Rakim

Many regard Rakim as among the most exceptional MCs ever to emerge in hip-hop. The Wyandanch, Long Island native delivers verses—most of which affirm his technical command, insight, and devotion to Islam—with a fluency that remains unmatched. His cadence glides with liquid ease, authoritative yet relaxed, threaded with jazz inflections and an understated poise. As half of Eric B. & Rakim during the 1980s and early 1990s, he elevated standards for microphone mastery and helped introduce complex internal rhyme patterns. While numerous peers honed their craft in spontaneous clashes, Rakim stood out early by showcasing meticulously composed rhymes dense with inventive phrasing and imagery. The four projects he cut alongside Eric B., crowned by the platinum-certified debut Paid in Full (1987) and two further gold releases, retain their vitality and commanding force. His sporadic solo releases thereafter, beginning with the Top Ten album The 18th Letter (1997) and extending to the characteristically concise and forceful G.O.Ds Network - Reb7rth (2024), have further solidified his stature.

Born William Griffin, Jr. on January 28, 1968, in the Long Island community of Wyandanch, Griffin grew up as the nephew of 1950s R&B icon Ruth Brown amid constant music and gravitated toward rap soon after the genre’s arrival. At sixteen he embraced Islam and took the name Rakim Allah. In 1985 he encountered Queens DJ Eric B., whose meticulously layered beats complemented Rakim’s reflective microphone approach. Their 1986 debut single “Eric B. Is President” ignited excitement across the hip-hop scene, a momentum that intensified with subsequent classics such as “I Ain’t No Joke” and “Paid in Full.” The duo’s first two albums, 1987’s Paid in Full and 1988’s Follow the Leader, continue to rank as enduring hip-hop landmarks; Rakim’s contributions supplied a template for like-minded lyricists and helped preserve East Coast rap’s standing as the hub of forward-thinking wordplay even as vibrant regional movements arose elsewhere. Their final two efforts, the more somber 1990 release Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em and the jazz-tinged 1992 set Don’t Sweat the Technique, likewise brimmed with memorable lines.

The partnership concluded after only four albums. Though both Eric B. and Rakim voiced interest in solo work, Eric B. declined to endorse a contract release out of concern that his partner might depart once obligations ended. The resulting split occurred in 1992, after which Rakim navigated extended legal proceedings involving himself, his former collaborator, and their prior label MCA. His sole solo offering for some time was the 1993 track “Heat It Up” from the Gunmen soundtrack. Plans for a debut solo album at MCA also stalled following an internal restructuring. Eventually Rakim secured a deal with Universal and, late in 1997, issued The 18th Letter—early pressings included the bonus disc Book of Life, a retrospective of his work with Eric B. Despite the long absence, expectations for the project ran high, buoyed by Rakim’s storied status and beats from DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and DJ Clark Kent; the album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. Its 1999 successor The Master reached number 72, supported by an expanded roster of producers that again featured Premier and Kent alongside the 45 King and Jaz-O.

In 2001 Rakim joined Dr. Dre’s Aftermath imprint, and the pair began work the following year on a project initially titled Oh My God. To build anticipation Rakim appeared on Aftermath artist Truth Hurts’ single “Addictive,” which climbed into the Top Ten in 2002 and marked his first such placement since “Friends” with Jody Watley in 1989. Creative differences between Rakim and Dre kept Oh My God unreleased, though Rakim retained the recorded material. He continued discussing the album, later retitled The Seventh Seal, even announcing a July 7, 2007 target date. When that passed, the 2008 collection The Archive: Live, Lost & Found surfaced, primarily a live recording that also introduced four new tracks. The Seventh Seal itself arrived in 2009 via the SMC label, featuring production from Needlz, Nottz, Jake One, and Nick Wiz; daughter Destiny Griffin provided the hook for “Message in the Song,” while “Euphoria” closed the set with Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Styles P, and Cocoa Chanelle.

Throughout the 2010s Rakim appeared sparingly, contributing to tracks such as “Don’t Call Me” with DMX and Shontelle, Linkin Park’s “Guilty All the Same,” and “Walk” alongside Orion Peace. July 2024 brought the seven-track EP G.O.Ds Network - Reb7rth, issued on his own label and featuring more than two dozen guest MCs. Posthumous verses came from Prodigy, DMX, and Nipsey Hussle; another contributor, Chino XL, passed two days after release. Kurupt and Masta Killa joined Rakim on the lead single “Be Ill,” with additional appearances from Kool G Rap, Snoop Dogg, and Method Man.