Hear isolated vocals of Eric B & Rakim on ‘Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em’
(Credit: Eric B & Rakim)

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Hear isolated vocals of Eric B & Rakim on 'Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em'

If you are looking for the foundational stones of hip hop as we know it today then look no further than Eric B and Rakim, two of the rap genre’s undoubted legends. One song which helped to launch the duo into the atmosphere of a generation of rappers was ‘Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em’.

The titular song from the duo’s third album, released in 1990, the track has gone on to typify the duo’s output. While the track is a flurry of complex beats and bars, when we strip away the music, we get a more potent sense of Eric B and Rakim’s lyricism. Below, we are listening to the isolated vocals of Eric B & Rakim on ‘Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em’.

By the time the duo’s third album came around, Eric B and Rakim had a tried and tested formula. They were considered not only pioneers of the hip hop genre but had breached the mainstream and become undoubted legends in their field. Rugged and rough production would lay the foundations for the mid-90s boom of rap.

The somewhat dangerous single, the titular track and album opener, is a reminder of what made them true greats. Rakim spits five verses that are capable of melting your face off like Indiana Jones and the song is also notable for being one of only a handful of times that Rakim ever dropped the F-bomb.

The single would make up a large part of the album’s success as the enviable The Source magazine dropped a huge five out of five microphones on the release and confirmed Eric B and Rakim as heavyweight hip hop heroes.

Listen below to isolated vocals of Eric B and Rakim on ‘Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em’.