Rakim
Halftimeonline: So you’re saying you write the rhyme backwards?
Rakim: Backwards bruh. What started me doing that was because whenever I write a song I see the whole song anyway. Sometimes I see where I want to take the song and wind up at the end and come back to the beginning. I don’t miss nothing and everything is good. Everything I thought of is incorporated in it. A lot of times I used to have ideas and start writing from the beginning and get to the sixteenth bar and I ain’t even put half of the shit that I wanted to put in the verse. Sometimes you start flowing and shits starts adding on to whatever cipher you’re dealing with. Meanwhile you got all of these thoughts in your head and you don’t get enough time to put them down. That’s another reason I started writing from the last word to the front word. It’s methods to the madness. Sometimes I can’t understand it or explain it but it is what it is.
Halftimeonline: I know cats are gonna want to hear more about this. So you said the other thing you would do is think of the sixteen illest words and write the rhymes around those words?
Rakim: Word up. Another thing is when I write I get to the point where I slow down and I gotta go back into the world and live nahmean. Go to the club or go to the block or go hang out and things start coming. So writing like that whenever it was slow or there was nothing exciting or inspiring me I would sit there and think of sixteen or twenty-four ill words or twenty-four words with crazy syllables where I could play with the words and make the shit sound crazy. There’s so many different ways to write a rhyme its stupid man. I don’t understand why the majority of the rap game sounds the same.
Halftimeonline: When I was 19, I heard you talking in an interview about how you messed around with jazz. You said one of your favorite artists was Thelonius Monk. He saw visions when he wrote songs so it’s funny how you just mentioned you see a whole song before you write it. So do you still mess with the saxophone?
Rakim: Oh no doubt. I ain’t played one in a couple of years but I think that had a lot to do with my rhyme flow. Playing the sax and then enjoying jazz music man. It’s like I learned how to find words inside of the beat. Back in the day rappers were
Halftimeonline: There was always a lot of knowledge in your records and nobody was incorporating lessons the way you were at the time. Did you consciously aim at having these tracks teach these particular lessons and not be too preachy or were you just doing what came naturally?
Rakim: Just being natural. I started studying in ’85 and got knowledge of self and started spitting. What was going on was taking the understanding of what I was reading and applying it with my life and applying it with my rhymes. Subconsciously, Islam took over me so it was like eighty or ninety percent of the fabric of the person I was. What I was studying and what I was learning sucked me up to the point where when I started reading and I’d find something out the first thing I’d do is tell you. I felt like I just found some shit and was like look at what I just found. It came more natural to the point that I felt that was my calling. That was my job.
Halftimeonline: How did you come into knowledge of self? Who was the person that put you onto the lessons of Islam?
Rakim: It’s kinda crazy to explain. I met this kid when I was in like 9th grade. To make a long story short the brother was stranded in my town and needed train fare to get home. Me and my man were little dudes. We were coming up the street and he asked us for change but the way he did it we respected the dude as a ghetto gentleman. Me and my man ain’t have no money but we dug in our pocket and gave this nigga some train fare based on the way he asked us and his ways and actions. When I was talking to this dude I didn’t know this dude had knowledge of self but the way he was speaking captivated us. He was using Islamic words and things that we had never heard of. We respected that shit and from then it was always in the corner of my mind. Then when I got into high school I started seeing a lot of the Gods in the school so it was like a collective thing. I was seeing the Gods in the school and the light that they were shining. You would see them in a cipher and everybody wanted to know what they were speaking about. Everybody wanted to stand around so it was just on that light. I never had one enlightener because a lot of enlighteners try to teach you and give you their understanding. So I just took my time, stayed around the Gods, stayed reading, got my hands on all the literature I could and just taught myself.
Halftimeonline: You said you converted when you were sixteen what did your mother think about that?
Rakim: It was a process with my moms because when I first came home and said my name was Rakim she said what’s Rakim? I started explaining it to her and then when I got to the point where I said I’m God I’m sure you know the look she had on her face. Haha. But what was lovely about it was when I was young back in the day we didn’t have a 100 TVs in the house. If you wanted to watch TV you went and laid on your moms floor. So I used to get up on Sunday mornings and watch a little TV with my moms. She used to watch this church thing on Sunday. One time we were watching Oral Roberts and Oral Roberts was telling a story and he was like I was at the house and me and my wife was sitting at the piano and I ran my fingers across the ivory. So I stopped and looked at my moms and was like why didn’t he say nothing about the black keys? So she started watching her little son become more aware of shit and conscious of shit and starting to get wise. But it took a while for my moms to start calling me Rakim. It went from making sure I got the garbage out everyday and feeding the dogs where she started seeing that I was taking care of my responsibilities and trying to mature with it. She started respecting it once she seen I was getting more mature and doing what I was supposed to do becoming a man. After that she started calling me Ra man and it was a beautiful thing. My moms is strictly Christian but once I got knowledge of self and started reading she used to love when I would sit there and tell her some of the things that I learned. It gave her an open mind to where she started believing in the most high. That’s what she started calling it after awhile. She took the name off of it because she used to tell me it’s the same God but it just has a different name. So she called it the most high. It was beautiful man. My moms passed away last year. So going through that and getting that respect from moms was gravy on the potatoes man.
Halftimeonline: As a 5 per center after you leave this body what do you believe happens to you? Is there a particular path or paradise?
Rakim: This is one of the things that’s like a personal feeling that people have. I will say this though we came into the world as a thought. Your moms and pops thinking about getting together that’s you. Them being like we gonna go and have a good time tonight you know what I’m talking about. That’s the beginning of you right there. So we came into the world as a thought and then we went into the liquid phase as the sperm. From that we got a body and we came into this life. I think when we leave here it will just be another transition we’ll go through. The physical was never the best part of the body. So I feel that when we leave here I think it’s just another transition and whatever it is I hope I’m prepared for it.
Halftimeonline: How does it feel to be in the game and you got guys making songs about you? You got Nas doing the Autobiography of Rakim and I remember a while ago seeing a lady on TV with poetry for Rakim and she was 20 or 30 years older than you.
Rakim: Yea Ms. Sanchez she was a poet back in the day. I saw that shit man that’s a beautiful thing. I met her too. She’s a real nice lady.
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!!