In just 8 bars of this song he has outrapped 95% of today’s rap era.

@matt-dj5ub

3 жыл бұрын

hardly anyone these days compares to this level of lyrical ability

@chrisjackson3848

2 жыл бұрын

The only modern day artist on his level is Kedrick Lamar.

@siturl5834

2 жыл бұрын

Did you say rap or crap? :p Cant tell the difference nowadays. Now this is awesome.

@Archaic1Eye

2 жыл бұрын

Real talk ...

@mauricesmith3821

2 жыл бұрын

We were witnessing greatness during those day. I didn't even realize it back then. Glad I was there ( juke box, video vibrations, rap city, etc.)

Rakim can't even stop his flow for a shave.

@zackakechi7421

8 жыл бұрын

Lol ikr he a beasr

@Beauyuhkfer

8 жыл бұрын

spread the word! good stuff. saw this on yo MTV raps. hooked

@zackakechi7421

8 жыл бұрын

gyrusscalvary right

@nekaeljones3086

8 жыл бұрын

Lol right!!!

@sonikku956

7 жыл бұрын

BugsnBeers Your profile picture...

This man single handedly changed the tone of hip hop in the 80’s and still relevant 30 plus years later.

@gabrielleelliott2487

7 ай бұрын

No other rapper can compare

@Dee_Nice89

7 ай бұрын

​@@gabrielleelliott2487 Rakim birthed alot of rappers in the game, and that's why he's The God MC cause he layed the foundation with his lyrical style and ability 💯

@blackbolt57

4 ай бұрын

I can totally relate to this because I wasn't a big fan of hip hop in comparison to others. It was cool hearing groups like fat boys, sugar hill,etc,but I was enthralled with the genre like that until Run DMC came out with walk this way,then I moved to another state and one of the first rappers I heard was Rakim,Ice T and later Kool Moe D,etc and the rest was history. Years later when I got into the sounds of Granddaddy IU I've had ppl ask me if it was Rakim when they heard me playing him,so he is definitely an influence on those coming up behind him.

@kansascitymack1

2 ай бұрын

Indeed!!

Rakim is 30 years ahead of his time.

@TheProdigyAccordion

24 күн бұрын

I would agree but when i think about it he was in the right time, todays rap is shit compared to 80s-90s

For anyone who could understand this, Rakim is to hip hop what Charlie Parker is to jazz. He didn't start it, but he absolutely revolutionized it and set the bar for every MC/musician's skills and technique afterwards.

@geecheeflow9828

9 жыл бұрын

Him and krs 1

@mike_t_007

8 жыл бұрын

Cosign

@c.1223

8 жыл бұрын

Absolute 100% Right

@Auntkekebaby

8 жыл бұрын

+Isidro Santa Maria 100

@riverman33

8 жыл бұрын

+Isidro Santa Maria True word !

in my opinion he is the number one lyricists of all time

@jefferyneal7969

5 жыл бұрын

I agree

@michaelsherron5750

5 жыл бұрын

yes, he's the GOAT

@gullybop1695

5 жыл бұрын

Agreed 100%

@louisharrmann6462

5 жыл бұрын

Dwayne Artis i agree with you hes amazing

@prenticewalker5935

5 жыл бұрын

Dwayne Artis u hit it right on da nail point blank player n I agree with u 1 zillion % on it.

Sorry guys, I'm a 55 year old mutha and this has just bought tears to my eyes. Eric B and Rakim, for their time and space, were untouchable 😊

@dirtycordoba6713

Ай бұрын

I'm 54. And I was brought to tears as well. Dude, it's just so fucking good.

@rickimhotep1236

Ай бұрын

I'm 58 and I slept on this cut back when I saw the video. It sounds totally different now that I got bumpin speakers in my car. Back then I had a 87' Chevette🤣🤣🤣🤣LL Cool J Rock The Bells SiruisXm played this the other day. Eric B was underrated!💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿His beats slap!

@joeldt1520

25 күн бұрын

❤️

@Nazarius_1

25 күн бұрын

@@dirtycordoba6713 I'm from Gen Z and i can agree, Eric B and Rakim revolutionised Hiphop, they are icons, and in the future, if they still perform, i'm willing to go there!

@mistabiggmann

25 күн бұрын

Yo im 56 this is real bro

Literally untouchable. So fresh, like it was released tomorrow. No one can stand with Rakim, a true poet and artist.

@imfreviews

9 ай бұрын

This song is so ahead of its time, its parents havent met.

@steelerj2000

8 ай бұрын

Probably best rapper, ever. Lots of greats mention him as such. 18th letter baby.

@focusmelvin

7 ай бұрын

Can't put LL out the way!!!!!!! He got bars!!!!!!

@tyreebond9155

6 ай бұрын

This is your favorite rapper's Favorite Rapper!!

@chanceForNotBeingRapper

5 ай бұрын

his lyrics is very fun. last time heard the man who could bring out killer verse is Andre 3000 and pusha t

I love how Rakim is metaphorically taking us to space.

@dreg5845

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, yes, yes. Its genius

@MrMmnngghh

4 жыл бұрын

at magnificent speeds around the universe

@hadbl12

4 жыл бұрын

And it’s so visual you can actually see the journey

@MoneyXL

4 жыл бұрын

He was 20 with this flow

@JeromeProductions

4 жыл бұрын

Yep

Rakim was wayyyyyy ahead of his time.

This is the greatest track in hip-hop history.

@builttowin1987

Жыл бұрын

very true.

@juniorjames7076

Жыл бұрын

I did not take rap seriously until I heard this track and then the whole album in 1986. This album and P.E.'s Takes A Nation...sucked me into Hip Hop.

@robertvincent4042

Жыл бұрын

Yes yes yes !!

@PR-WAY

Жыл бұрын

Far from it

@Chet73

Жыл бұрын

@@PR-WAY Name a better one.

Rakim changed everything.

@xp8969

4 ай бұрын

Rakim is a god MC but we all know that, what doesn't get talked about enough in HipHop history though is how revolutionary Eric B was in terms of mixing and production, he was never the flashiest DJ in a technical sense but his ear for picking and mixing samples and his sense of timing and rhythm and pacing were perfect, and nobody was making beats as diverse as B was back then, people always talk about Paul's Boutique as being a revolutionary album (and it was and still is) but without Eric B doing it first then the Beastie Boys would have never been inspired to make Paul's Boutique

@krazyfan2000

3 ай бұрын

Word!!!

@pamelaeppes5478

Ай бұрын

3:02 ​@@xp8969

REAL SHIT right here. Still the greatest MC of all time.

@TyroneSteelsII

9 жыл бұрын

This ish is TIMELESS. Forever lasting. All time bumpin'. WORD!

@gregstokes3025

9 жыл бұрын

Xavier Vega Got em

@makeithap

9 жыл бұрын

Xavier Vega OF ALL TIME.....THATS WORD !!!!!!

@spaltersar

9 жыл бұрын

Xavier Vega he is

@alvinmay8384

9 жыл бұрын

Xavier Vega ALL TIME BABY

This is the hardest lyrical song ever recorded period.

@rwj197311

5 жыл бұрын

karljjr I have to say the punisher

@cbchansey6866

5 жыл бұрын

@@rwj197311 Sorry buddy, King Los has long taken the crown To recognize the genius I am You'd have to have one foot on Venus to even visit these arenas I'm in Now did I say arenas or Serena's? I kill shit, Venus/Serena's, I kill shit, I Gilbert Arenas I'm ill wit' the skill wit', the skill wit' If this the shit that I build When I'm buildin' a buildin' built with a billion builders That's buildin' a buildin' on top of this one No feelin' is toppin' this one No villain is stoppin' this one That'd be a dark night, won't it? While overlookin' my city, had a Dark Knight moment I'm overlookin' my city, same city that overlooked me Now it's back to back tours, cause cities just overbook me Speaking of Dark Knight, I know some jokers that scheme Cuz I done blew up somethin' sick like the openin' scene Not to mention, nobody gon mention you this year You just a joker, I really made the pencil disappear I got that Edgar Allen Poe flow, bars like a bear trap Shakespeare's only rebuttal would be a head scratch I haven't been amateur, ever, never Iambic pentameter, clever, better Nobody even seems this deep I got niggas stayin' awoke to put my dreams to sleep But, watch me maneuver New maroon drop for my jewel I need moon rocks for my Muller, I'm the future Tell these niggas I need my proper spot They a bunch of Papa Docs and Chocolate Drops My 16's proper, give me my props or not I went Pac at 16 when my Pops was shot Uh, it left my mind out of place I guess that's why in my rhymes, I spend time out of space So, I speak life, rappers talk Can't be a rap god if you've never rapped for God Gotta be close to him like the woman in The Bible who felt she could be blessed just to grab his cloth Uh, bulletin: we full of sin If we wade in the water, the weight of it might pull us in They, fake, fake, fake, fake, fake Can't fake what you ain't, ain't, ain't, ain't Wait, if you're searchin' for a way, wait I made a way, all my homies used to weigh weight Brakes, pump your brake, brake, brake, brakes My niggas break in and take, they don't take breaks I can't fail, I don't believe in it You don't possess humble nor obedience Comedians told me that I wouldn't fly I remember losin' family members and I wouldn't cry Nigga if you had wooden eyes You could see I'm fly in my future, so why wouldn't I? I'm too good, these niggas good and high Boys in the hood don't rock wit' you Cuba Goodin' guys Niggas on that "be alike" shit Guess they "copy, paste" us cause we the right clique Uh, get it? Right click, copy, paste? Life hit a rocky phase, ice wrist, Versace shade White whip, on hockey blades, grill like a hockey mask Chop it like a hockey stick, niggas pop it to pocket cash Talkin' bout you poppin' gats, runnin' wit' those sloppy cats Same suckas probably be watchin' you get your pockets tapped Fuck all that cocky shit, where I'm from they cocking straps Think you wavy 'til you get hit with 8 in your stocking cap But, I choose to excel Made my old ex mad, gave my new ex hell Went from no X to one X to two X, well I been nice since my tee shirt was 2XL Yeah that's XX, like two exes ago But it's still all love like X's and O's Cause at some point, we feel we have exes who owe You know an explanation why they made an exit, and oh If you think I'm talkin' bout my exes, come on, man Tell XXL they got one more chance But, man I lay low If I ain't on ya list, then that bitch don't exist, Manti Te'o I'm anti aye-bro, that shit they puttin' up corny Tell these niggas they ain't good enough to bore me I'm just paintin' so y'all see the story I can't be guarded in rap, to God be the glory King

@greentee5993

5 жыл бұрын

Harder then ether

@dreg5845

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, yes, yes. Always said it. Most rappers agree

@dreg5845

5 жыл бұрын

@@greentee5993 Ether? Are you comparing that...smh. you all are lost

Why this doesn't have 100 million views just proves how much people don't understand or appreciate hip hop pioneers. This is lyrical gold standard of ripping a microphone to pieces.

@rebelpumpfitness4904

Жыл бұрын

Easy answer champ ! 'It does not meet the requirements of trash!

@deathknizzle

Жыл бұрын

I was 3 million of the 100 million

@kingjaff9066

Жыл бұрын

@@deathknizzle I’m 37 and been here I know hip hop I’m Infatuated with hip-hop real rap I wish I was 16-in 87-88 lol

@garrybritten

Жыл бұрын

RAKIM...IS...ONE OF ONE...

@Nationof300

Жыл бұрын

Because it doesn’t need 100 fucking million views like damn what would it matter anyway

Rakim's the G.O.A.T. simple as that

OMG Rakim is dangerous, not a cuss word needed to complete this masterpiece.

@esjel9804

Жыл бұрын

as he said, "cuss is just sound effects" EPIC roast, EPIC line.

@bobbysmith35962

Жыл бұрын

That makes him more of a real rapper and gangster rapper he goes hard without cursing

This man literally took the wire a snitch had to record the squad plans, and starting spitting bars to the informants!😂Gangsta!

@lukekhalid896

3 жыл бұрын

That was hard but the hardest was gettin a shave and the barber cut him, he grabbed his jaw and started spittin rhymes like he was talking to his son. Lol

@lorenzothomas7128

3 жыл бұрын

) jgl

Let the Leader...Lead! 2024....still Bumpin!

This is just one of ridiculously intensely lyrical songs from Rakim. Nobody is even close. I remember staring into speaker as a kid when this came out. I could see the stars, those planets that looked like balls of clay and even the satellite 🛰 Nobody paints a picture like Rakim.

@caseycameron5370

Жыл бұрын

It's crazy the beat does the same thing blastoff

@JohnnyGnostech

8 ай бұрын

💥🚀💯

@focusmelvin

7 ай бұрын

LL

The flow is insane the lyrics are mind blowing not one cuss word or ni**a was said still the greatest mc of all time!!!!

@flyguy4211

4 жыл бұрын

IKR! Drake says nigga in practically every song!

@defaultuser8091

4 жыл бұрын

That's the problem with the new RAPPERS they use the N-Word to much, it's not necessary...Drake is not a Rapper his a Singer. So Called

@williamhobbs2998

4 жыл бұрын

@@defaultuser8091 While I agree that the "N" is used wayyy too much nowadays in "so-called" hip hop, I don't mind usage of it as much as I detest the usage of mumble rapping & other nonsensical elements that are used nowadays. Outside of a select few, there are absolutely no true lyricists in rap today. To give the young bucks a checkup from the neck up, I always throw em' back to Rakim Kool G. Rap Big Daddy Kane There's many others that deserve honorable mention that range from the golden age of true lyricism (mid/late 80's-early/mid 90's on through to what I call the end of the lyricist era with peeps like Big Pun, early DMX & a few others.

@bigboiron2570

3 жыл бұрын

@@williamhobbs2998 that's 100 !

@bigboiron2570

3 жыл бұрын

Mane this song lyrically kills, Rakim could be considered the best rapper ever, the GOAT

Best hip-hop voice in the 80s. He birth all lyricists who came after.

@talkdattrashimmapullyacard4396

4 жыл бұрын

💒Marry me to this song 😘

@garymeacham5148

4 жыл бұрын

saw them in concert in new york back in the day.best ever

@jhonnyterrorimelonni5108

4 жыл бұрын

And Rick the ruler!

@geraldjohnson3216

4 жыл бұрын

Tell it Big D no doubt baby girl.

@fudgenuggets405

4 жыл бұрын

If not the best then really close. Chuck D might be a challenger.

How is this so damn good 30+ years later? Art.

see kids, you can have intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, banging beats and still be hard and gangster.

@dirtycordoba6713

Ай бұрын

Church

Rakim was teaching science while STILL having the charisma. Had the swag, lyricism, appeal (pause), skill, and more importantly KNOWLEDGE and ARTICULATION.

@kimberlyt.2981

Жыл бұрын

And he didn't have to use profanities. Every lyric clear with a message!

@juniorjames7076

Жыл бұрын

He introduced concepts and topics in Hip Hop such as Gnostic knowledge (Freemasonry, Cosmic thought, Egyptology). Rakims parents were musicians and part of the late 60s/early 70s Progressive Jazz movement fusing jazz, funk, rock, classical, punk and found sounds (early sampling?) So that was a factor as well. Rakim is Hip Hop Perfected!

@FoulBallRecords

11 ай бұрын

Well said 🕶️💪🏽

I'm 70 years old. I've been a writer all my life... since I was 3. I don't even like hip hop. But his is pure genius. If the culture had just obeyed and followed this leader, there's no telling what young folks would be into today. But they stray far away today from that brilliant rhythmic word play, selling they soul for a triflin payday like the third hell of Dante, rhymes in disarray, nothing real to say, fools boppin to nothin, culture sliced up and played by an anti-gourmet selling you a bloody as Hell, Good Friday Filet.

@StrictlyBusiness000

6 жыл бұрын

Ali Abu-Talib lmao 70

@garymeacham5148

4 жыл бұрын

at last,someome who feels like me,this has had a profound effect on my life,simply the best

@kurtadams3021

4 жыл бұрын

Totally agree

@ericcooper627

4 жыл бұрын

The fact that you are 70 years old and just said all that you said about this dude shows he is the goat!!

@charleslyons6196

4 жыл бұрын

That's deep real talk brah sadly 💯

This still gives me the chills ...

@chancregister2714

Жыл бұрын

Soon as them horns hit, I loose and gain myself all at once, incredible Master of Ceremonies Rakim!

@AngelArtists

Ай бұрын

One Hundred Percent!!!!! When this first came out in 88 I was working in a UK record store, and when you heard it you KNEW it was legendary. NOTHING was like it back then! 🙂

over 50 and this still gives me chills, killer!

The most hardest song in Hip Hop history and not one curse word said!!

@garymeacham5148

4 жыл бұрын

yes brother

@ericcooper627

4 жыл бұрын

Sheer genius the god of rap!

@alpinemedina1422

3 жыл бұрын

DEFINITLY YES!!!

@mudsoldier5197

3 жыл бұрын

It's been more than 30 years, and I STILL can't get it right!

@dulichion

3 жыл бұрын

Posted this today on my fb feed, heard this in 88, along with UTFO and was blown away. Native New Yawka born and raised.

From the minute the beat starts, you know this ain't the type of brotha to play with on the mic. I just love Rakim. Such a fan. He was the 80's protocol for lyricism.

@minusthebarsblog

2 жыл бұрын

AGREED. In the history of Hip Hop, there is none like Rakim. Not one.

From the cradle to the grave just remember your not a slave 🔥🔥🔥🔥

@rnxrx

4 ай бұрын

and that dollar sign

This man IS THE blueprint for EVERYTHING and EVERYONE that followed! Without Rakim, there is NO: Biggie, 2Pac, Nas, DMX, Busta Rhymes, Big Pun, Big L, Eminem, 50 Cent, Outkast, Luda, etc. Ahead of his time and the architect of internal rhyme scheme. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you RAKIM ALLAH, the ACTUAL G.O.A.T!

@theredroadeast723

Жыл бұрын

Facts!!!

@ahmeermajied5834

Жыл бұрын

Facts

@gallen2101

Жыл бұрын

💯

@waff1eirontmacsplat

Жыл бұрын

Without rakim there is no Wu Tang clan because every last one of them used his slang to write their rhymes. The whole slang about the chambers is rakim slang

@mommiefields5128

Жыл бұрын

True...

"I can take phrase that is rarely heard flip it now its daily word"🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

@garymeacham5148

4 жыл бұрын

murderin mc s

@rodmills737

3 жыл бұрын

The R is the best to ever do it..

@thegrinch7989

3 жыл бұрын

So follow me and were ya thinkin' you were first? Let's travel at magnificent speeds around the Universe What could ya say as the Earth gets further and further away Planets are small as balls of clay Astray into the Milky Way - world's outasight Far as the eye can see - not even a satellite Now stop and turn around and look As ya stare in the darkness, ya knowledge is took

@slystally9874

3 ай бұрын

​@@thegrinch7989bars 🔥🔥

You got to understand these guys were original.. Hip Hop at its finest!

@tarusprentice7782

6 жыл бұрын

Eric B was cold blooded

@rebelpumpfitness4904

5 жыл бұрын

FACTS

My third eye makes me shine like jewelry☺ The Great Rakim❤❤❤

A Masterpiece of the New York Hip Hop!!!

I'm 51 years old so this is my time this was a cold as s*** it's hard to listen to the rappers now when you got this as a standard

@cindymastrullo6949

3 жыл бұрын

I am 64 years old have been jamming to rap for 35 years...

@leesmith6866

3 жыл бұрын

Word up! There are few people who ever existed who are so great at what they do, that there is no argument from anyone of the contrary. Literally everyone agrees they are the GOAT = Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, Leonardo da Vinci, RAKIM!

@edwardgurick5432

2 жыл бұрын

52 and I'm with you , but. That drill music does got that asphalt flavor

@edwardgurick5432

2 жыл бұрын

Try Montana of 300

A magnum as a microphone murderin' MC's.

@gloriempaka9474

8 жыл бұрын

Cold ass line

@turtleanton6539

7 жыл бұрын

Glorie Mpaka for sure

@lex.cordis

7 жыл бұрын

I never really paid attention to the alliteration of that line.

@MultiKingvegeta

7 жыл бұрын

what does he mean?

@lex.cordis

6 жыл бұрын

He's saying he straight up kills other rappers (metaphorically) with his rhymes. The mic is the weapon, his lyrics are the ammunition.

Greatest rap single of all time from the greatest of all, the god MC - Rakim.

Incredible poetry, phrasing and musicality. Timeless, brave and extraordinary.

First heard this amazing shit in 87 or 88. I remember me and my boys shaking our heads in disbelief. We couldn’t process what we were hearing. We would play it stop the tape, rewind, play again, argue about what we thought the lyric was and what Ra was trying to say or what he meant by a particular phrase or word. One thing was clear to us. We were experiencing something new and incredible. An emcee with a musicians timing in and out of the pocket. He could dance around bars like Astair. Sometimes blindingly fast. Sometimes slow. An emcee Who could pack 16 bars with multisyllabic destruction and incredible visuals then turn around and use pauses to devastating effect. He was like a jazz musician An intellectual a philosopher with the mind of a prophet and a poet all in one man. We knew everything that we understood about rap and what it could achieve as an art form had changed. Forever. It’s thirty fucking years later and I’m still gleaning new levels of meaning from this song. Still putting together the meaning of one of the greatest songs and albums ever created in any genre. My God.

@premiermaintenancegroup1113

4 жыл бұрын

Yes!! Back in HS this shit was revolutionary

@rebelpumpfitness4904

4 жыл бұрын

The Galactus of all lyrical emceeing .your ideology is profoundly felt and I don't think that I could have written it any better.!!..FIRE FACTS.

@youtubeuser2691

4 жыл бұрын

I wish I was born in a rap era like that... Kinda jealous... ☹️

@PrAnG2000

3 жыл бұрын

@Yao Black that's exactly what me and my crew used to do. Analyse this track for hours. Over 30 years later and I still get goosebumps when I play it.

@yaoblack3579

3 жыл бұрын

@@PrAnG2000 facts.

These are the literally the best verses in hip hop ever captured on tape.

@djacksonafter700

8 жыл бұрын

Listen to "No Omega".

@JerZkyd

8 жыл бұрын

+Gore Elohim gore knows the deal!

@rebelpumpfitness4904

5 жыл бұрын

FIRE FACTS!💣💣💥💥💨💨

THOSE LIRICS ARE STILL PURE FIRE IN 2024!!🔥

Music so far ahead of its time, in 2022 it can still be studied like a college course. Amazing

@irpk239

10 ай бұрын

2023

Rakim is of best rapper ever in my opinion.

@ESDAce

3 жыл бұрын

Me to your opinion is respected

@MrBlactye

3 жыл бұрын

@@ESDAce Thanks

@ESDAce

3 жыл бұрын

@@MrBlactye np

@rodmills737

3 жыл бұрын

No lies detected, Rakim is the best to ever touch the mic

@jbRoma

3 жыл бұрын

That's not an opinion that's a fact!

He said " dig'em, I never dug'em, he couldn't follow the leader long enough so I drug'em." cold a$$ line

@kweli05

7 жыл бұрын

That was directed at EPMD.

@lebronshairline4768

7 жыл бұрын

kweli05 damn

@kweli05

7 жыл бұрын

LeBron's Hairline And I had no idea at the time, like a lot of other subtle beefs that were going on in hip hop.

@lebronshairline4768

7 жыл бұрын

kweli05 same here, i was clueless except for maybe the LL Cool J AND KOOL MOE DEE BEEF

@palexstarks5553

7 жыл бұрын

plus the line about the "third rail" genuis

Heard this for the first time on the radio yesterday. Immediately blown away by the flow and the beats, and even more so that this came out in '88! What Eric B and Rakim did 35 years ago not only stood the test of time, but still surpasses most records released decades after.

@changeyourenergy708

7 ай бұрын

Wow!! That song is kinda the tip of the iceberg of songs you haven't heard if you're just hearing this. Hip hop in their era is much more hip hop than today. Much more substance in it then, vs now

@baxtronx5972

7 ай бұрын

There's KRS-1, Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Leaders of the New School.....

@brickfacem109r9

7 ай бұрын

Imagine being there when it was released. I didn't fully comprehend everything he was saying back then especially, my 3rd eye will make you shine like jewlery, but I knew I was serious

This song is a lyrical exercise

That opening riff is one of the coldest introductions in history.

" I'm everlasting; I can go on for days and days With rhyme displays that engrave deep as x-rays I can take a phrase that's rarely heard Flip it now it's a daily word"

@lukekhalid896

3 жыл бұрын

That was and is one of the greatest lines of all time

@markl7743

3 жыл бұрын

- Stop bugging a brother. He said dig him. I never dug him. He couldn’t follow the leader long enough, so I drug him. - 💥🔥🔥🔥Mic 🎤 drop. That is lyricism

@PrAnG2000

3 жыл бұрын

@@markl7743 EPMD said in their Drink Champs interview that this line was directed at them. I always thought it was at Big Daddy Kane.

@funkeewho384

3 жыл бұрын

@@PrAnG2000 I think it was also for Big Daddy Kane, there are even videos with Kane himself talking about having a beef, maybe it's because Kane was the only MC that could match or even surpass Rakim's lyrical level

@alexambriz6868

3 жыл бұрын

The first time I heard that very line it had me gasping

Man I love Rakim! My wife and I met him 4 years ago. He's so laid back and humble. He's one of the greatest mcs ever. #1 or #2. I true artist.

@kryptix5386

2 жыл бұрын

Im 19, and I would love to meet him alongside some other legendary rappers. It would be nice to have a interesting conversation to have with him

@fpshooterful

2 жыл бұрын

One of Pac's biggest influence.

@aaronflowers8881

2 жыл бұрын

@@fpshooterful Funny you mention that because this video is very similar to Pour out a little liquor.

@johnsondailysports1341

2 жыл бұрын

Yup and easily top 5

@Musicienne-DAB1995

10 ай бұрын

@@kryptix5386 I would want specifics on his writing process and how he incorporated the syncopation of jazz into his delivery, as I think that fusion was utterly brilliant.

My 3rd eye shine like jewelry!” 😂😂😂🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯💯

This is lyricism at its best If u wanna be the best lyricist this song is the litmus test IMO

@mike_t_007

8 жыл бұрын

Cosign!!!

@seanstroman6087

8 жыл бұрын

Michael Tiema true dat

@GeoffChisholm

8 жыл бұрын

+Sean Ulloa Backed and backed again.

@seanstroman6087

8 жыл бұрын

Geoff Chisholm what???

@GeoffChisholm

8 жыл бұрын

I back your statement and I back it again.

I got goosebumps the first time I heard this as a kid.

@JuniorJr...

5 жыл бұрын

Me too. btw, this is my favorite track of the album.

Happy 34 year anniversary to Eric B and Rakim’s classic album “Follow The Leader” . Yall made another groundbreaking album in Hip Hop

@AndreiBerezin

10 ай бұрын

35 years jubilee now!!

This will forever be one of the best songs in hip hop. Rakim knew his shit

4 minutes of raw lyricism. I love it.

''Stop buggin' a brother said dig him, I never dug him He couldn't follow the leader long enough so I drug him'' Damnnnn

@OMEGAxWARRIOR

4 жыл бұрын

EPMD never stood a chance against the god

A brother with a very high IQ.... A Master Piece..... Plain n simple

I say this all of the time..."Rakim was way before his time".

I was 10 when my buddy Jeff introduced me to Eric B & Rakim. He had this dope turntable/cassette combo sound system with some nice speakers in his room. He said "yo, you need to hear something". When that bass kicked in after the first "Rakim'll say",my life changed. I kept asking to play it over & over again until his mom yelled " shut that shit off!" Lol. There is not a better Lyricist that ever existed.

@Lynn.B.

2 жыл бұрын

LOL @ "shut that shit off!" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@AmariMarvelous

Жыл бұрын

😂😂

@cibida1

2 минут бұрын

🙌🏿

one of the sickest hip hop records of all time.

Rakim was ahead of his time and his rhymes are timeless ❤

@gabrielleelliott2487

8 ай бұрын

Rakim my fav I miss em frfr his music

Rakim was way ahead of time. 🔥

every mc after 87 owes his flow to Rakim. GOAT

Ridiculous rap skills. I always said since the 80's, NO ONE can mess with Rakim!

@garymeacham5148

4 жыл бұрын

top man,love r akim

No one will ever be better than this guy to me..all you SoundCloud kids need to study this man..his sht is flawless.

@gabrielleelliott2487

8 ай бұрын

I agree

Rakim stood out for so many different reasons. One reason that I'll name here is that it's clear that during a time in which rappers had 30 people on a stage with 20mics and backup dancers all gyrating and getting down he stood alone. One man, one mic, one stage. Just him and his DJ. He didn't dance. Matter of fact I never saw him dance at all. He just opened up a fire hydrant of rhymes and when he shut it off you were left drenched and amazed. The mental pictures were vivid and he just rapped his behind off. To put it simply he was a purist. One of, if not the greatest to bless the mic.

Rakim's style was LITERALLY DECADES ahead of it's time....

@rebelpumpfitness4904

4 жыл бұрын

FACTS IF I NEVER HEARD IT.!!!

@The808Mixmaster

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah his mind was just wired different

@Tekzeiro84.

Ай бұрын

Facts!!!! Thee father of Nas! Tell me I'm wrong!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the greatest M.C. of all time. I heard them all since 79' I was witness. This is Jimi.

@bernardedmonds7

7 жыл бұрын

been alive since 84 but eric b and rakim are ill alone but together illest M.C. and DJ of all time done solute you my vet thank you and your whole generation for this music

@giyutomioka689

7 жыл бұрын

Dave Mercado comparing him to Hendrix I'm sure Rakim would take as an honor.

@Leatricaw

7 жыл бұрын

Dave Mercado exactly, the greatest of all time

@thesoloist0145

7 жыл бұрын

Dave Mercado word cant agree more 👊🏾

@archol6596

6 жыл бұрын

rakim was 11 in 79

Rakim the God !!! Beat is FIIIRE too ..

Rakim is the Greatest.....

Every time I listen to Rakim I feel my IQ increasing.

@lyricalmc5188

9 жыл бұрын

Same lmfao it's crazy

@wolfierobblack

8 жыл бұрын

ikr

@drilla0nadal0sb

8 жыл бұрын

looooooooool

@ICNCN1

7 жыл бұрын

lmfao ikr my ICQ so high on dis

@inedialiquidarian9933

7 жыл бұрын

Zmago Pushibrk... I was going through the same sensation!!!!

Just the 1st verse alone will kill a hundred man cypher....

One of the greatest emcees to ever command a microphone

This flow of his represents the art of hip hop i fell in love with growing up in the 80s. They don’t make it like this anymore

@Musicienne-DAB1995

10 ай бұрын

Eric B and Rakim just haven't been equalled, in my opinion.

Rakim is like a lyrical scientist, the word he speak are genius in rhyme form

@ampthefreethinker5335

3 жыл бұрын

Facts !!!!!! I've nothing to ad to your comment !!!!!!

Rakim is truly the greatest MC of all time. He literally invented the 'new style' of rap using internal rhyme structures, where two or more words inside each bar rhyme with each other while the words at the end of alternating bars also rhyme. For example: "I'm rough and rugged at the same time _sharp_ I can *swing* off *anything* even the *string* of a _harp._ No other rapper did this before him as often as he did. He was also the first rapper to strictly bring up competition, or the 'battle rap.' You had to rock the crowd, the listeners, but you also had to rock other emcees.

@NavAK_86

3 жыл бұрын

He's actually not the first to do it, even The Message from The Furious Five has internal rhymes if you listen closely. Rakim made it a staple though in his art and was his signature sound.

@estebansteverincon7117

3 жыл бұрын

@@NavAK_86 I agree, but, like I said, he did it more often, and that's why it's his style. He claimed he likened his lyrics to jazz solo.

@Johnelilopez

2 жыл бұрын

He was the first to call the Blackman a God & he was ridiculed by some in the media & called radical. Thats when he responded in Sweat the technique with “I’m to intelligent to radical, masterful never irrelevant mathematical” now every rapper is a rap god he also was the first to use an alias like the solar controller, 007, the 18th letter, the R. Also not taking anything from them but the Furious 5 lyrics were not as complex

@SJones-kk5lg

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, He did it before Eminem.

@jonbrand01

2 жыл бұрын

It hard to argue against that, but I would have to include KRS one as one of the greatest MC’s as well

Damn the skills!!!!!!

Still fire 30 years later!!!! Now you know you don't have to ask. "Rap is rhythm and poetry cuts creat sound effects ". Rakim explained all right there! Imagine have spit your bars after on a track after Rakim blessed the mic!

Ya favorite rapper's favorite rapper.

@lyricsanonymous9036

5 жыл бұрын

@@lazarotorres405 he's influenced e ery emcee of the last 35 years, and every emcee for the foreseeable future

@lyricsanonymous9036

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, yes he is...KRS is the other one

@gabrielleelliott7388

4 жыл бұрын

Yesssss

@ariescustom

4 жыл бұрын

And don't forget Chuck.

@DJKeytronikzTV

4 жыл бұрын

Probably your favorite rapper's favorite rapper's favorite rapper now

Im a white Dutch guy, 45 yo.. manager, family man, tesla owner and still listening to hiphop , jungle, reggae and drum and bass from my youth.. But in every way... Follow the leader is one of my favourite, if not ...my favourite, hiphop album ever. Masterpiece in every aspect. Timeless, pure and clean. Pure art.

@pereiraplaza222

2 жыл бұрын

Drum and bass was like 15 years after this song

@christianrowell1081

2 жыл бұрын

That's dope but remember to remain humble

@spqr528

2 жыл бұрын

Cringe

@hjillumi880

2 жыл бұрын

@@pereiraplaza222 lol are you having a fucking laugh. drum n bass came up in the early 90´s. wow L O L !

Rakim was on a completely different level

The best to EVER do it!

This is the sickest flow ever!

Simply put, Rakim is the Greatest Rapper in the History of Hip Hop.

Probably one of the greatest if not the greatest raps you will ever hear, it gets better the more you listen to it and I have been listening to this since 88

Wow......this is what rythem and poetry truly sounds like.

They don't make hip hop like this anymore straight 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

@whatsupdoc3587

6 жыл бұрын

Elwookiee07 what happened to hip hop!!!

@thiefonthacross4162

6 жыл бұрын

First MC that brought " from the cradle to tha grave "

@cbchansey6866

5 жыл бұрын

@@whatsupdoc3587 what happened to hip hop is that old heads decided they like hating more than actually finding good music

I GET TEARY EYES EVERYTIME I HEAR THIS.RAKIM ALLAH! 😭🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥❗

@ampthefreethinker5335

3 жыл бұрын

FACTS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥ME TO!!!!

Eric B what an amazing production and Maestro Rakim ...Poetry in full POWER

@lith1156

2 жыл бұрын

Eric B didn't produce lol...Rakim made most of the beats too

@drewali7

2 жыл бұрын

@@lith1156 clowns kill me giving credit to Eric B like they know he did it!!!! Rakim was behind the scenes producing his own shit and better than Eric B.!!!!

He raps 4 minutes straight without cussing or using the N word.

@AugustusGrant-qk5xk

Ай бұрын

Because you actually had to have talent and skillz back then. Now that the population has been reverse educated stupidity reins Supreme.

@davehatfield6620

8 күн бұрын

I've never heard him say it since 86

Rakim is the greatest lyrical emcee who ever spoke a word through a microphone. Just listen to this record and how he was flowing like this at the highest level in the 80's; way before anyone else thought about writing and incorporating complex rhyme schemes into a rap song. He was the 1st!!!

Rakim was my education and my entertainment growing up. The true GOAT.

Im 49 yrs old and with confidence can say the rap i knew compared to today is not even close- guys had a message a story or whatever in clear intelligent thought out lyrics

@vinylvipress5529

2 жыл бұрын

I’m 50 and I completely agree

Rakim literally influenced most of the 90s rappers.

God by nature, mind raised in Asia Since you was tricked, I had to raise'ya From the cradle to the grave, But remember, you're not a slave Cause we was put here to be much more than that, But we couldn't see because our minds was trapped But I'm here to break away the chains take away the pains Remake the brains rebuild our names This has been in my top 5 lyrically sound songs for 20 years.

@mooneater7072

6 жыл бұрын

Dwayne Taylor this is a timeless masterpiece

@TheZigzach

5 жыл бұрын

"I guess no one told ya a little knowledge is dangerous..."

@styleyK

5 жыл бұрын

Mine as well, he is a lyrical wizard.

@frank-xp6pj

5 жыл бұрын

Malcolm Little great job depicting that verse bro...its ashame that motherfuckers dont write this prolific anymore.....alot of hiphop is pure shit, but like Rakim once said " When you can make joints to put in your mans deck & bump it in the hood to blaze to & then have older mature people listen & appreciate it then it's an art & it feels good to say we took something from nothing & made our own genre " ........

@DeDona1

5 жыл бұрын

@Tay Yasharal I'm Italian American and know that Rakim is the best lyricist of all time.

As much as I love Pac and Biggie, Rakim is the GOAT. It's not even close.

@TheJemoore9899

3 жыл бұрын

@DIGITAL TRADE MUSIC Pac was one of the best ever. Especially his first two records unlike the foolishness after. But nah, Rakim's lyrics were deeper even when he went solo.

@MuslimYouthMedia

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheJemoore9899 and Melle Mel?

@TheJemoore9899

3 жыл бұрын

@@MuslimYouthMedia Much, much respect to him.

@Falcone807

3 жыл бұрын

@DIGITAL TRADE MUSIC looool are you serious

@jeffscheule9067

3 жыл бұрын

Clap your hands, you won a trip

CLASSIC JAM!!!!!! I USED TO LOSE MY MIND TO THIS!!! Listen to me... I STILL DO!!!

Heard this for the first time today and the beat literally sent me in circles but then I realized Rakim is riding this beat for 4 minutes with no real bumps or breaks - just BARS 🔥 Legendary

@TruthReignsSupreme

2 жыл бұрын

I know you up on Paid and full album???

@gabrielleelliott2487

8 ай бұрын

​@@TruthReignsSupremeI need that frfr