Rakim - The 18th Letter

Up in hip-hop heaven, once Lateef and Lyrics Born got finished kicking Puff Daddy's ass, they'd send him to Rakim's cloud, where Rakim would have him write, "I am very sorry for impersonating a rapper" 1 billion times on the chalkboard. In a rap scene where it's hard enough to stick around and nearly impossible to come back, hip-hop's most legendary MC has returned 11 years after his brilliant debut (and five years since he split from partner Eric B.). Amazingly, he's lost none of his skill and even gained wisdom with maturity. Even more amazing, 1997's The 18th Letter looks like a measured commercial success. The deluxe, double-CD version contains a retrospective of Rakim's career; also worth checking out is the reissue of Eric B. & Rakim's seminal Paid in Full. --Roni Sarig Amazon.com

Its The R

Rakim breaking up with Eric B might have been sad for some people to take but this album is far from weak. This album falls short of a classic but it's still a lot better than the tepid release that follows(The Master). How can you listen to tracks like The 18th Letter, It's Been A Long Time and Guess Who's Back and say that that's not vintage Rakim? So what Eric B is not producing a track. DJ Premier laces him with heat that he delivers on(It's Been A Long Time and New York). Pete Rock laces Rakim Allah with some dope beats on The Saga Begins and When I'm Flowin. Even the ever so underrated southern producer T-Mix hooks Rakim up with a tight beat on Its Been A Long Time(Suave House Mix). Rakim gets nostalgic on Remember That. New York(Ya Out There)is Rakim's anthem for NYC. Rakim still finds time to deliver a gem in the form of The Mystery(Who Is God?).
The only two songs that are skippable is Stay A While and Show Me Love. These two tracks are chick records that should have never been attempted. Bottom Line: The 18th Letter is the last great release that Rakim has given you. Even without Eric B, Rakim proved with this album that he can make a great album without him. The production was on point and so was Rakim's rhymes. So what's the fuss about? Exactly. Nostalgia strikes again! Standouts: THE 18TH LETTER, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME(original and Suave House records version), THE SAGA BEGINS, GUESS WHO'S BACK, THE MYSTERY(WHO IS GOD?) and WHEN I'M FLOWIN. January 31, 2008

Rakim...Enough Said...

He is known as a rap god, legendary MC, one of the greats...ect ect...The 18th Letter proves this with a vengence...while he got powerful songs like The Mystery , there are romantic songs like Stay Awhile...whomever enjoys rap/hip-hop....put down the ham sandwich and get this album NOW! and for all you new hiphop heads... Think the Ying Yang Twins are great or Ludacris is the top of the game now...or ugh Jay-Z....then you folks need a good dose of Rakim to cure that bad taste in flow disease... September 23, 2007

Once Apon A Time, there was A Rap Album with No Cursing That was A "Classic"

Did you know Rakim doesn't curse on this album and it isn't like he is trying to be positive, he is just being the Master. Rakim.

1.Intro- Rakim walking to somebody, there doing part one of an interview. (2/5)
2.The 18th Letter (Always and Forever)- My God, Rakim just basically raps, there is no topic he is just killing the song with his lyrics. (5/5)
3.skit-Part two of the interview.(2/5)
4.It's Been A Long Time- It's been a long time since Rakim came out.(3/5)
5.Remember That- On this song, Rakim talks about the past, not of his life just the past. Asking you do you remember those things.(5/5)
6.The Saga Begins-This is why we call Rakim, RAKIM because he kills this song, just listen to the lyrics.(5/5)
7.skit-Part three of the goofy interview.(2/5)
8.Guess Whos Back- Good beat, the hook is a strange like something off that Master CD. But the song is good.(4/5)
9.Stay A While- A song to women, I like the beat, it's sonds like something from the Super Mario Bros.(5/5)
10.New York(Ya Out There)- A song decribing New York.(5/5)
11.Show Me Love- A song to the ladies.(3/5)
12.skit-What nuber is this? I think four, part four of the
skits.(2/5)
13.Mystery(Who is God)-Rakim tells you who is God and why is he God.(4/5)
14.When I'm Flowin'-An aight song, it's his verses that create the song.(3/5)
15.It's Been A Long Time (Suave House Mix)-Same as the other song just a different beat.(3/5)
16.Guess Who's Back (Alternative Mix)-Same as the other song, the beat does sound a little better but it's the same.
17.Outro-Last part of the interview but I like this one. (3/5)

You already know he paid the way for half these people out there. If you haven't got a Rakim C.D. and you want a newer one, cop this. Don't pick up the Master, to me that is his worst album, it's better than everything else out, but not better than this. Anyway you need to get the album with no cursing or foul language, because on the next album he does. R.A.K.I.M. always and forever.
April 13, 2006

It's not the same without Eric B.

After his acrimonious split from his partner Eric B., Rakim would wait five years before his solo debut, 1997's The 18th Letter. As evidenced here, time had not dulled Rakim's skills one bit as his smooth delivery and creative lyrics were still intact. However, while this would be Rakim's highest charting album, debuting at #4 on the Billboard Top 200, the magic he created while working with Eric B. was no longer in evidence. What made the duo so special was what each of them brought to the table. Rakim's delivery, whether it was on the laid back "Mahogany", the rapid fire "Follow the Leader", or the mid-tempo groove of "My Melody", was always on the mark and Eric B.'s turntable work as well as his creative sampling provided the perfect accompaniment. However, Eric B.'s absence is very apparent here as The 18th Letter lacks the killer production and beats that made the duo's previous releases so great. The album also suffers from a sameness in the songs as they never abandon the same mid-tempo beat.

The hard hitting title track and the epic "The Mystery" highlight the album and are among the very few tracks that remind you of the duo's previous greatness. While tracks like the single "Guess Who's Back", "Remember That", "The Saga Begins", and "When I'm Flowin'" are all very good, the passable production makes you wonder how much better they'd be if Eric B. was present. This is even more obvious on "It's Been a Long Time", which with its lifeless production, makes the song sound very sluggish, something you could never see about any of the duo's previous work. The suave house mix is actually much better than the original. The tracks "Stay Awhile" and "Show Me Love" are both decent and continue the strong R&B influence from the Don't Sweat the Technique album. All told, while The 18th Letter is a decent listen, it isn't as memorable or essential as any of the Eric B. & Rakim albums. Rakim's next release, The Master, which would subsequently bomb on the charts, is actually a much better album.
November 5, 2005

A Prayer

Lord, please make somebody re-mix this album. Rakim's genius and flow are there, but the pseudo-old-school production isn't beef-squashing. Please, lord, make it beef-squashing. October 14, 2005

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