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One of the most influential rap albums of all time, Eric B. & Rakim's Paid in Full only continues to grow in stature as the record that ushered in hip-hop's modern era. The stripped-down production might seem a little bare to modern ears, but Rakim's technique on the mic still sounds utterly contemporary, even state-of-the-art -- and that from a record released in 1987, just one year after Run-D.M.C. hit the mainstream. Rakim basically invents modern lyrical technique over the course of Paid in Full, with his complex internal rhymes, literate imagery, velvet-smooth flow, and unpredictable, off-the-beat rhythms. The key cuts here are some of the most legendary rap singles ever released, starting with the duo's debut sides, "Eric B. Is President" and "My Melody." "I Know You Got Soul" single-handedly kicked off hip-hop's infatuation with James Brown samples, and Eric B. & Rakim topped it with the similarly inclined "I Ain't No Joke," a stunning display of lyrical virtuosity. The title cut, meanwhile, planted the seeds of hip-hop's material obsessions over a monumental beat. There are also three DJ showcases for Eric B., who like Rakim was among the technical leaders in his field. If sampling is the sincerest form of admiration in hip-hop, Paid in Full is positively worshipped. Just to name a few: Rakim's tossed-off "pump up the volume," from "I Know You Got Soul," became the basis for M/A/R/R/S' groundbreaking dance track; Eminem, a devoted Rakim student, lifted lines from "As the Rhyme Goes On" for the chorus of his own "The Way I Am"; and the percussion track of "Paid in Full" has been sampled so many times it's almost impossible to believe it had a point of origin. Paid in Full is essential listening for anyone even remotely interested in the basic musical foundations of hip-hop -- this is the form in its purest essence.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
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William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Marley Marl, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1986 The Island Def Jam Music Group
C. Simon, ComposerLyricist - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B., Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - JAMES BROWN, ComposerLyricist - Bobby Byrd, ComposerLyricist - Clarence Haskins, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Charles Fred A. Bobbit, ComposerLyricist - Rakim, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Grady thomas, ComposerLyricist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Michael Dewayne Williams, ComposerLyricist - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 The Island Def Jam Music Group
Marley Marl, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B., AssociatedPerformer, Turntablist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Rakim, Rap Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 The Island Def Jam Music Group
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 The Island Def Jam Music Group
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marley Marl, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1986 The Island Def Jam Music Group
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Elai Tubo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Peter Adams, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
DISC 2
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Raine Shine, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
C. Simon, ComposerLyricist - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - JAMES BROWN, ComposerLyricist - Richie Rich, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Bobby Byrd, ComposerLyricist - Clarence Haskins, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Charles Fred A. Bobbit, ComposerLyricist - Grady thomas, ComposerLyricist - Michael Dewayne Williams, ComposerLyricist - P.J. "Dyna-mix" Smith, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - The Wild Bunch, Remixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Derek Boland, Remixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Chad Jay, Remixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - D.J. Slack, FeaturedArtist - The Democratic 3, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marley Marl, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - M.C. Shan, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Patrick Peter Adams, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - P.J. "Dyna-mix" Smith, Remix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
C. Simon, ComposerLyricist - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - JAMES BROWN, ComposerLyricist - Bobby Byrd, ComposerLyricist - Clarence Haskins, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Charles Fred A. Bobbit, ComposerLyricist - Grady thomas, ComposerLyricist - Michael Dewayne Williams, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 The Island Def Jam Music Group
C. Simon, ComposerLyricist - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - JAMES BROWN, ComposerLyricist - Bobby Byrd, ComposerLyricist - Clarence Haskins, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Charles Fred A. Bobbit, ComposerLyricist - Robert Hill, Producer, Executive Producer - Grady thomas, ComposerLyricist - Michael Dewayne Williams, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marley Marl, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1987 The Island Def Jam Music Group
William Griffin, ComposerLyricist - Eric Barrier, ComposerLyricist - Eric B. & Rakim, Producer, MainArtist - Robert Hill, Producer, Executive Producer
℗ 1986 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
One of the most influential rap albums of all time, Eric B. & Rakim's Paid in Full only continues to grow in stature as the record that ushered in hip-hop's modern era. The stripped-down production might seem a little bare to modern ears, but Rakim's technique on the mic still sounds utterly contemporary, even state-of-the-art -- and that from a record released in 1987, just one year after Run-D.M.C. hit the mainstream. Rakim basically invents modern lyrical technique over the course of Paid in Full, with his complex internal rhymes, literate imagery, velvet-smooth flow, and unpredictable, off-the-beat rhythms. The key cuts here are some of the most legendary rap singles ever released, starting with the duo's debut sides, "Eric B. Is President" and "My Melody." "I Know You Got Soul" single-handedly kicked off hip-hop's infatuation with James Brown samples, and Eric B. & Rakim topped it with the similarly inclined "I Ain't No Joke," a stunning display of lyrical virtuosity. The title cut, meanwhile, planted the seeds of hip-hop's material obsessions over a monumental beat. There are also three DJ showcases for Eric B., who like Rakim was among the technical leaders in his field. If sampling is the sincerest form of admiration in hip-hop, Paid in Full is positively worshipped. Just to name a few: Rakim's tossed-off "pump up the volume," from "I Know You Got Soul," became the basis for M/A/R/R/S' groundbreaking dance track; Eminem, a devoted Rakim student, lifted lines from "As the Rhyme Goes On" for the chorus of his own "The Way I Am"; and the percussion track of "Paid in Full" has been sampled so many times it's almost impossible to believe it had a point of origin. Paid in Full is essential listening for anyone even remotely interested in the basic musical foundations of hip-hop -- this is the form in its purest essence.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 21 track(s)
- Total length: 01:45:41
- Main artists: Eric B. & Rakim
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Island Records
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
© 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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