The God Ra on the mic *AND* on the boards *AND* on the drum kit!!! 😲🤯🤯🤯 My personal favorite is Chuck D, but Rakim can objectively be labeled the greatest of all time.
Bro!!! I love how you give the OGs the respect they deserve! Hope all is well brother! Have ya done “Let the Rhythm Hit ‘em”? Some of Rakim’s absolute dopest lyricism
That is not Eric B on production. Rakim actually is the one that produced over 80 percent of the Eric B and Rakim catalog. That is also Rakim playing live drums on this song. That is not a beat machine. That is Rakim playing drums. Eric was just a show DJ. Most people did not know that the production was Rakim too. People regard him as the greatest emcee and lyricist ever but he’s great producer as well. Rakim plays saxophone since 3rd grade all the way through his senior year. Go and watch the Crooked I interview with Rakim and then the KRS-1 interview with Rakim and he breaks it all down. Rakim is considered by most real emcees/ lyricist as the greatest ever. As a matter of fact here is just the names of a few who are on record, interviews and RU-vid admitting that Rakim is their biggest inspiration and the greatest ever: NAS, Busta Rhymes, Black Thought, Pharoahe Monch, 50 Cents, Ice Cube, Raekwon, Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Eminem, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, Ghost Face, Canibus, Grand Puba, Boots, Will Smith, D.O.C., DJ Kay Slay, GURU, Trey Dee, Missy Elliot, M.C. Lyte, Queen Latifah, Brother J., Gift of Gab, Styles P., just to name a few, check out snoop interviews and Busta rhyme interviews nd Kurupt talking about Rakim. Guys like Eminem quoted his lyrics in songs. Jay Z has mentioned him in lyrics. Rakim is the greatest of all time and invented inside rhymes schemes and double timing and literally changed hiphop and how people rhymed and made it more lyrical.
I think My Melody has more bars. Theres like no intro even. He is so ready to speak, so full of shit he gotta get out his head that he just starts flowin before Eric B. gets to the turntables. His Seventh Seal album made me wonder if he was ghost writing for Eminem for years. The deliveries are very similar as are the cadences.
Favorite Eric B and Rakim gotta be ‘My Melody’ song changed my life when it came out back in 86, there was nothing out like it…it’s 6.5 minutes of bars after bars!
I've always said this was close to the perfect hip hop song. The production is so grimy but clean at the same time. And Rakim hits every note as an MC. Story telling at it's finest. Check out "Mahogany" next. It's one of his lesser known joints. It's a more laid back song but it again showcases Ra's story telling. And while the beat is simple, it's perfect for the song. Well done with the reaction. ✌🏾
This my favorite Ra & Eric B track... CRAAAZZZZY! Has been one of the best HipHop tracks since the day it was released. That upright bass gives me chills every time... Rakim flowing like none other... one of the best beats in history (produced by Rakim!)... And one of the best videos ever. So grateful I grew up on this music back in the day.
I used to JAM AND PRACTICE DJing on my big brother's cabaret equipment. BUT! I COULD NOT simply PLAY ERIC B AND RAKIM FOR PRACTICE😮! THE LYRICAL CONTENT AND THE FLOW OF ERIC B AND RAKIM...........😮😮😮😮😮😮. GHETTO FLOETRY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL! We could dance to most of them BUT.......I had to SIT AND LISTEN to his LYRICAL FLOW AND CONTENT TO "ENJOY" THE "IMPACT" OF THE ARTISTRY AND THE MESSAGE. SHEER "ARTISTIC BRILLIANCE"!
I would estimate, conservatively, that I watched the movie Juice 25x by the time I graduated high school. Saw it thrice in the movie theater. 3 consecutive Saturdays I rode my bike to the mall and got Taco Bell and watched Tupac get porked out of an Oscar nomination. He was off the charts in that fine piece of cinema.
Literally can not pick my favorite song they are just that good! Here are some others to check out; Let the Rhythm Hit ‘em, In the Ghetto, Holy are you, Satisfaction Guaranteed and I agree with all the others listed basically you can’t go wrong with any song you select from the God Emcee & The President!
Rakim is the G.O.A.T there’s no way to have a favorite song of his way to many been a fan of his since 1987 .. Here’s a few to react to. “ No Competition”. “Let The Rhythm Hit”Em “. “Lyrics Of Fury”. “In The Ghetto” the album version.
So... none of us really knew this until recently (when Rakim revealed it in an interview), but Rakim _played the drums_ on this track... it's not a break you can find because _he made it._ He started as a saxophonist and rapped like his jazz solos. He actually _produced a significant amount of their songs,_ along with Large Professor! So we knew him as arguably THE greatest rapper ever but he's actually _even better than that._
Around this era of rap/hip hop, it was heavily lyrical with slamming productions. Listen to KRS-ONE, Kool G Rap & Polo, and of course Big Daddy Kane. I'm only naming a few just to start you down this rabbit hole of hype music
My dude u can’t give up ur reactions… especially if u still got plenty of RAKIM REACTIONS!!!!! Don’t stop my dude!!! DO “ Let the Rhythm Hit EM!!!!!!!! By Rakim… UR going to love it!!!!!!!!!!🔥🔥🎤🎤
You gotta undastand everything comes outta NYC .swag style , the best comes from up top ain't no place in the united state that can come pare to NYC E.Brooklyn NY Pennsylvania and Dumont ave 666 Dumont ave shout out to lelo Manny Carlito and Carlito ...
Thank you! This one song, the beat and bars, slays any of the new stuff these days. New rap is so lazy and mindless. Old rap has so much more energy and lyricism. Gotta check out Rage Against the Machine's cover of Microphone Fiend!