Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is on the Cut

According to Steve Huey of Allmusic, "It is one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time".[3] According to Vibe magazine: "[When Rakim] took to the mike in 1987, and served up Paid in Full with DJ Eric B., he set hip hop's new course. [Rakim was] a street-wise mystic with eminently clear and dexterous rhymes that sounded like they might never end." Furthermore, Eric B.'s innovative distillation of a James Brown sample in "I Know You Got Soul" introduced the godfather period that featured the extensive sampling of R&B and soul music as instrumentals for hip hop songs. "Eric B. Is President", the first single off the album, was somewhat revolutionary at the time of its release in that it showcased a different style of emceeing that would soon be adapted by numerous MCs of the past and present. While not a genre-creator in its own right, the album introduced new conventions that redefined hip hop music while the genre was still in its infancy. The album was ranked #19 in Rolling Stone's "50 Coolest Records", was included in Vibe magazine's "100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century", and was ranked as the greatest hip hop album of all time by MTV.[4] In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source magazine's "100 Best Rap Albums". In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 227 in "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[5] Steve Huey of Allmusic said that "Rakim basically invents modern lyrical technique over the course of Paid in Full with his complex internal rhymes, literate imagery, velvet-smooth flow, and unpredictable, off-the-beat rhythms."[3] Before Paid in Full, most hip hop records consisted of stereotypical plain beats with little or no focus on the lyrics, since most were to assist beats meant for clubs. In 1987, many albums were released that were vital for the revolution that hip-hop faced and continued with through until around the end of the decade. Rakim and Eric B. are possibly at the top of the list for the most important and ...