Eric B. & Rakim

Released: July 7, 1987

Songwriter: Eric B. Rakim

Producer: Eric B. Rakim

[Intro: Eric B. and Rakim]
Yo, Rakim, what's up?
Yo, I'm doing the knowledge, E, man, I'm trying to get paid in full
Well, check this out; since Norby Walters is our agency, right?
True
Cara Lewis is our agent
Word up
Zakia and 4th and Broadway is our record company
Indeed
Okay, so, who we rollin' with, then?
We rollin' with Rush—of Rushtown Management
Check this out; since we talkin' over this def' beat right here that I put together
I wanna hear some of them def' rhymes, you know what I'm sayin'?
And, together, we can get paid in full

[Verse 1: Rakim]
Thinkin' of a master plan
'Cause ain’t nothin' but sweat inside my hand
So I dig into my pocket, all my money spent
So I dig deeper, but still coming up with lint
So I start my mission, leave my residence
Thinking, "How could I get some dead presidents?"
I need money, I used to be a stick-up kid
So I think of all the devious things I did
I used to roll up: "This is a hold-up, ain’t nothing funny
Stop smiling, be still, don’t nothing move but the money"
But now, I learned to earn 'cause I’m righteous
I feel great, so maybe, I might just
Search for a 9 to 5, if I strive
Then maybe I’ll stay alive
So I walk up the street, whistling this
Feeling out of place 'cause, man, do I miss
A pen and a paper, a stereo, a tape of
Me and Eric B and a nice big plate of
Fish, which is my favorite dish
But without no money, it’s still a wish
'Cause I don’t like to dream about gettin' paid
So I dig into the books of the rhymes that I made
So now's a test to see if I got pull
Hit the studio, 'cause I’m paid in full

[Outro: Eric B. and Rakim]
Rakim, check this out
Yo, you go to your girl's house and I'll go to mine
'Cause my girl is definitely mad 'cause it took us too long to do this album
Yo, I hear what you're saying, so let's just pump the music up and count our money
Yo, well check this out
Yo, Elai
Turn the bass down and just let the beat keep on rocking
And we outta here
Yo, what happened to peace?
Peace, peace, peace

[Produced by Eric B.]

Eric B. & Rakim are a duo made of DJ Eric B. and MC Rakim. The two worked in the late ‘80s and early '90s and are considered to be one of the best and the most influential duos of all time.

The duo made their big break in 1987 with their classic album, Paid in Full which is considered to be one of the best rap albums of all time.

After that, they made three more albums – Follow the Leader, Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em, and Don’t Sweat the Technique – before splitting up.

more tracks from the album

Paid in Full

From the albums

Paid In Full (Seven Minutes Of Madness - The Coldcut Remix) - 12" (1987)
Paid in Full (1987)
Rap: Straight Outta The Ghetto (1992)
The 18th Letter/The Book Of Life (1997)
Brown Sugar: Music From the Motion Picture Soundtrack (2002)
Paid In Full (Deluxe Edition) (2003)
The Definitive Electro & Hip Hop Collection (2004)
Paid in Full (Expanded Edition) (2005)
Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap Soundtrack (2012)
Hip Hop Basics Vol. 1 : The Early Years 1979-1988 (2015)
NOW That’s What I Call Old Skool [UK] (2017)
Hip Hop The Golden Era 1979-1999 (2018)
80s Hip Hop (2019)
Best Rap Songs of 1987 (2021)

Eric B. & Rakim popular songs

Paid in FullEric B. & Rakim

Eric B. & Rakim

Paid in Full