Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full

This debut album, basically a collection of early singles ("Eric B. Is President," "I Know You Got Soul," the title track), is the motherlode of late-'80s New York rap--assured, serious, and hugely influential. Rakim, a rapper's rapper, is the Chow Yun-Fat of hip-hop: cool as steel, absolutely calm, absolutely deadly. His verbal wit and rhythmic gift go hand-in-hand. He flows like a waterfall, playing around the beat, leaping from one ingenious phrase to another, letting the words do all the work. And Eric B.? He comes up with some straightforward but effective backing tracks (he favors James Brown grooves), scratches on a couple of block-rocking instrumentals, and makes room for the master to do his thing. --Douglas Wolk Amazon.com

Bow Down to the Greatest HipHop Album of alltime.........

This is one and only truly classic album by Eric B and Rakim that stands the test of time. Impeccable rhyming at its finest. Rakim's delivery was just unbelievable back in 86. No one had rapped like that up to that point. The music by Run DMC, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys was loud and rock influenced. Eric B's deep (Dennis Edwards) baseline on the song Paid in Full was a changing of guard. Ra's slowed down flow was next level. Fav's are the entire album. Nuff Said. May 9, 2007

It's THAT "Paid in Full"

I should't really have much to say about "Paid in Full" that hasn't been said by all the other reviewers. Along with Run-DMC's earliest albums, this is one of the records that would go on to revolutionize hip hop and the music industry at large. This allowed rap music to make the shift from single-driven rap albums to entire LPs, and from looping party music to intelligent, musical, and original products. And even though "Paid in Full" is one of the blueprints of hip hop music and sounds a little dated (this is from 20 years ago, after all!) it's amazing to hear how completely relevant it is. I can't even begin to think of how many times I've heard the bassline from the title track sampled. This is without a doubt the most sampled album in hip hop history, I think I've heard each of the ten tracks sampled at one time or another. But besides its influence, this album is still a joy to listen to. Rakim's monotone flow delivers punchlines up the wazoo and perfected the style of bragadacio rap. This album would earn him the title of one of the greatest rappers of all time, a title that he would hold for the rest of his life. Rakim's lyrics still sound ten times as fresh as 90% of today's rappers, and Eric B's bass and sample heavy grooves are still enough to make my head bob every time. James Brown was a favorite sampling subject, and he also introduced heavy horn instrumentation and vocal samples along with his hard drumbeats in many of the songs. Every song here is a classic and that's more than can be said of almost any other piece of music. "Paid in Full" is one of a select few rap albums that was completely revolutionary and is a must have for any hip hop collection.

The album begins with "I Ain't No Joke," a song where Rakim represents the duo and boasts of their talent as musicians, over a catchy saxophone-laced beat. The entertaining instrumental "Eric B Is on the Cut" follows, preceding the heavy and infamous "My Melody." The thumping drums and bass on this track are excellent, as are Rakim's legendary rap verses. "I Know You Got Soul" is upbeat and lyrically inventive. "Move the Crowd" is a product of excellent sampling of funky horn instrumentation and another great job by Rakim. The previously mentioned title cut is probably the most well-known instrumental on the album, having the phenomenal, oft-used bassline and fun lyrics. "As the Rhyme Goes On" follows, containing so many simple yet classic lines ("I'm the R, the A to the K-I-M / If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?"). "Chinese Arithmetic" is the most musically inventive, using an Asian instrumental along with the hard snare. The phenomenal "Eric B Is President" will forever be considered a masterpiece, and the closing instrumental "Extended Beat" is a nice touch.

"Paid in Full" is every bit the masterpiece that its legend would suggest, both musically and lyrically. It sounds like a cliche, but it is true that if it were not for "Paid in Full," hip hop would not sound quite the way it does today. I highly recommend that any fan of hip hop shell out ten bucks to own one of the most respected pieces of hip hop music ever. This is legendary for a reason, and is plain fun to listen to besides. January 6, 2007

Rakim is still nice

Well what can I say about Rakim that most of the people have not already written about. I first saw him in concert in 1986 at the Capital Center in DC and was amazed at how his flow was. No one had ever heard anything like it the place ws going crazy. Paid In Full is considered a Classic Hip Hop album by many Hip Hop fans including me. It is my favorite album of all time for a lot of reasons. For one it still sounds good today how many albums that come out now will sound good in 20 years none. Rakim can still rock a Mic as people saw at the Hip Hop Honors this year. I just hope Rakim's new album that is coming out sounds good as people are ready for this to drop. November 14, 2006

Say Goodbye To The Days Of Yes Y'allin' {5 Stars}

I grabbed a few copies of this when I was 11 and it's still as dope now as it was then. Wow, I can't believe that joint dropped 19 years ago.

A lot of people don't seem to understand what made Rakim such a special emcee. Think about most rap records and singles that came out before this album (before '87). Most of the joints being released were either basic party raps, showcase joints where emcees were biggin' up their DJ, or break beats for b-boys to get busy to. Many refer to this as the days of "yes y'allin". Well, after Paid In Full dropped, all that changed and the days of yes y'allin' were all but over and done with. Rakim made a lot of rappers go back to the lab and rethink their approach to the game. Want some examples? Just to name a few, check out Kool Moe Dee's first album and his Funke Funke Wisdom album. There's a distinct difference in his flow. Check out Run DMC.....the rhymes on their self titled debut are way different than the rhymes on the Down With The King LP. Kurtis Blow all but vanished because his flow wasn't up to par anymore. Even KRS One (who also debuted in '87 with his group Boogie Down Productions) became more lyrical on BDP's 2nd LP. There are a lot of things that changed when Rakim "came in the door...." (pun intended). He was one of the first to raise the bar and for that he will ALWAYS get love from and be respected by the true heads. If Rakim doesn't step on the scene, who knows, we might still be kickin' party raps to basic drum loops and guitar riffs. You may have never heard from cats like Nas, Canibus, Chino XL, Eminem, or any other seriously lyrical cats. He brought the LYRICS to the forefront when it was all about beats and partying. Now do you see why Rakim is so important? Sure, a lot of people do it now, so it may not seem like such a groundbreaking step nowadays, but being one of the first is something that you simply cannot take away from Rakim Allah. There's a reason why he's one of the most frequently quoted (or bitten depending on your view) rappers ever.

Flaws on the album are nil. Good luck finding any. The sound is a bit dated, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Anyone giving this 1 star doesn't know hip hop music when they hear it.

Paid In Full is one of those rare landmark hip hop albums. There aren't very many landmark albums in rap, so that's actually saying a whole lot. Some will tell you this isn't the best they've ever heard, but it's important to rap/hip hop culture for so many other immeasurable and intangible reasons outside of being the "best you've ever heard". If this album isn't in your collection, then I question how solid your foundation in this genre is. Go get it and quit kidding yourself. This is more than a collector's piece, this album should be a, if not THE, cornerstone in your hip hop collection. I have three copies in each format (LP, Cassette, and CD) just to ensure that this album stays with me until I'm gone. This is one of the albums I'm going to play for my grandkids when they start to get into rap music. It's THAT good. I highly recommend this one.

Standout Tracks: My Melody, Paid In Full, I Ain't No Joke, Move The Crowd, I Know You Got Soul, Extended Beat, and Eric B. Is President (My Favorite) July 27, 2006

A classic? Yes. Worthy? Certainly not.

I ve been listening to old school hip hop for years, trying to separate the bad from the good out of today's perspective and how much these records can be regarded as influential...well my opinion is that there are a hundred old school hip hop albums or 45s out there that are way more worth put your money in. Believe me, this album is mega overrated. Even the most memorable song I know you got Soul falls short compared to late 80s standards.

This classic album has grown old in a very bad way, which is a shame when you consider that even 1st generation classics generally end up sounding way better by today's standards.

I regret buying this for $7 on sale...do yourself a favor, listen to it before you make the same mistake I did... January 23, 2006

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