVER discredits the new guys. He actually enlightens how much new producers and artists pay homage to the OG’s of Hiphop. Its different, but thinking about how his moms generation thought this genre would be nothing and has become on of the biggest genres in the world? Its really amazing
Wish RAKIM would make a new CD. Who cares about age. Other artists make music in there fifties and even sixties. Why not hip hop? Im a fan forever. If Phill Collins and others can doit,,,Why not Eric B and Rakim? Im 45 and would spend a grip to see them live today.
Michael white Back in '94 Eric B & Rakim was the ONLY album playing in *continual re-peat* in my house- and NO ONE was allowed or even DARED to switch or stop it from playing. When I'd ride w/ my boy, this shyt was BLASTIN on the loudspeakers & we'd ride all over the city! Today, 2015 - and I'm STILL BLASTIN this all over the hood ( even though I no longer reside in NYC but in #Greece ) - Eric & Rakim will travel with me to all the corners of the Universe! 🎤 Damn- I wish theyd make a *comeback* - I'd fly right back !!! 👊
@@nookguy4318 Lupe Fiasco. Lyrical Bodybag, no question. "Holy assumption of man into the heaven's sphere Many mansions fit champions within its seven tiers Evangelists re-imagine every 11 years Pause for applause, evolves to what was never here Born to death, born to die, form the flesh, form the eyes A veritable storm of winged forms swarms the skies" Not even his best
@@nookguy4318 what are you talking about? He dropped a lyrical masterpiece a few months ago, this song was on it. Rakim hasn't dropped since like 2009, so what are you talking about?
50 years old, was a fan of Eric B and Rakim in the beginning, still am today. I listen to this fondly. This to me in real hip hop. 80s and early 90s, can never be duplicated.
@@bazglsgw1208 I keep telling people... Rakim is the greatest MC in hip hop. Even Eminem looks up to him. Some may not like me mentioning Eminem, but you cannot deny he has talent.
@@humanblacklight Yeah lyrically Eminem is very good but i dont like his hook game anymore some of his cheesy chorases n hooks annoy me but hes a great mcee no doubt.
@@humanblacklight Em also looks up 2 Masta Ace hes one of Ems favorites listen to Aces cadance in Accnowlage n he sounds like Em but Ace been here since the 80s he prob gave Em the title for his Slaughterhouse group.
For all you dirty south liking M Fers, what Rakim is doing here in this video is called EMCEEING!!!! not rapping but EMCEEING. This is a master at work on top of his craft!!!! Not talking about blunts and broads and videos in strip clubs that everyone and their grandmother has seen. Pure unadulterated raw rhyme skills!!!! You can have Drake, Lil Stain, Rick Ross and the rest of those garbage corn ball ring tone rappers. Rakim is that dude for the ages period. 100s for NY HIPHOP!!!
Dskillz Barksdale Re-Read my post and then comment ya heard. Bottom line the cats that you mentioned might spit, but not like the Fiend Rakim feel me. How dare you bring them up on a classic joint like this. If not for Ra, They would have no career. Period.
Dennis Owens You must be kidding. Rakim Lyrically is a million light years ahead of scarface son. Do your homework for real. Scarface is not Rakim's influence by no means lol.
@@courtgizzle word the fuck up. I turned 35 yesterday. (87) I'm thankful everyday I grew up when I did. The mix tape era. Not the birth but the perfection of hip hop. From wu to big to nas and Jay. Rakim and Q tip. Busta rhymes. Crunk and dirt south shit. David banner lik flip, plies, akon. I know I'm going into the 00s but I turned 13 then. But I had in my opinion the greatest musical childhood. And it all stemmed from this shit right here.
He is the greatest rapper of all time .do ur math.he set d template with dat first album So it's an Abomination dat OutKast given dat when original boom bag comes from.newYork.nonsense shit
I',m 54 from Montreal Canada and this song remains epic, new style, incredibly innovative, got a ton of attention. I feel fortunate to have heard it when it initially launched.
Just RIDICULOUS wordplay! 30 years later & I can quote every word & still get as hyped as I was the 1st time I heard it. Even mote impressive is the fact that this is Slow Flow Rakim & he was THE MASTER of it. Then you compare this to Lyrics of Fury or Follow The Leader where he was rapping a thousand miles a minute & completely rewrote the rules on that too. NOBODY (Not Hova, BIGGIE, Nas, etc etc etc) is on this level. He is the GOAT by a mile!
I couldn’t agree more.... Rakim is still one of the coolest dudes to ever walk the earth......what Hendrix was to the electric guitar & Tool is to alternative/metal/prog, Rakim is to hip hop,he was just sooooo fuckin good 🤘🏻
It's ironic because you've realized your mistake while hypocritically chastising someone for their grammar. It's funny because someone called you out. Learn from this.
What would you say to someone who says that RAKIM is terrible, especially " MICROPHONE FIEND". And that he is not authentic, can't compare with good rappers and is definitely not in the top 25? This dude says he has crazy knowledge of hip-hop and has better taste in music than I have because I told him that saying Rakim is terrible means your knowledge of hip-hop is in the basement.
"I was a fiend! before I became a teen I melted microphones instead of cones of ice cream Music orientated so when hip hop was originated, fitted like pieces of puzzles: complicated" When you actually pay attention to Rakims lyrics, he makes a lot of sense. I love those first few bars. Sets the scene for the track.
I can actually remember to this day where I was and what I was doing when this joint dropped... watching a UK music show '88 called Behind The Beat (BTB) and recorded the show playing this joint and replayed the song to death after recording and wore the tape out... CLASSIC!
This track is one of the examples as to why no one ever tried Rakim. He was talking to anyone who wanted smoke any entertainer & that blow its already over before even starts.
So many styles come from this one album especially the NYC rappers. who were big time in the 90s and 2000s rakim rhyme patterns 20 years ahead of his time.
@@selenadiaz2665 EPMD is great. I remember back in the day when we got Eric B and Rakim, EPMD, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, etc. Freaking great time for rap. I even liked the very beginnings of West Coast Rap with Eazy E and NWA, but starting about 1999 or so it seemed to go straight downhill.
You are just about the same age as me. I know that you remember when "PAID IN FULL" first came out. The album should go down as the one that changed HipHop. A lot of rappers have RAKIM 'S style in their music. To me there are 3 songs that took HipHop to the next level. The first was : " The Message". The second was: " Sucker MC". and the third was: " Dead Presidents".
Rakim, Rakim! That brotha was not to be played with on that microphone. I'm tellin' you somethin'. And they music still knocks over 20 years later. Add that extra bass to this joint and it's gon thump even harder. #anditsstillallgood
Nobody can talk about HIP HOP without saying RAKIM, KRS ONE, BIG DADDY CANE, and KOOL G RAP. Four different dominating styles that gave a new life to HIP HOP. I don't know what this Sh!t is going on today it's not HIP HOP.
All music after this got infiltrated by Lucifairian head masters after this. Including Rap, pop, rock, country...etc You can't make it without selling your soul. check out the "Out Of The Shadows" documentary on YT. It's about one hour and 17 mins long
I'm over halfway to 63 and was 31 when this was bumping in 1988. Loved this in the early days of hip hop. Nice clean rap, with NO profanity used. These were the best days of rap from about 1979 to 1991.
I was born in the 70's Im Puerto Rican from NY. Eric B and Rakim follow the leader was the 1st album I ever bought I said he was the best to do it back then and best to ever do it almost 40 years later.
The greatest MC that ever lived.
Facts ❤
Krs one enters the chat
@deryckcumberbatch3629 it's close. It's close. But the Goat is Ra
@@deryckcumberbatch3629Nope
Chucky.
White guy here, from Alabama. 51 y/o; 70’s and 80’s kid. I knew nothing about hip hop/rap, but when I heard Eric B and Rakim, I was hooked.
Music is universal
When did you hear it? Just curious.
You were hooked because this is the best rap you will ever hear. RAKIM was the definition of Hip-hop. He brought it to another level. Alot of rappers that came after were influenced by RAKIM. You can hear it in their music. One of the best legends ever.
@@josephcanales-pb3ip Eminem speaks on Rakim…..
ruclips.net/video/SjFGCJRRD0E/видео.htmlsi=DXD394Rp8pSvDzt-
@@josephcanales-pb3ipJay-Z speaks on Rakim…..
ruclips.net/video/85BsBCg_fIQ/видео.htmlsi=i_VCPbYQDctlvcMY
Who still Listening in 2024?
Me 💪💪💪
Me! He is one of the best
Me
Almost daily, I know every word. Been one of my favourite tracks since I was about 15 (2005)
💪🏽🏆
I’m 48 and I grew up in the Bronx . I was a 70’s baby and a adolescent in the 80’s and a young man in the 90’s .
Some of the greatest eras for all type of music
J Smith im 24 from south jamaica, queens. and being born in 94’, i didnt get a chance to experience this when it came out. thanks to my parents, i was blessed to hear all this 80’s and 90’s music, definitely favor this stuff over most of the current music nowadays. you’re definitely lucky as hell.
facts...right here with you 77
I'm right with you J from Detroit!!!
Same , Boston Rd,Webster and in Brooklyn, Marcy Ave, they was the best times
I am 50 never be another era like it!!!
No cursing, no chorus, no mumbling, just 99 BARS of flawless lyricism and perfect production… you kids trying to do this needs to take notes!
Exactly...you dont hear the words Bitch or Ni-gger not once... awesome
STRONG FACTS BRO!
FLAWLESS VICTORY!!!!
@@tonyinmiami99 😐bro u cant be saying that stuff
@@tonyinmiami99 ye you def not goin to heaven 💀
No cursing. No N-word. No calling women out their name… just PURE LYRICS!!! DAMN I miss this music!!! 🤌🏾
well, to be fair, he talks about drugs and heroine in this.....
K RINO, Houston Tx,try it,i think you will like it
Facts 👌🏾
@andrewtheworldcitizen he compares his addiction to hip hop to drugs ..nothing more
Masterpiece!
E - F - F - E. - C. - T., A Smooth Operator Operating Corectly.....They don't call him DA GREAT RAKIM for nuthin....PURE GREATNESS !
That was a blatant diss to big daddy Kane
Rakim flow is so captivating that you don't even realize that he's not using profanity in his music. The GOAT
Someone told me that back in the day, I didn't even notice, made it even better.
who cares either way? not swearing doesn't make it better in any way unless you're some christian grandma or something i really don't get what your point is
@@JeffGrubb1010 Went completely over your head I see. What do you know about hip hop?
4 minutes of straight bars and not one curse word. He your favorite rapper's favorite rapper.
Big Facts... Its documented 💯
He said hell tho 😳
ATC it’s in the bible
Riannaa TV it’s a joke
ATC i know lol
Rakim ran this whole track, no hook, no singing, no skits in the middle, just str8 bars
Young sensei 🔥🔥🔥
True, but this track is ahead of it's time (or at the very least, timeless) in the mix/production. Hip Hop nowadays is so 'dated' (they just all use this obnoxious synth backing tracks)...while Eric B used (and performed LIVE) all these crazy mixing and sampling (awesome FAT/PHAT drum samples from the HUGE reverb-ish drum sounds of the 30-60!s) techniques that people try and emulate (poorly) via computer program, nowadays.
It's weird, I find (even though the Rap genre is now the official biggest seller, as of 2017) the real golden age of Hip Hop was in the 80s and 90s. It's F'ed up.
But i'm thinking music is like fashion....what was cool 20 or 30 years ago, WILL be again.
Young sensei facts👊🏿👊🏿
Young sensei look it up Rakim did most of the beats. Most people don't know that. Eric B was just the front money that got them on.
faseforeal Right! Eric B didn't even like this kind of hip hop. He likes the booty shaking music and that's I think why they split.
Make sure you tell your kids that this is what real Hip Hop is.
Oh I will lemon I will lmao
@@tekvsouvi😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 CV
Great comment right here.
its funny you say that, i know song well, but it came on my pandora and i was thinking the same thing, this is real hip hop.. what happened to hip hop, its went so down hill...
21 is still GOAT 🔥🔥
Middle aged white guy here. The first time I heard Eric B & Rakim I was blown away. I was raised on hard rock but this was the shit. Classic! 👍
Did your parents raise you on Hardrock?
I hear You my Guy! This is definitely a classic and I was definitely blown away when I first heard this as well. DOPE!
Rakim is the one who got us all hooked...I'm a very feminine female but I love rap lol
Bruh... This song is LITERALLY better than 100% of the so-called hip hop you hear on the radio in 2022.
I have to say this first time I've ever heard this track , but i couldn't fast forward ... its so smooth , it reminds of the first time i fell in love with hip hop as a 6 year old , i love this beat , and the bells/whistles its so dope
Truth!
Cuz they don't make beats like this no more it's bullshit.. I wanna find some one that can take it back for real..
Couldn't agree more mannn 👌👍👏🙌
I agree 100%....most rap from this era is 100% better than today's skinny Jean music
his rhymes are pure wisdom, no cursing just plain wisdom in every sentence. I hope he is part of the museum of hip Hop in the Bronx for 2024.
The fact that this album isnt in the hall allready is a dis on all of hip hop
My son is 22, he thinks trap is the s***, I told him, sit down and listen to this from pop's era...the real deal...
Trap came up in the 90s
Also not his Generation
So what did he think?
"I was a fiend, before i became a teen. I melted microphones instead of cones of ice cream"
Fire. Str8 fire. Talent. Real shit.
Lol.... dem not listening 🤣
Me as a 23 white kid: 💃🏽🥳
@@garfieldrussell2481 their loss
GOAT wordsmith
Best verse in Hip Hop!!!
Hip Hop purist here......loved our music without guns, misogyny and violence against our own people. 70's baby here!!!
As of Mexican American growing up in LA I idolized Rakim. The flows the bars are still cold and will live on forever.
K paza raza
Chingón
Me too
KDAY, all day!
Horale pinche carnal!!😂😂😂😂
@@josenavarrete1155 😂😂😂😂😂😂 chingon
He was like a time traveler from another dimension with his skill. Unmatched then and today.
No sexually explicit lyrics, no excessive cursing, reference to drug use, reference to women as b*****, or brothers as n******, or excessive materialism.......but still one of the greatest hip hop tracks of all time.
Don't tell me it can't be done.
blakdog90 Yup. Rakim did it with class. I loved this guy. I wasn't into his religious philosphy but nonetheless he was freakin' awesome!
blakdog90 No repeat chorus or anthem songs, just keep rhyming and writing.
True bro. He kept it real,he hardly ever cussed. He still sounded just as good as the best. He didn't cuss in general. On any of his songs, u never heard any of that. That goes to show you that you don't have to cuss to sound dope as an MC
blakdog90 Thank you!
blakdog90 "It can be done but only I can do it" Rakim
This God MC was ahead of his time...31yrs later he sounds better than these new rappers/MC's.
I literally refuse to even hear what's happening in mainstream currently :') it's enough that my ears get auditorially assaulted in stores. It actual feels like mental pollution. It's no wonder ppls psyches tend to be absolutely trashed. The things that are being ingested/consumed..
Facts
U could also say everyone else was behind!!!!
You cant call this kids these days rappers/Mcs
That crap they make today is pop rap.. no heart in it.. its embarrassing
Shout out to anybody under 25 listening to this. We should be proud of ourselves.
No matter how much shitty music gets made present day, its comforting to know I have generations of great music behind me to listen to like this
13 actually
13
We need 2 save rap
3
This entire Album is a Complete masterpiece ❤
I'm 54..I lived this. Flawless. The Ra is the Goat.
He's called the God MC for a reason!!
I’m only 11 and listen to this. Legends.
Everyday, I still bump this,, no cussing,,,just straight Lyric kings,,,Old school,,,Straight Mic knowledge...
These are some of our greatest pioneers of hip hop. Why is there not a damn movie about the emergence of Eric B and Rakim !!??
A movie about the emergence of Hip- Hop is a great idea, the Golden era 80's, no era can match the 80's!!!
Right. We need an Eric B & Rakim biopic 🤲🏾😷🔑
@@jamesmoore9636 I'd say mid 80s to about 94 95ish is golden era
@@MusicPhene17 you got that👍
They are the standard!
4 minutes & 18 seconds of straight octane 🔥🔥🔥
This is 1988, at the height of the Crack epidemic. The way he takes the bleak image if being a 'fiend' and turning it into his love for the microphone is pure artistry. #namaste
That point is kinda undermined by the fact that he said that he'll shoot someone if he couldn't get on the mic.
Excellent reference and on point. We could walk out the door ever day and see the relentless, inescapable power of addiction.
Flipped a term fraught with endless tragedy and horrors into one of the greatest songs ever made and a thing of beauty
A master of his craft.
Some niggas just don't know. 🤷🏽♂️💨
Legendary the best rap song of all time imo
Watching this, you realize why Rakim was so huge back in that era, he was ahead of time with his cadence, confidence and word play. He didn't babble, he spoke street and life knowledge.
He was ahead of time, when people were doing "1-2-3-4 Jump on the floor" rhymes
I read in an interview that Rakim was influenced by jazz. I can hear that in his rhyming flow.
You said 1 simple word that'a vastly overlooked CADENCE. I can tell from that word alone you KNOW hip hop.
@@Musicienne-DAB1995 he has a family of Jazz musicians.
@@KingBranBDM Thank you for Speaking of one of the GOATS in present tense... This has been and always will be on my play list since the 80's and will ALWAYS be turned up to 💯🎼🎶💪🤘
Flow
All this seriousness and no mention of guns or women and no cursing .... true talent
You ain't even lyin
Rakim made hip hop hard he was nice.
He did but not excessively
@Corey Mason lmao he said this right at the time i was reading your comment, just on time
So blessed I was around in the 80's hip hop. I was only 5.
The REAL GOAT !
Who still banging this in 2020! Forever a classic !
Troy Crez ...still banging this in Amsterdam 2020!
In Hamburg city
Me he's the God mc
C'mon bro you already know lol
Classic hip-hop banger
Bangin it in N.Phx still.
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL!!!!! THE MOST STUDIED!!!!!! THE MOST TALKED ABOUT!!!!!! THE BIGGEST GAME CHANGER!!!!! SIMPLY THE GREATEST PURE LYRICIST OF ALL TIME!!!!!
dabx170 co fuckin sign
dabx170 Rakim,KRS one,and Big Daddy Kane changed hip hop forevermore
+Claude White All are true lyricist
2024 and I still listen to Rakim and get chills whenever I hear Microphone Fiend... And I'm 52 years old.
53
45
61 WORD!!!!!!!!
Did you hear the shook ones freestyle 😮
Arguably the greatest hip hop track ever. The definition of an MC
Oooh... but what about 'My Melody'?
Have you seen or heard don't call me brother dark man X and the 18th letter
@@Musicienne-DAB1995 oh my god.. don’t make the debate harder man please 🙌🏽🔥🔥🔥
No doubt. And also one of the most influential.
This why Rakim is one Best Ever. He drop bars like no one that came across over the years.
Rakim is the best. Guru 2nd
Rakim is the G.O.A.T.!
He got more bars than a jail cell
Eh big daddy Kane
@@damianclarke8056For me, the R, then Nas…. my list stops there ✌️
No rapper dominated the 80's like Rakim, in my opinion. Simply the best.
Carlos Boyer LL
Kane
Rakim, Kane, Kool G. and KRS. That's it.
LL Cool J was the biggest tho...he wasn't the best but he dominated the 80s
The industry must have didn't have anything else if he dominated it
30-year-old Puerto Rican here. My father grew up in Brooklyn from the late 70s to the 80s. When I was born in 1994 he made sure I was surrounded by hip-hop. Rakim,m, LL, Run Dmc, Slick Rick, The Pharcyde and House of Pain.
Then later Biggie, Dre, Em, but he NEVER discredits the new guys. He actually enlightens how much new producers and artists pay homage to the OG’s of Hiphop. Its different, but thinking about how his moms generation thought this genre would be nothing and has become on of the biggest genres in the world? Its really amazing
Wish RAKIM would make a new CD. Who cares about age. Other artists make music in there fifties and even sixties. Why not hip hop? Im a fan forever. If Phill Collins and others can doit,,,Why not Eric B and Rakim? Im 45 and would spend a grip to see them live today.
Michael white Pretty sure he is coming out with an album this year
NO WAY!!! WOW Thanks for the info.
Michael white you right.age shouldn't matter if you got skillz
Timeless, so age don't count in the booth, when your flow stay submerged in the fountain of youth
Michael white Back in '94 Eric B & Rakim was the ONLY album playing in *continual re-peat* in my house- and NO ONE was allowed or even DARED to switch or stop it from playing. When I'd ride w/ my boy, this shyt was BLASTIN on the loudspeakers & we'd ride all over the city!
Today, 2015 - and I'm STILL BLASTIN this all over the hood ( even though I no longer reside in NYC but in #Greece ) - Eric & Rakim will travel with me to all the corners of the Universe! 🎤
Damn- I wish theyd make a *comeback* - I'd fly right back !!! 👊
This song came out in 88 and yet no rappers today can compete with this song
Rakim is and will always be the illest from ny
Tariq Naseer Me to
Ummmm Big L
Liko Bin Laden he said today..big L 💀
DJaySplitSecond my favorite of all time
Still one of the greatest MC's of all time
Fo Lyfe
B Moore the greatest...
Rakim is SIC 4 this1..... Literally still better than any new MC today
I'm 43, Pac and Biggie are nice but THIS Brother here and Chuck D SPIT some real 🔥🔥🔥🔥, before the 90's.
💯💯💯💯
Believe day, I'm 45 myself.
I don't know how many turntables I messed up fucking with this song
FACTS!!!!!!!!
Nobody today can touch Rakim period!
He's in my top 10
j hip hop head 1PEROOOOOIDDDDD EXCLMATION MARK NO COMMA NO SEMI COLON NONE OF THAT.
@@nookguy4318 Lupe Fiasco. Lyrical Bodybag, no question.
"Holy assumption of man into the heaven's sphere
Many mansions fit champions within its seven tiers
Evangelists re-imagine every 11 years
Pause for applause, evolves to what was never here
Born to death, born to die, form the flesh, form the eyes
A veritable storm of winged forms swarms the skies"
Not even his best
@@nookguy4318 what are you talking about? He dropped a lyrical masterpiece a few months ago, this song was on it. Rakim hasn't dropped since like 2009, so what are you talking about?
@@nookguy4318 but Lupe still raps better. That snippet is better than 80% of Rakim's discography. Deny if you want.
50 years old, was a fan of Eric B and Rakim in the beginning, still am today. I listen to this fondly. This to me in real hip hop. 80s and early 90s, can never be duplicated.
Yup just turned 49 was listening to Eric b and Rakim from the beginning
Im 44 n this is still cold af 🎤
@@bazglsgw1208 I keep telling people... Rakim is the greatest MC in hip hop. Even Eminem looks up to him. Some may not like me mentioning Eminem, but you cannot deny he has talent.
@@humanblacklight Yeah lyrically Eminem is very good but i dont like his hook game anymore some of his cheesy chorases n hooks annoy me but hes a great mcee no doubt.
@@humanblacklight Em also looks up 2 Masta Ace hes one of Ems favorites listen to Aces cadance in Accnowlage n he sounds like Em but Ace been here since the 80s he prob gave Em the title for his Slaughterhouse group.
Yo' after all these years RAKIM is (STILL) that dude.....his music still flows.
RAKIM: To sound so hard yet to have such intelligent lyrics and still be so harmonious. 🫡
Theres a difference betwern an M.C and a Rapper. Rakim is an M.C.
Master of the Ceremony
FACTS! Like the youngstas say.
BIG FACTS
J cole, Kendrick and it’s a couple of cats I call M.C these other mf they rappers
Sam C Also Mic Controller
This is what a timeless MC sounds like this will be heat in 3000
Forever The Greatest 👑🎧🎤
lyrical as hell. i have so much respect for him. idk why everyone talks about biggie and pac but don't mention rakim.
D3BBI3 because he’s alive
D3BBI3
Kenneth The Golden Child
He's your favorite MC's, Favorite MC's, Favorite MC...
Biggie and Tupac have become cliché and simply people dont do any research
Lyrical genius
Didn't cuss one time and still killed it
That's what makes this top notch to me - Smoothalicious
Gasp! I never tripped off that!
Robert Hardison correct,he just blessed the mic
Robert Hardison yassssss!
Facts.
Because he had nothing to prove
Let me be clear.If the R is not in the convo. Than there is no such thing as the GOAT!!!!!!!!!!
Truth!!
Damn right Chucky no convo without the R
@@mauricesantinomf 🧐
For all you dirty south liking M Fers, what Rakim is doing here in this video is called EMCEEING!!!! not rapping but EMCEEING. This is a master at work on top of his craft!!!! Not talking about blunts and broads and videos in strip clubs that everyone and their grandmother has seen. Pure unadulterated raw rhyme skills!!!! You can have Drake, Lil Stain, Rick Ross and the rest of those garbage corn ball ring tone rappers. Rakim is that dude for the ages period. 100s for NY HIPHOP!!!
Are u saying that OutKast, Big Krit, Jay Electronica, J.cole, and Little brother can't spit?
Dskillz Barksdale Re-Read my post and then comment ya heard. Bottom line the cats that you mentioned might spit, but not like the Fiend Rakim feel me. How dare you bring them up on a classic joint like this. If not for Ra, They would have no career. Period.
mcteeosupreme Still think Sick Rick was better.
mcteeosupreme Scarface came out around the same time as Rakim and he is their influence. And Scarface's resume stacks up just as strong as Rakims.
Dennis Owens You must be kidding. Rakim Lyrically is a million light years ahead of scarface son. Do your homework for real. Scarface is not Rakim's influence by no means lol.
The real goat son
Whoever give this timeless classic a thumbs down is in the wrong genre. This is for true hip hopsters only.
it's people who used to own a microphone, but rakim destroyed it.
If anyone gave this a thumbs down they just shouldn't listen to hip-hop anymore cuz it's clear that they don't know a thing about it!!
I was only 5 when this was released. Damn, thank you lord I was born in 80s hip hop.
Off the mind
@@courtgizzle word the fuck up. I turned 35 yesterday. (87) I'm thankful everyday I grew up when I did. The mix tape era. Not the birth but the perfection of hip hop. From wu to big to nas and Jay. Rakim and Q tip. Busta rhymes. Crunk and dirt south shit. David banner lik flip, plies, akon. I know I'm going into the 00s but I turned 13 then. But I had in my opinion the greatest musical childhood. And it all stemmed from this shit right here.
This album can get put on right now and still pop!! I played it at my wedding and people went crazy!
My fav album. Thanks, friend.
He is the greatest rapper of all time .do ur math.he set d template with dat first album
So it's an Abomination dat OutKast given dat when original boom bag comes from.newYork.nonsense shit
Wish I got an invite to the wedding
Niceeeee
Straight lyrical genius
I',m 54 from Montreal Canada and this song remains epic, new style, incredibly innovative, got a ton of attention. I feel fortunate to have heard it when it initially launched.
Rakim had a huge impact on Canadian hip-hop, if you listen to a lot of late 80s-early 90s Canadian rap, it all sounds very similar to rakim style.
Just RIDICULOUS wordplay! 30 years later & I can quote every word & still get as hyped as I was the 1st time I heard it. Even mote impressive is the fact that this is Slow Flow Rakim & he was THE MASTER of it. Then you compare this to Lyrics of Fury or Follow The Leader where he was rapping a thousand miles a minute & completely rewrote the rules on that too. NOBODY (Not Hova, BIGGIE, Nas, etc etc etc) is on this level. He is the GOAT by a mile!
Always and forever 💯 the God mc
I couldn’t agree more.... Rakim is still one of the coolest dudes to ever walk the earth......what Hendrix was to the electric guitar & Tool is to alternative/metal/prog, Rakim is to hip hop,he was just sooooo fuckin good 🤘🏻
God MC
Damn you took the word right out of my mouth!!!! I'm sorry Jay can't even handle this...To me him and LL CANT BE TOUCHED
agree
"I wrote the rhyme that broke the bulls back if that slow em down I carry full pack" CLASSIC GOAT SHIT
Fully agreed
Rakim murdered this track!
#Legendary
Marku Ben Yisrael I always thought Rakim is better than BDK and Slick Rick.
Yes he did
I grew up listening to 90’s rap. But Rakim is my favorite rapper’s favorite rapper
Rakim's influence is insane, all the way from Nas to Rage Against the Machine
Lexus Jones rage actually covered this song
Dude i didnt know it was a cover song. I thought it was a rage song
Chandra Budiman renegades album are all covers
@@chandraabudiman Rakim did this in 88
Top 3 of the world's best MCs ever.
Rakim gives Hip Hop a good name, always has, always will...
ShoNuff
one of the baddest hip hop videos of all time
Grammar*
actually, "baddest" is a slang for the best, much like "badass"
It's ironic because you've realized your mistake while hypocritically chastising someone for their grammar. It's funny because someone called you out. Learn from this.
Bassmint Productions Central Best. Rap. Song. Ever.
Dylan Coffey Ok What's Better ?
Rakim is the true GOAT of hip-hop
What would you say to someone who says that RAKIM is terrible, especially " MICROPHONE FIEND". And that he is not authentic, can't compare with good rappers and is definitely not in the top 25? This dude says he has crazy knowledge of hip-hop and has better taste in music than I have because I told him that saying Rakim is terrible means your knowledge of hip-hop is in the basement.
The Greatest MC.
Action. Movies
Agreed
@@jaelynbrown9971 ??????
Don't let the white Boys in here they'll scream feminine I mean eminem wack ass
Without question.
#1 Lyricist of ALL TIME...
Sharmarke Mohamed Em is a bad boy...
True!!!
The most lyrical rap record in music history. Rakim made other rappers raise their game when it came to rhyming.
The goat rakim best of rap group of all time jamming 2023
That shit still bangs! Not one curse word, one of all-time rap geniuses. Rakim 4 ever.
"I was a fiend!
before I became a teen I melted microphones instead of cones of ice cream
Music orientated so when hip hop was originated, fitted like pieces of puzzles: complicated"
When you actually pay attention to Rakims lyrics, he makes a lot of sense. I love those first few bars. Sets the scene for the track.
I can actually remember to this day where I was and what I was doing when this joint dropped... watching a UK music show '88 called Behind The Beat (BTB) and recorded the show playing this joint and replayed the song to death after recording and wore the tape out... CLASSIC!
The Bruce Lee of rap
Thats a cold description - truly a GOAT
Your favorite rappers favorite rapper
Legendary
The Flow alone...
Yes yes yes! It's like a flow orgasm of lyrics..word ...then drops back to the beat..
Every single line is incredible. The rhymes, the flow, the beat, everything is on point
He made it sound like it was coming from the top of his head... but he'd actually planned each line meticulously.
This track is one of the examples as to why no one ever tried Rakim. He was talking to anyone who wanted smoke any entertainer & that blow its already over before even starts.
No filler
If you don't get chills when you hear this song you're "Dead" plain and simple!!
For real
So many styles come from this one album especially the NYC rappers. who were big time in the 90s and 2000s rakim rhyme patterns 20 years ahead of his time.
Yep, rhyming within rhymes.
Hey Drake, Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Kanye and pretty much every rap artist in the world, take notes, class is in session.
xD, yup, they really need to focus on Rakim's Godly flow and rhymes
+Old School Vids Not Kane
+Old School Vids
Agreed, but college dropout was nice, and Kanye is pretty dope producer
+Daryl Shackelford you obviously diddnt c k get demolished by Mos Def
+Old School Vids I Think Its The Other Way Around. Everbody You Named Is Today Most Succesful Rappers. HAHAHAHAHAHA Fuckin Clowns
A true lyricist. Every word is enunciated and pronounced as should be. Unbelievable…I grew up in the late 80’s and Rakim was running things.
"feed me hip-hop and I will start tremblin" Now that's hip-hop!
this line gives me chills bro
It's connected to the Gremlin line before it. In the Gremlins movies, the would turn evil and violent if they got hit with water.
As a 14 year old teenager I’m basically obsessed with these old school classics this generation doesn’t make good music like this
Check out Main Source
And EPMD
Check out KRS1 as well
@@selenadiaz2665 EPMD is great. I remember back in the day when we got Eric B and Rakim, EPMD, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, etc. Freaking great time for rap.
I even liked the very beginnings of West Coast Rap with Eazy E and NWA, but starting about 1999 or so it seemed to go straight downhill.
DEATH GRIPS. WORD.
Didn't realize till now how much I love the sound when a DJ scratches ... don't hear it much in current music now
GOING ON 40 YEARS OLD, AND STILL SOUND LIKE IT WAS RECORDED LAST NIGHT!!!!!!!!! STRONG ISLAND STAND UP!!!!!!!!
I’m 52 years old. This brings a smile to my face
You are just about the same age as me. I know that you remember when "PAID IN FULL" first came out. The album should go down as the one that changed HipHop. A lot of rappers have RAKIM 'S style in their music. To me there are 3 songs that took HipHop to the next level. The first was : " The Message". The second was: " Sucker MC". and the third was: " Dead Presidents".
Amazing how this still holds up in 2023. Beat and lyrics are impeccable
It's been said to death, but the rap music of today doesn't come anywhere close to these classics. The decline in quality is shocking.
You can put any number higher than the "2"s and it'll be true:):)
These bars was raw, and most ppl didn't know , he took shots at Big Daddy Kane.. One of my greatest rap songs ever.
Without doubt one of the greatest songs and MC's of all time in hip hop
Rakim, Rakim! That brotha was not to be played with on that microphone. I'm tellin' you somethin'. And they music still knocks over 20 years later. Add that extra bass to this joint and it's gon thump even harder. #anditsstillallgood
** almost 30 years now
Nobody can talk about HIP HOP without saying RAKIM, KRS ONE, BIG DADDY CANE, and KOOL G RAP. Four different dominating styles that gave a new life to HIP HOP. I don't know what this Sh!t is going on today it's not HIP HOP.
All music after this got infiltrated by Lucifairian head masters after this. Including Rap, pop, rock, country...etc
You can't make it without selling your soul.
check out the "Out Of The Shadows" documentary on YT. It's about one hour and 17 mins long
The man that changed a culture.
No one can take him off the top of my hip hop list
Rakim is the GOAT!! Dude was dropping bars with ZERO curse words and it still hits hard. 👊👊👊👊
Its not just the rap that catches your ear. Its the Cypher that Rahim puts down like a natural thought. THE RAP GOD!
I’m a 45-year-old Jamaican that grew up in the Bronx even to this day I don’t know between Rakim or Krs-one who’s my number one.
Steve Austin- KRS1 that was my boy back in the day!! Both are master lyricists.
Man....I love KRS, but it's gotta be Rakim.
Those two choices you can't go wrong. Love both also...but I lean to Rakim and KRS-One is right there too.
I would even put Big Daddy Kane slightly ahead of Krs-one, but Rakim definitely #1 for me.
Rakim
The king is here ☝️Rakim 👑
I'm over halfway to 63 and was 31 when this was bumping in 1988. Loved this in the early days of hip hop. Nice clean rap, with NO profanity used. These were the best days of rap from about 1979 to 1991.
You like Gang Starr?
@@zolixiv Yeah, "Code of he Street" and "Mass Appeal:
Its so dope to know 🙂 Im 35 from Hungary. True Hip-Hop is one of the best things in the world ✌️
microphone fiend is exactly what Rakim is....👇
arguably the greatest rap song of all time. period.
No doubt, the lyrical genius, "after 12, I'm worse than a Gremlin, feed me hip hop and I start trembling"
I was born in the 70's Im Puerto Rican from NY. Eric B and Rakim follow the leader was the 1st album I ever bought I said he was the best to do it back then and best to ever do it almost 40 years later.