Line #9 Music/EricBAndRakim


1	[[quoteright:301:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/paidinfull_3078.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:301: The classic debut.[[note]]\
3	Eric on the left, Rakim on the right.[[/note]]]]
4
5	->''"'Cos I don't like to dream about gettin paid\
6	So I dig into the books of the rhymes that I made\
7	To now test to see if I got pull\
8	Hit the studio, 'cos I'm paid in full"''
9	-->-- '''Rakim''', "Music/PaidInFull"
10
11	Eric B. & Rakim are a HipHop duo from [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState Long Island, NY]], composed of DJ Eric B. (born Eric Barrier on November 8, 1963) and rapper Rakim (born William Michael Griffin Jr. on January 28, 1968).
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13	The duo is hailed as one of the most exemplary acts of UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHipHop, if not ''the'' most. According to [=AllMusic=], even while they were active during this time, they "were almost universally recognized as the premier DJ/MC team in all of hip-hop". Between Rakim's groundbreaking lyricism (credited with pioneering the use of internal and multisyllabic rhymes in hip-hop) and Eric B.'s [[{{Sampling}} sample]]-heavy production, which became a template for future hip-hop producers, their influence on the genre cannot be overstated.
14
15	They formed in 1986, and released four albums from 1987 to 1992 before splitting in 1993 and pursuing solo careers, with Rakim releasing three albums between 1997 and 2009. In 2016, Eric B. announced via Twitter that he and Rakim had reunited after 23 years, and they went on tour the following year.
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17	Popular songs from the duo include "Paid in Full," "Microphone Fiend", “Know the Ledge” and "I Ain't No Joke."
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19	[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_B._and_Rakim The Other Wiki]] has a good writeup about their career.
20
21	!Discography:
22	!! As a duo
23	* ''Music/PaidInFull'' (1987)
24	* ''Follow The Leader'' (1988)
25	* ''Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em'' (1990)
26	* ''Don't Sweat The Technique'' (1992)
27	!! Rakim solo albums
28	* ''The 18th Letter'' (1997)
29	* ''The Master'' (1999)
30	* ''The Seventh Seal'' (2009)
31	----
32	!! The following tropes are paid in full:
33	* AnswerSong: "Eric B. is President" started as this toward Music/JanetJackson's "What Have You Done for Me Lately," with two lines standing out as TheArtifact of this idea.
34	-->But now it's out of hand cuz you told me you hate me\
35	And then you ask what have I done lately
36	* BigApplesauce: From "I Know You Got Soul":
37	-->Now if you're from Uptown, Brooklyn- bound,\
38	The Bronx, Queens, or Long Island Sound
39	* BoastfulRap: The majority of Rakim’s catalog is about how good his flow and/or lyrics are.
40	* AGodAmI: Rakim was (and still is) known as “the god emcee”.
41	* GodIsLoveSongs: "Move The Crowd"
42	--> ''All praises due to Allah''
43	* UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHipHop
44	* HymnToMusic: "Lyrics of Fury," "Microphone Fiend," "Keep 'Em Eager to Listen," etc. etc.
45	* [[ViewersAreGeniuses Listeners Are Geniuses]]: "To The Listeners"
46	* TheLeader: Rakim, on the song "Follow The Leader"
47	* MoneySong: "Paid In Full"
48	* OnlyKnownByInitials: "The R"
49	* ProductPlacement: From "Relax With Pep":
50	-->Here come the right one baby and Dr. Pepper
51	* ProtestSong: "Casualties of War," rapped from the perspective of a soldier in UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar, who had previously served in UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar.
52	* RecycledLyrics: "It ain't where you from it's where you're at," which first appeared in "I Know You Got Soul," turned up later in "In The Ghetto."
53	* {{Sampling}}:
54	** Famously used Ofra [=Haza=]'s "Im Nin'alu" on "Paid in Full"
55	** Also on "Paid in Full," the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp9KXM-kqBw one-bar breakbeat]] from "Ashley's Roachclip" by the Soul Searchers that was eventually SampledUp by countless artists later on. This song started the craze.
56	* SeriousBusiness: "I Ain't No Joke"
57	* SillyLoveSongs: "Mahogany", though Rakim's lyrics & delivery are less silly and more suave.
58	* SingleStanzaSong: "Paid in Full"
59	* WeUsedToBeFriends: While recording ''Don't Sweat The Technique'', both Eric B. and Rakim expressed interest in solo careers, but when the time came to leave MCA Records in 1992, Eric refused to sign the release contract, fearing Rakim would abandon him. The ensuing court battle lasted over five years, and essentially killed their friendship for the next 20+ years. Said lawsuit also derailed Rakim's solo career until 1997.
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Context Music / EricBAndRakim