Rakim

Released: November 30, 1999

Songwriter: Rakim

Producer: Rakim

(Queen Pen)
I never got to meet Rakim. And that's one of the people that inspired me a lot

(Kidd Creole from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five)
Yo you know who this man is? When you read, when you read every known article about this man they talk about his lyrical, unquestioned. Lyrical unquestioned on this man

(Sheek from Lox)
Yo, honestly I ain't never met Rakim yet

(Unknown)
Y'all know what this is...this is the living legend...

(Crucial Conflict)
That's who I'm trying to meet, Ra

(Cam'ron)
I met Rakim before, I'm hoping to see Rakim again

(Rakim)
And they holdin' it down right now
And for them give me love, man, ya-nah-mean, I'm glad I came J straight up

(Gipp from Goodie Mobb)
The only person I haven't seen yet is Rakim, ya know what I'm saying. Once I see Rakim my day will be complete

(Rakim)
Niggas giving me love and they doing they thing right now (No doubt). They ain't gotta give a fuck about Ra. They showing me love, man, so nah-mean

(Unknown)
Can't help it..

(Unknown)
He's the only god in the whole rap game right now. Gotta give him respect (Hell yeah), gotta give him respect

The God MC, William Michael Griffin Jr. (b. January 28, 1968), known professionally as Rakim, is an American rapper representing the East Coast, hailing from Long Island, New York. Widely regarded as one of hip-hop’s most influential lyricists of all time, Rakim’s pioneering multisyllabic rhyming techniques demonstrated his lyrical superiority and helped cement his legacy.

Prior to his celebrated solo efforts, Rakim served as one half of the hip-hop duo, Eric B. & Rakim. The duo would go on to release a total of four studio albums before separating in 1992. Their 1987 debut album, Paid in Full, became a benchmark within hip-hop and inspired many future rappers, partly due to Rakim’s lyrical proficiency.

Coming off of a five-year hiatus, Rakim released his acclaimed debut solo album, The 18th Letter, in 1997. It is considered by many to be his best album, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 charts. Rakim’s 1999 sophomore album, The Master, received mixed reviews—it would be his last studio album for a decade until re-emerging with 2009’s, The Seventh Seal.

more tracks from the album

The Master

From the album

The Master (1999)

Rakim popular songs

Intro (The Master)Rakim

Rakim

The Master