Reviews
Eric B & Rakim
Paid In Full
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Add to del.ico.us.Review Date: 2005-10-17
I had heard of these guys before but couldn't really remember anything that they did. So when Dan sent them to me claiming they are old school hip hop and its something that I might like then I always think that I could be onto something. After hearing the album I do agree that Rakim has sicke lyrics, everyone on the Internet claims he has the sweetest lyrics, I'm hear to let you know its not just another one of those annoying rumours. The sound quality of this album is probably eons above the original, but that wouldn't change how the album sounded that much would it? I hope not. This album is pretty good, I definitely enjoy it, I mean I do listen to a fair bit of hip hop and as such think that I know good hip hop when I see it these days. Eric B and Rakim are obviously retro for all purposes of a theme, they orginated back in the eighties, I have no idea when. The timeline I've pieced together on the Internet is sketchy, so I'll just say that they have been around for a while, however the album I'm reviewing I'm pretty sure came out in the eighties originally. I suppose it works since its supposed to be their best album from the collection they have put together over the years. I would compare them to guys like LL Cool J or Big Daddy Kane, both have distinctive mic skills that stand apart from their beats, thats kinda how I would categorize Eric B and Rakim.
The first song on this CD is called "I Ain't No Joke". The beat is an old school one for sure, which is a promising start to an album that I would like to sound similar to stuff from the retro hip hop era. Eighties hip hop has a distinct sound and it is something that I like to listen to, I think that the message of eighties hip hop is simple to me, it wasn't really ever about killing people are anything too controversial. In this song Rakim has some sicke rhymes, his lyrics are supposed to be legendary, almost everyone has given him props on his vocals at every site that I visited so this must be a truth. The beat of this song is the part that I like the most, near the end they manufacture some scratches that are pretty hilarious, you always have to appreciate when they throw a bunch of unnecessary scratches into a mix when it is totally uncalled for an has nothing to do with anything. "I Ain't No Joke" is a good way to start off this album for a first time Eric B and Rakim listener, it gives you a good vibe to start off listening to them with.
The second song on the CD is called "Eric B Is On The Cut". This song is unique to me because there is absolutely no singing, hell they didn't even mix or sample in any singing into this track. I think that if you look at the song title you will see why, it would appear as if Eric B is the one that is mixing this particular track. In the song he does add in a fair bit from a drumkit and a scratch here or there. But all in all I think that it isn't that bad of a listen, it runs at about three and a half minutes so if you don't like instrumental tracks or just songs without singing I guess I should referrence this one as since the instruments they use are all a mix that has nothing to do with instrument use. That was a confusing read so hopefully you just know what I am trying to insinuate, I like what Eric B has done with this track, from what I can tell he is the one that does most of the mixing and Rakim is the one that does most of the rapping for the group. I suppose its a fair trade off, each does their part on the rap fronts and the mixing front too, so this is just one song that is pure done by Eric B, it isn't as good as the songs that contain rapping from Rakim and himself but thats because hip hop doesn't really lend itself to instrumental versions of itself as well as songs that contain actual instruments with the ability to show more variety.
The sixth song on the CD is "Paid In Full", so as you can imagine the title track is one that won't disappoint. The beginning of it is a sketch about how they need to organise the song that they are about to sing, that way they can make all of their money (paid in full). The beat is bad ass, it is kind of dark, it reminds me a bit of a beat that you might have heard Tupac mix before his unfortunate demise. This is one of the songs that both Eric B and Rakim are featured on, which is rare because throughout some of the earlier ones it would seem it would be either one or the other that was singing. This song brings the kind of hype that I would get with "Gangstah Party" with Snoop Dogg and Tupac, that song was wicked, this is the type of song that I could develop a similar like of. I like that the beat has a bit of a groove feel to it, it is probably part of what makes it more catchy to me. They throw a solo in for scratches at about the two minute and fifteen second mark, this scratch solo is almost funny to me, but in actual fact is quite good after a few listens. The entirety of the solo goes til the end of the song, so it closes it out, and its neat to see this solo in a hip hop album because its not often that the genre has solos.
One of the remixes that is featured on the album is another take on the song "As The Rhyme Goes On", this remix is the eleventh track. To be honest I've heard both this version and the original which is the seventh song on the disc and I think that I prefer the remix. Its not often that I do prefer the remix over the original but sometimes things that are crazy happen and pigs fly and then all of a sudden I don't like the original as much anymore. The point is that this song is wicked, it isn't my favourite but it was close, I would say that "Paid In Full" is the only song that I like more than this one. The prescence of a drum kit is in the beat a lot more in this song than in the previous ones, so I would say that is mainly due to the remixing of the song by Radio Miami. I used to hear radio edits of songs on Z-Rock when I was younger but I took them for granted because I had no idea what they were at the time, if I was to hear them in the future I would pay close attention to whether I liked it because I would at least know which radio station to try and download the edit from.
The last song that I am going to talk about on this album is "Chinese Arithmetic" which is the eighth song on the disc. This song is unique to the album because it is outfitted with all sorts of samples and sounds that make it sound like it is coming straight out of the Orient. I like the song also because it doesn't have any lyrics in it, so again its a song that is of the hip hop instrumental variety. This song reminds me of The Go! Team, which is weird because they are most certainly not the same sort of music. I for one have enjoyed the hip hop style of Eric B and Rakim, both of them can rap which is good and as a bonus the beats that they have are something that aren't dry and overused by the rest of the world. In any case Rakim has some sweet lyrics and Eric B can make lay a mix or two that is worth hearing. Most people that are into hip hop of any variety will like this CD, but anyone that is really into the old school hip hop will want to run out and buy it.
Do Eric B and Rakim's "Paid In Full" album live up the the hype?
I like this album, others I could see as not finding it as fun as myself. I am someone that likes old school hip hop though, the sound that is has and the message it sends is just all the better than the hip hop that I find in this day and age. This is an album that I think I would buy if I happened to find it used and cheap.
How influential is this album?
I can see that this kind of album as one that could have helped influence an artist or too, but none come to mind, however I do know that I have seen Eric B and Rakim guesting on tons songs which could only mean that they are invited to be on the song because of their past performances that that artist likes.
Should you buy this album?
If you are into old school hip hop of any capacity then this is an album that you will fall in love with, if not for the beats alone then perhaps for the sicke lyrics that you can find on the tracks throughout it.
- Brandon