Customer Reviews

Paid In Full

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Eric B & Rakim's debut album Paid In Full has stood the test of time as one of the best hip-hop albums ever released. Even though their third album Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em is more consistent, few hip-hop albums, if any, have boasted as many classic tracks as Paid In Full. Rakim reinvented rap with his creative rhymes and smooth delivery while Eric B. remains one of the best ever at the turntable. This album has also been sampled by several rappers and musicians over the years, most notably Eminem and Limp Bizkit.

Paid In Full plays almost like a greatest hits album as many of the tracks are now hip-hop standards. "I Know You Got Soul" is one of their best tracks, so revered in fact that even Rolling Stone recognized it as one of the top 500 songs of all time. "Eric B. For President" is also one of their most memorable tracks particularly because of its "Make 'em clap to this" hook. "I Ain't No Joke" with its snappy horn lines, Eric B.'s stellar turntable work, and Rakim's rapid-fire lyrics is also very strong. The tracks "My Melody" and "Move The Crowd" are killer, featuring memorable backing tracks and Rakim's laid-back delivery which is so impressive that it seems almost effortless. "As The Rhyme Goes On" is slow and menacing as Rakim raps over a very deep bass line. Eric B. gets to showcase his skills on the instrumentals "Eric B. Is On The Cut" and "Chinese Arithmetic" although the latter gets too repetitive after a while. The last track "Extended Beat" is basically just the backing track for "Move The Crowd." Last but not certainly not least is "Paid In Full", one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever recorded that's been sampled by so many artists for its memorable bass line and percussion. A classic hip-hop album that should be owned by all fans of the genre. Highly recommended.

In 1987 Eric B (Eric Barrier,DJ) & Rakim (William Griffin ,Lyricist) dropped there debut album "Paid in Full" an album that today is considered a hiphop classic by many. This reviewer was six years old when it came out, so I cant really say how it was then, because I did not come across it till last year, while reading a thread on a hiphop board, recommending it as one of the most important hiphop releases of all time. It raised some controversy at that time by sampling music from the likes of artists like James Brown (starting a tradition of sampling brown a recent example would be Nas- Get Down). First track on this album is "I aint no Joke", first thing that came to my attention when listening to this was Rakims crazy flow, and delivery, it really grabs the listners attention, and Rakim comes across raw on this, Eric B's scraching and beat is nice too. The next track "Eric B. is on the Cut" follows and showcases more of Eric Bs skills. The long "My Melody" follows and has Rakim tearing into fake mcs. "I know you Got Soul" flows smoothly, Eric B's turntable skills and Rakims lyrics, kept this listner nodding for all six minutes, followed up by the mellowed out "Move the Crowd". Albums title track "Paid in Full" comes next, right now this is my favourite track love the beats to it, and Rakims simple yet addictive lyrics and flow on a thugged out track about getting money. "Chinese Arithmetic" is an oriental sounding (if theres such a description) track of pure scratching, not huge into this track, but I like the variety it brings, and it seems original as I have never heard anything like it. "Eric B. Is President" is the albums last track with Rakim on it, and has Rakim talking about the game and dropping the chorus "Make em clap to this". Album finishes with the instrumental "Extended Beat". I noticed a few things while listening to this, alot of Rakim's lyrics I have heard from other artists over the years, and every track ends with extended instrumentals. I like this, nowadays you have some Rappers who stay on an instrumental to the very end, dropping to many lines (this leads to people buying pure instrumental albums), Rakim keeps his lyrics short, and memorable and you get to enjoy Eric B's scrachting and beats. Another thing I have heard about this album is that it was before its time, innovative in Eric B's blend of Jazz sampling, and Rakims smooth delivery. For people to be remembering "Paid in Full" sixteen years later is another indication of how ill it is, I recommend it for anyone who loves oldschool and classic hiphop.

Before this album dropped, Hip Hop and fat shoe laces were in fashion and each stood as good a chance as the other to remain in vogue. Some talented acts like Run- DMC, the Fat Boys, Whodini and Kurtis Blow kept Hip Hop on the radar scope but rap as a staple genre was nowhere near being a fixture in our culure. And then we heard Rakim, Hip-Hop's first true artist. His flow was in fact, just like the waters of the Nile: cool, deep, and flowing north against the grain of every MC out there at the time and most since. Rakim's flow seemed somehow ahead of its time yet familiar, as if he'd always been there, from the ancient Pyramids to suede Pumas, all the while whistling his melody. This album cemented hip hop in our culture and Rakim still remains the standard by which all great MCs are measured. That makes Paid in Full arguably the greatest hip hop album and one of the most important albums of all time.

All the way through this is a hip hop masterpiece beatwise and lyrically. Rakim is one of most talented MC's ever and Eric B is one of the most talented DJ's or producers if you put em together what you get: a classic album. Back in 1987 when this was released was the start of a golden age. The standout tracks on thisCD are "I ain't no Joke" "I Know You Got Soul" and "My Melody" also there is some with just Eric B doing beats which are dope "Chinese Arithmetic" "Extended Beat" and "Eric B is on the Cut"

All the CD is dope and buy if you are a hip hop fan

I still listen to songs like I Know You Got Soul, Paid In Full, As the Rhyme Goes On, Check out My Melody and others from this classic rap album. Rakim just tears it up on his lyrics, which are intelligent, and done in a cool way. His rhymes are perfect, his cadences all on point, his flows are dynamic on every song. Eric B samples a lot of familiar James Brown hits, where the songs he selected match well with Rakim's rhyme style, tone, flow and approach. Almost every rapper today, from Jadakiss to Jay-Z to Nas to Snoop, T.I., the Atlanta rappers, the West Coast artists, Houston and everywhere has listed this album as an influence and a favorite. It wins on all fronts and did well on the rap and R&B album charts in 1987 and 1988. They even gave top competitor Run-D.M.C. some stiff competition too with their rapper/DJ concept.

If I could give it more stars I would. This was CD missing in my Hip Hop collection. When I received it, I tore the wrapping off and put in the computer. "Paid In Full" takes me back to growing up in the 80's. where ever you were, you would stop when you heard "I Know You Got Soul." Many of today's rappers sample the style of Rakim. When Hip Hop was still a "Fad", Eric B & Rakim were laying down the foundation that is still seen today. This is needed in your collection!

One of rap's most influential acts during the 1980s, Eric B. & Rakim, made the sampling of James Brown records the main source for hip-hop's sound during the late '80s and early '90s, beginning with their stellar debut, Paid in Full. While Eric B. dazzled listeners with his turntable techniques, Rakim pointed the way toward the easy rollin' style of the '90s with his laid-back raps, though forceful in content.

Although Eric B was a fantastic turntablist (with 3 of his own instrumental cuts), his skills were secondary to Rakim's lyrical prowess on this album. Rakim's topics could have been more lyrically diverse, however his concentration was on displaying his skills, "movin' the crowd" and his own witty lyricism and phrases. There is however, one of my favourite songs on this album, the title track "Paid In Full" which focuses on one of hip hop's primary objectives, to get paid and stay paid. He manages to address all this in one hard hitting verse, "I start my mission, leave my residence/ Thinkin' how could I get some dead presidents". Rakim thanks his DJ, Eric B on the lyrically and productively diverse "Eric B is President".

Despite every song on this album being a classic, my favourite is "I Ain't No Joke", it's minimal beat, and hard hitting lyrics directed towards weak/fake MC's is hip hop at its best. I have had this album for about a year now, after hearing "Eric B is President" and it never goes much longer than a couple days without a place in my CD player. Paid In Full demonstrates the importance the importance of acquiring money without diluting one's art, which this duo continue to do on their sophomore album "Follow The Leader".

Like BDP's Criminal Minded, Run DMC's Raising Hell and Big Daddy Kane's Long Live the Kane, Paid in Full forecasted hip-hop's Golden Age. Eric B.'s influential James Brown samples on such breakthrough tracks such as Eric B. is President and I Know You Got Soul (one of their best tracks, period) were surprisingly funky- a departure from the hard, rock beats of LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and Run DMC.

Paid in Full was marked by hip-hop's most influential artist, Rakim Allah. Suddenly, rappers were suppose to rap more than just Adidas shoes, Kangols and gold chains. His low-key but fiery arsenal was one of the first to exploit Five Percent Nation philosophies and important rhymes that seemed more poetic than the street. I Ain't No Joke, the album's mark for success, signaled the end of hip-hop's old school regime- "Write a rhyme in graffiti in every show you see me in/Deep concentration, 'coz I ain't no comedian". MCing would never be the same again.

Favorites= I Ain't No Joke, I Know You Got Soul, Paid in Full and Eric B. is President

To keep it short, this album represents what hip hop is supposed to be. Every song is a classic. The lyrics, the production & the feeling is all there. This is before rap got watered down and commercial. This was during the fun times of bragging and boasting and simply showing true skills on the mic - "battling on wax" as it goes. Eric B. wasn't the greatest scratcher but the fun and feel is there which makes up for it. If you are a rap head then you own this album. This is one of those albums I'd be happy to send into outer space for the aliens to discover what rap is on planet earth.

Well what can I say about Rakim that most of the people have not already written about. I first saw him in concert in 1986 at the Capital Center in DC and was amazed at how his flow was. No one had ever heard anything like it the place ws going crazy. Paid In Full is considered a Classic Hip Hop album by many Hip Hop fans including me. It is my favorite album of all time for a lot of reasons. For one it still sounds good today how many albums that come out now will sound good in 20 years none. Rakim can still rock a Mic as people saw at the Hip Hop Honors this year. I just hope Rakim's new album that is coming out sounds good as people are ready for this to drop.