‘Eric B is President’: The song Eric B says everyone has misunderstood
Eric B is best known as one half of Eric B and Rakim. Together, they crafted the two hit projects, Don’t Sweat the Technique and Paid in Full, and the pair lit up the streets of New York in the 1980s and ’90s, changing the direction of hip-hop forever.
Often regarded as the crown jewels of the golden generation, the group wouldn’t last long but their mark on hip-hop will be burned on the genre forever. If some duos rely on one half more than the other, Eric B and Rakim is certainly the most balanced act in hip hop history.
Following the release of Paid in Full, in an interview with Revolt TV, Eric reflected on their sharp rise and the cultural impact of their work, noting: “To ride through Harlem and hear it in the streets of Harlem [and] ride through Brooklyn, it’s playing in the streets of Brooklyn.”
He continued: “It was just the backdrop of the late 80s into the early 90s. For us, we never took the time to sit back and watch our work. These people were just our friends, and enjoyed the great music that we made. And we appreciated it.”
Still, there was always one thing which irked Eric, in relation to the track which bears his name: ‘Eric B Is President’, noting, “Everybody messes up the [name of the] record. The name of the record is ‘Eric B. is President.’ And everybody’s like, ‘Eric B. for President.’ Oh, you still can’t understand a Black man being president, huh?” Eric B. asked, through a chuckle.
He elaborated: “But that was the name of the record. Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, ‘Eric B. for President.” I used to tell people, ‘What record is that?’ I say, ‘I don’t know what record that is.’”
Eric’s perspective is understandable here. It is, of course, jarring to hear the title of the work that you have put years of your life into making, casually mis-titled. But also, speaks to the larger societal issues which are still prevalent.
His comments on people not being able to comprehend the possibility of a Black president may have been made in jest (given the later election of Barack Obama for not one, but two terms), but they do hold a lot of power. From his perspective, people not getting the song title right speaks to a large portion of the population treating art created by Black people, and by extension, Black people themselves, with disrespect.
The universality of the music may not have been a great boost for garnering respect either. Rakim’s injection of flow, whilst innovative in the world of hip hop at the time, also meant the music garnered a lot of interest from the nefarious underbelly of the New York crime.
Perhaps, it was that association with unseemly activities have tainted the work of two individuals who can stake a valid claim to changing the course of hip-hop history. However, it is still unacceptable to continually disrespect the work of those who, by their own words, enjoy making great music for their friends.