Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim Albums:
Don’t Sweat the Technique (1992) Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em (1990) Follow The Leader (1988) Paid In Full (1987) Solo Albums:
The Master (1999) The 18th Letter (1997) MP3:
This is a man that truly needs no introduction. He stepped on the scene in the mid eighties and proceeded to change the game based on his laid back flow and lyrics steeped in lessons. He’s your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper and you’d be hard pressed to find an emcee that Rakim ‘ain’t influenced.’ In the first of a two-part, two-hour super exclusive interview Halftime caught up with the God MC himself to talk about his career from day 1 to now and all points in between including coming up as a fledgling emcee in Long Island to his new deal and up coming album. In the first hour we get at Ra about a rumored battle between him and Freddie Foxxx, take an in depth look into his writing style including him explaining how he writes verses backwards as well as his production and family. It’s probably one of the most personal and revealing Rakim interviews to date. Check it out.
Hip Hop Icons Podcast Series
Halftimeonline: I heard before you met Eric B you were going by the name Kid Wizard and ran with a crew called Supreme Force.
Rakim: Nah it was called the LB Brothers, the Love Brothers.
Halftimeonline: Oh ok. Who was apart of the crew and what did you guys do to help build your emcee skills back then?
Rakim: That was my crew back in the day. We grew up in the streets. I was the youngest out of the whole crew. I was like in 9th grade while everyone else in the crew had graduated. But even before that I was rhyming since 4th or 5th grade. I just stayed around the hood listening to Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash, and the Treacherous Three. I came up under them dudes. Being a fan of them and coming up in the hood staying hungry trying to get the skills crazy.
Halftimeonline: How do you think it was different coming up and molding yourself as an emcee back then versus cats coming up today? What were some of the things you were doing that you don’t see anymore?
Rakim: Well back then it was a lot different because there was more originality back then. We were shaping our image right before your eyes. The way the world took the first record kinda let me know to keep driving straight ahead because it’s that first impression that everybody loved. So once I saw what they liked me for I just stuck to that and expanded on that. But it was a lot more originality back then so we were shaping our careers, shaping our image, shaping our style trying to get that unique style or flow. Nowadays it’s a lot of the norms. I don’t want to say everybody has the same flow but it’s not as original as used to be.
Halftimeonline: I was reading a couple of interviews with Freddie Foxxx and he always says when you and Eric B got together Eric was actually looking for him and he found you instead. In one interview he said he was trying to battle you and your crew back in the days but he said you didn’t want to battle. Is there any truth that Foxxx ever challenged you to a battle?
Rakim: Foxxx lived a town over from where I lived, but I NEVER fucking turned down a battle with that motherfucker! Foxxx get the fuck out of my face. You can front on the whole world but you not fronting on me nigga you never wanted it and you’ll never get it. This is what I’ve been doing from day one. Fuck that bullshit man. Back in the day we were supposed to battle but as far as I remember the story correctly they didn’t want to fuck around. They didn’t like coming to our part of the town. They didn’t even like going to the parties where we were because we drew at motherfuckers at the party. So run that shit by him. Tell him you spoke to Ra, tell him everything he’s been talking is fabricated and I never turned down a fucking battle with Freddie Foxxx. Tell him to knock it off and stop fronting. It’s Rakim Allah man he know who the fuck I am man.
Halftimeonline: Haha. That’s Freddie Foxxx though so I had to bring it out there.
Rakim: Yea, man they were doing shows around the way. They were holding it down for there town and we was holding it down in our town. The town wanted to see us do it. We were at every park jam jumpoff, house party jumpoff, and backyard jumpoff. Ask Foxxx where was they at. We only seen them at the roller skating rink and shit like that nahmean. I can’t even believe the nigga Foxxx had the fucking audacity to fix his fucking face to say some shit like that. And Eric B came to the hood and asked Alvin Toney who the nastiest motherfucker on the mic was and Alvin Toney brought him straight to my crib. I didn’t hear about Freddie Foxxx or none of that shit back in the day because Foxxx wasn’t ferocious like that. Foxxx had two other cats that used to rhyme with him. They were a good group but Foxxx wasn’t ferocious like that baby pa. Alvin Toney brought him straight to my crib and I was like Al who the hell is this? Word up.
Halftimeonline: Now we gotta talk about you and Eric B since you mentioned him. Throughout the years it came out that you did the bulk of the production and of course all the emceeing. My question is what did Eric B actually do? What did he bring to the table for the group?
Rakim: Eric B knew Magic and Marley Marl so when he came to my crib he was saying he knew Magic and Marley two big radio personalities in NY. “The Melody” was already done. I had the beat and we did at my man’s crib so it sounds different because Marley used different equipment. I had the beat and rhymes for “The Melody” done. I had made a little tape so when I go to college I could put my tape in and let it pop. When he brought Eric to the crib I let him hear that same tape. Then Eric was like he could get us a deal and I was like duke I don’t want no record deal. Then he was like it could be Eric B featuring Rakim so that way you don’t have to sign anything. That’s why the first record was Eric B. featuring Rakim because I didn’t have to sign anything. But when it took off it was only smart of me to sign that contract so my paper can come right to me and not have no ‘go get your money from Eric B.’ shit. But yea I did most of the beats, like 90% of the beats. I used to rhyme off the Dennis Edwards bass line in the park all the time. So I had the bass line and Eric B came and put the beat under it which was butter. I Know You Got Soul he put the beat under that one. These were records I used to always rhyme over. For “Eric B 4 President” he put the “Over like a Fat Rat” bass line on that. I didn’t understand it till now that Eric B. had the radio touch. I was just coming with raw shit but he had that radio friendly shit that kinda got us over and crossed us into the radio and universal markets. He did a couple of things but most of those beats were me.
July 8th, 2006
good looks. definitely a quality interview.
July 11th, 2006
To theGOD RAKIM ALLAH.I am a 34 year old father of four.My oldest is my daughter Destinee
July 11th, 2006
THE GREATEST MC EVER BAR NONE
July 13th, 2006
Best interview I’ve read all year - got me HEAVILY anticipating pt. 2. Absolutely dope. Keep up the good work, star.
July 14th, 2006
Yo, this is one of the illest interview with The God, yet! Real dope man, real dope.. can’t wait for the second part. Props to Halftime and especially to Ra..
July 15th, 2006
Damn that’s an interesting interview. Props to Jbutters.
July 19th, 2006
This was flawless! Cannot wait for that pt. II. (Big shouts to my dude Jesse for putting me on to this) Keep up the great work. Peace
July 27th, 2006
Good man great interview, up front Rakim. Everything coming out the truth baby.
July 31st, 2006
This interview was WHASSUP! Rakim, man I love you and keep being real. P.S. You DO still look good!
August 1st, 2006
Thats a good interview, so where’s part 2?
August 2nd, 2006
damn 90% of the production?
August 4th, 2006
I went to school with this brother since the 1st grade “The Jackson 5″ smile!
and he knows he’s got the support of the ENTIRE neighborhood.
later pop
August 9th, 2006
Who’s number 1?, If not best, then better? Here’s a hint, the 18th Letter! Hands down the “Greatest Emcee” ever to touch a MIC.
August 28th, 2006
I feel blessed with the knowledge that Ra just dropped in this interview. Thanks a lot to Halftimeonline.com for bringing this incredible series.
September 25th, 2006
FREDDIE FOXXX VS RAKIM?
FROM MTVNEWS.COM
http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/mixtape_monday/092506/
Someone is getting ready to do the absolutely unthinkable: call Rakim out on a record by name. It’s not going to be anything like the subliminal sparring that was rumored to be going on between Rakim and Big Daddy Kane in the ’80s. This person is going to dis the God, one of the greatest MCs ever. Who has enough courage to do so? None other than Mr. Fearless himself, Freddie Foxxx a.k.a. Bumpy Knuckles. The song is called “The King Is Down” and appears on his new LP, Amerikkkan Black Man.
“I will eat Rakim’s ass alive on any record, any stage,” Bumpy Knuckles asserted recently. “When I finish with him, every bit of legendary status he had is gonna go out the window. I swear on everything I stand on, I will eat that n—a alive, bar by bar. I’ll tell him to his muthaf—in’ face.”
So now you’re gasping for air, and wondering why Freddie — a legendary hip-hop figure in his own right, who’s earned respect for street pedigree as well as rap skills — is going at Ra. Well according to Foxxx, it goes back to the ’80s in Wyandanch, New York, where Foxxx’s rap team Supreme Force used to be competitive with Ra’s team the Love Brothers. This was pre-Eric B. and Rakim.
“We got a history, you know. We got a real long history,” Foxxx explained. “We from the same part of town. Ra has always had an attitude towards me that he was better than me — on the mic and more successful. How dare he think he can out-rhyme me. He has one style, that’s all he’s ever had.”
What really got Foxxx upset, he said, was a Q&A with Rakim he read on hip-hop Web site Halftime Online. Rakim was asked about a battle that supposedly took place back in the day between the Love Brothers and Supreme Force squad.
“I never f—ing turned down a battle with that muthaf—er!” Rakim is quoted as saying. “Foxxx wasn’t ferocious like that. Foxxx had two other cats that used to rhyme with him. They were a good group, but Foxxx wasn’t ferocious like that baby pa.”
“I read the article and it set me off,” Foxxx said. “He said I’m ‘not ferocious.’ How dare he? His ego kicked in. I said I’m gonna let the world who he really is. People are only calling him a legend because of what he did with Eric B. Everything after that was wack. Nobody will say it to his face.”
Foxxx said he’s not sure when the dis record will be coming out, but his LP is slated for sometime in February. WWE champion John Cena and Talib Kweli rap on a record called “Give it to the A&R,” while the Alchemist, Pete Rock, DJ Scratch and DJ Premier produced a myriad of the records.
“I’m too old to be chasing publicity,” Foxxx said when asked if he really has a legitimate gripe with Rakim or if he’s just doing it for hype for his album. “I don’t need the publicity. I ain’t no hater. But when I see he’s so quick to always shoot me in the foot, enough is enough. Why would I want to get recognition on Rakim? He’s nothing to me. Y’all see him differently than I do. On the song, I never called his name. We used to call him ‘Pop’ back in the day. I don’t call him ‘Rakim’ on the record, I call him ‘Pop.’ ”
Bumpy Knuckles also said he dares Rakim to come back at him on wax. “Turn your mic on, B,” he said defiantly. “I want him to put me in my place.”
Rakim is on tour and could not be reached for comment.
September 26th, 2006
[…] “I read the article and it set me off, ” Foxx said. “He said I’m ‘not ferocious.’ How dare he? His ego kicked in. I said I’m gonna let the world know who he really is. People are only calling him a legend because of what he did with Eric B. Everything after that was wack. Nobody will say it to his face.” […]
September 29th, 2006
Freddie Foxx is straight garbage compared to Rakim. No that’s wrong, he’s non existent. His style has always seemed OLD AND OUT DATED. ALWAYS. Even on its the Militia, I love the song and I like Foxx but he has never impressed me lyrically, musically or topic wise. He said Rakim has one style if so then explain the different styles from Microphone fiend and follow the leader. Or Let the Rhythm hit him with Punisher. Foxx on the other hand has never displayed anything remotely different than his one dimensional delivery and flow. Foxx, I understand this is something that dates back to Pre-Eric B days…but honestly Rakim? Come on, FF, stay in your place…which is in the trash.
October 15th, 2006
PEACE GOD
I HEARD THAT FOXX TRACK .THAT SHIT WAS WACK . JUST EAT THAT ASS UP TO SHUT HIM UP .I WAS IN LORD ISLAND BACK IN THE DAYS GOD AND I NEVER SEEN HIM ON WYDANCE DAY CATHING RECK .FOXX STOP IT. ANY WAY GOD CIPHER DIVINE JUST CHEW THAT ASS UP WE CAN`T HAVE NOBODY DISSING.
POWER EQUALITY ALLAH SEE EQUALITY
FATHER DIVINE 7
October 19th, 2006
This guy is like the Marvin Gaye of Rap. His music never grows old.. He needs to comeback and show the world what hip hop is all about. Cats like Rakim, EPMD, AN UNDERGROUND Group call Donald J and ez with the zoom, zoom zoom. People don’t know any thing about that. ( kING sUN, K-sOLO, STETSASONIC, and the list goes on.
October 30th, 2006
Lawd have mercy. I live in, Trinidad in the Caribbean and I’ve been following the Leader, from the very first day I heard him. I’m just glad, that he’s taking the time now, to get in touch with his people (I ain’t no fan). What Ra, got to know though, is if he doesn’t do an album, I don’t have anything to listen to! And that’s Real! I’d like to hear a lil bit more about his Knowledge of Self transition, as I think it would be instrumental, in assisting some of these other rappers, in assessing, what material they put out there.
Karma is not a bitch, but the reflection of, ones thoughts, words and deeds!
Peace!
December 1st, 2006
Rakim..Could you please drop an album man? Please? I get tire of listenin to all this bullshit out here.
December 8th, 2006
I have to agree with “FATHER DIVINE 7″ I’m sick of the half ass rappers talking junk. I was at Wyandanch day for years every body was supposed to be there to catch wreck. If FF wanted it with Ra he had all the opportunity to do his thing. But no FF no Kane they didn’t want it then and now you 40 dog let it go. I know every pawn whats to be king but damn.
November 6th, 2007
Its funny to hear fox talk this shit. I actually like foxx,he had a couple verses i thought was tight. I grew around ra peoples,when rumors was going around saying it wasnt him rhyming on the first album. The GOD is the best even today in his content,period!
August 22nd, 2008
This I think is the greatesst interview I ever heard Rakim do because someone FINALLY asked him the question I always wondered about….did Ra & Kane ever battle. I heard that they actually did battle, but I’m glad Ra confirmed everything and set it straight once and for all….NICE!!