Top 5: Rakim’s favourite rappers of all time
(Credit: Eric B & Rakim)

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Top 5: Rakim's favourite rappers of all time

Rakim is a demigod in the hip-hop universe, and his work with Eric B inspired countless artists. He helped make the genre’s golden age possible, and unsurprisingly, the New Yorker’s taste in music is equally sublime.

The debut album by the duo, which was released in 1987, Paid In Full, was more palatable than anything before and helped bring rap music to a whole new audience. He’s arguably the most vital MC of his generation, and Rakim single-handedly changed how people approached writing hip-hop lyrics.

His unique style would set a new precedent for rappers, and suddenly after the release of their LP, all over the East Coast, every kid growing up tried to imitate Rakim. While he hasn’t released new material in over a decade, the impact of his early work with Eric B changed the course of history and it still stands up all these years later.

The old-school era continues to be important to Rakim and is prevalent in his list. However, he also includes some artists raised on his records that he’s since grown to admire. 

Opening up about his top five, Rakim said, “Gotta start from the beginning cause without them I would not be who I am. That’s Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Caz.. That’s old school. And then you got Eminem, one of my favourite MCs, Jay Z another my favourite and few more cats. And one of the most underrated MCs is Black Thought.”

Specifically elaborating on his respect for Jay, Rakim told DX last year, “If he’s living life by those lyrics, he’s probably doing it better than anyone out there and it’s a blessing to hear accolades and a blessing to give them back. 

“Elevation and expansion have always been at the core of hip-hop, the core to any art form and a blueprint for personal growth, so understand that our history and universal consciousness is the foundation that born you, but build your own castle on top of it.”

Meanwhile, Eminem recently revealed that he doesn’t believe he can be classed as an innovator of the genre in the same way as Rakim, which confirms that respect is mutual between the pair.

“Rap has gone through transitions, it’s evolved, now people are doing things with flows that I never could have seen happening,” Slim explained. “But rappers from [Rakim’s] era meant so much to that era, just because there were so many innovators.”

Take a trip down memory lane with Eric B & Rakim below.

Rakim’s favourite rappers:

  • Melle Mel
  • Kool Moe Dee
  • Grandmaster Caz
  • Eminem
  • Jay-Z