Customer Reviews

Paid in Full (Exp)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is how it's supposed to be done. The first hip-hop album that I can remember to have universal appeal. By that I mean the hip-hop universe. The Eric B for president beat seemed ubiquitous back in 87, 88 and I still couldn't get enough of it. Hip-hop was really starting to emerge and Eric B and Rakim had taken the vanguard ushering in a new style of hypnotically seductive beats laced with a smooth intricate rhyme style. A true classic.

This is one of the best hip hop CDs that I own. Eric B. & Rakim are one of the best DJ/MC duos of all time and this CD shows why. It starts off with the unbelievable "I Ain't No Joke", and from start to finish, it is unbelievable. For starters, on every track that Rakim raps on, he kills it. He is one of the best (if not the best)lyricists of all time. He showcases lyrics that not only have incredibly complex rhyme schemes, but also make sense to whatever he's saying (meaning he doesn't throw in words just to sound good, he does it because it fits with what he is saying. His flow is very hard to match on this CD. He has such a great flow that it all sounds natural to him, and it sounds so perfect when he says it. Now for te beats. Eric B. was on the top of his game on this CD. The three instumental tracks on the CD are all great, as Eric B. is one of the best to ever be on the turntables. He laces every beat so well and it compliments Rakim perfectly on every single track he raps on. Oh, and on the track "I Know You Got Soul", Eric B. becomes the first to sample another song when he samples James Brown. So we have a great and highly influential DJ, and a MC who made a lot of innovations to lyrics. It just makes me sad that rappers like Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, and others can say that Rakim is highly influential and important to them, and then make pathetic songs that are a disgrace to his legacy (not to mention how Lil Wayne now calls himself "The Greatest Rapper Alive" what a joke!). But anyways, this is a truly great album, and if you love old school hip hop, or just want a change of pace from the MTV hip hop that is polluting the airwaves, then check this out. Whether you are trying to start a collection, or making an addition to your music library, you cannot go wrong with this CD. Plus, it is $7.99, when Lil Wayne CDs are a lot more expensive, better music at a nice low price.

After years of dealing with the rap today we need to turn our attention directly to masterpiece albums like this one. In 2003 I just couldn't take anymore and if 03 wasn't enough then 05 and 06 is definitely going to do it for the rest of my generation except for the mindless ones. I went out and bought every album I could and I don't call it Old School I call it Real hip hop. Paid in Full is one of the best albums I have in my collection and I see why Nas loves Rakim. If you ask me it's in the top 5 greatest albums of all time. The production is perfect and it helps present the perfect blend of lyrics and beats that go hand and hand together. Rakim is nothing short of classic and neither is Eric B.. It's an album that anyone that considers themself a true hip hop head must have and anyone that is a collector of essential music should study it. If anyone has a top 5 greatest rappers of all time without Rakim then they can't honestly say they've heard Paid In Full.

Wow. I love this album. I am filing this one under Quality. This album is raw and experimental. The rhymes on here are ingenious and consistently creative. Paid in Full and I Know You Got Soul have to be two of my favorite songs ever. I don't want to be one of those old school whiners who complains how everything these days is crap and this is when it was done right, but upon listening to this I have to say that, wow, this is how it's done. And let me tell you, "the beat is fresh". Eric B. and Rakim were opening some innovative doors with this one. I have more to say but I got to get back to listening. Peace.

"My favourite rappers used to say 'check-check out My Melody'" -50 Cent from The Game's "Hate It Or Love It" (sorry for quoting him on this review).

Hearing rappers between 1993 and today, a lot of them quote Rakim or said that he was their influence. But after watching the "I Ain't No Joke" on BET one day, I immediately went and bought this album. Rakim's rhymes were a good distance ahead of their time. Listening to the long track "My Melody" would perfectly describe how his wordplay was. And what I like about this album is everything is so basic, no gimmics or anything compared to other albums I've heard. Another one of my favorites is the well known "Paid In Full" (I'd be here all day naming the artists that bit this song) as Rakim starts off the song "Thinking of a master plan/it ain't nothing but sweat inside my hand..."(and you know the rest...).

But Rakim isn't the only person who was involved in this classic. DJ Eric B. contibutes just as much as Rakim does. His cuts are outstanding. "Eric B. Is On The Cut" as well as the creative "Chineese Arithmetic" are dope as hell. Production is 80's flavor, so thats good. It might be odd for some people to think 10 tracks makes the album kind of short, but many albums from the 80's were about the same length.

This album is a classic to name. I'm pretty sure people were playing this album like crazy back in the day. Me and this album are roughly the same age, and having discover this here I see where many artists got their style from. If you're a new hip hop head, this is another one of those albums that belongs in your starter kit. Each album that this group made together is dope (I personally like "Follow The Leader" better than this one) and recommend that you check out all of them.

Lyrics: A+
Production: A+
Musical Vibes: A+
Overall: A+

Other Notable Tracks: All are good and are worth hearing.

Peace!

This is a "RE-MASTERED" version of Eric B & Rakim's classic debut album (with 2 bonus tracks). Although, with re-mastered superior sound quality, your best bet is to go for the "PAID IN FULL" (DELUXE EDITION).

I should't really have much to say about "Paid in Full" that hasn't been said by all the other reviewers. Along with Run-DMC's earliest albums, this is one of the records that would go on to revolutionize hip hop and the music industry at large. This allowed rap music to make the shift from single-driven rap albums to entire LPs, and from looping party music to intelligent, musical, and original products. And even though "Paid in Full" is one of the blueprints of hip hop music and sounds a little dated (this is from 20 years ago, after all!) it's amazing to hear how completely relevant it is. I can't even begin to think of how many times I've heard the bassline from the title track sampled. This is without a doubt the most sampled album in hip hop history, I think I've heard each of the ten tracks sampled at one time or another. But besides its influence, this album is still a joy to listen to. Rakim's monotone flow delivers punchlines up the wazoo and perfected the style of bragadacio rap. This album would earn him the title of one of the greatest rappers of all time, a title that he would hold for the rest of his life. Rakim's lyrics still sound ten times as fresh as 90% of today's rappers, and Eric B's bass and sample heavy grooves are still enough to make my head bob every time. James Brown was a favorite sampling subject, and he also introduced heavy horn instrumentation and vocal samples along with his hard drumbeats in many of the songs. Every song here is a classic and that's more than can be said of almost any other piece of music. "Paid in Full" is one of a select few rap albums that was completely revolutionary and is a must have for any hip hop collection.

The album begins with "I Ain't No Joke," a song where Rakim represents the duo and boasts of their talent as musicians, over a catchy saxophone-laced beat. The entertaining instrumental "Eric B Is on the Cut" follows, preceding the heavy and infamous "My Melody." The thumping drums and bass on this track are excellent, as are Rakim's legendary rap verses. "I Know You Got Soul" is upbeat and lyrically inventive. "Move the Crowd" is a product of excellent sampling of funky horn instrumentation and another great job by Rakim. The previously mentioned title cut is probably the most well-known instrumental on the album, having the phenomenal, oft-used bassline and fun lyrics. "As the Rhyme Goes On" follows, containing so many simple yet classic lines ("I'm the R, the A to the K-I-M / If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?"). "Chinese Arithmetic" is the most musically inventive, using an Asian instrumental along with the hard snare. The phenomenal "Eric B Is President" will forever be considered a masterpiece, and the closing instrumental "Extended Beat" is a nice touch.

"Paid in Full" is every bit the masterpiece that its legend would suggest, both musically and lyrically. It sounds like a cliche, but it is true that if it were not for "Paid in Full," hip hop would not sound quite the way it does today. I highly recommend that any fan of hip hop shell out ten bucks to own one of the most respected pieces of hip hop music ever. This is legendary for a reason, and is plain fun to listen to besides.

I grabbed a few copies of this when I was 11 and it's still as dope now as it was then. Wow, I can't believe that joint dropped 19 years ago.

A lot of people don't seem to understand what made Rakim such a special emcee. Think about most rap records and singles that came out before this album (before '87). Most of the joints being released were either basic party raps, showcase joints where emcees were biggin' up their DJ, or break beats for b-boys to get busy to. Many refer to this as the days of "yes y'allin". Well, after Paid In Full dropped, all that changed and the days of yes y'allin' were all but over and done with. Rakim made a lot of rappers go back to the lab and rethink their approach to the game. Want some examples? Just to name a few, check out Kool Moe Dee's first album and his Funke Funke Wisdom album. There's a distinct difference in his flow. Check out Run DMC.....the rhymes on their self titled debut are way different than the rhymes on the Down With The King LP. Kurtis Blow all but vanished because his flow wasn't up to par anymore. Even KRS One (who also debuted in '87 with his group Boogie Down Productions) became more lyrical on BDP's 2nd LP. There are a lot of things that changed when Rakim "came in the door...." (pun intended). He was one of the first to raise the bar and for that he will ALWAYS get love from and be respected by the true heads. If Rakim doesn't step on the scene, who knows, we might still be kickin' party raps to basic drum loops and guitar riffs. You may have never heard from cats like Nas, Canibus, Chino XL, Eminem, or any other seriously lyrical cats. He brought the LYRICS to the forefront when it was all about beats and partying. Now do you see why Rakim is so important? Sure, a lot of people do it now, so it may not seem like such a groundbreaking step nowadays, but being one of the first is something that you simply cannot take away from Rakim Allah. There's a reason why he's one of the most frequently quoted (or bitten depending on your view) rappers ever.

Flaws on the album are nill. Good luck finding any. The sound is a bit dated, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Paid In Full is one of those rare landmark hip hop albums. There aren't very many landmark albums in rap, so that's actually saying a whole lot. Some will tell you this isn't the best they've ever heard, but it's important to rap/hip hop culture for so many other immeasurable and intangible reasons outside of being the "best you've ever heard". If this album isn't in your collection, then I question how solid your foundation in this genre is. Go get it and quit kidding yourself. This is more than a collector's piece, this album should be a, if not THE, cornerstone in your hip hop collection. Hell, I have three copies in each format (LP, Cassette, and CD) just to ensure that this album stays with me until I'm gone. This is one of the albums I'm going to play for my grandkids when they start to get into rap music. It's THAT good. I highly recommend this one.

Standout Tracks: My Melody, Paid In Full, I Ain't No Joke, Move The Crowd, I Know You Got Soul, Extended Beat, and Eric B. Is President (My Favorite)

Why do people write reviews about things which they obviously cannot comprehend? To paraphrase another customer review, "this album came out a year after Run DMC's debut album." That's odd, since this album came out in 1987, and Run DMC released the first single from their album in 1983, which, if you do the math is....wow, four years, not one! If people feel the urge to write a record review, at least they should incorporate factual pieces of evidence, not fabricated bits of nonsense. I don't usually take the time to write record reviews, because in reality, who cares what other people think about certain music; if you enjoy listening to it, then listen to it. If you don't like it, then who cares if fourteen hundred misinformed simpletons raved about it. It's usually if someone likes an album that they will take the time to laud it, as they usually do, and it's not indicative of worth.
Another thing that I've found to be odd, is when people say that good music sounds dated. I've listened to this album countless times, and there is no suubstitute for innovation and versatility. Rakim recorded some of the best MCing that I've ever heard, and his influence can almost be considered ubiquitous. His lucidity is striking, and a good indication of why he did not need overproduced backing beats, as so many rappers today do. An intense lack of poetic flow is hard to cover up, despite how many half-nude women are in your videos and how elaborate the music may sound. Eric B. and Rakim made a great, great album that is not phased by time.

This is one and only truly classic album by Eric B and Rakim that stands the test of time. Impeccable rhyming at its finest. Rakim's delivery was just unbelievable back in 86. No one had rapped like that up to that point. The music by Run DMC, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys was loud and rock influenced. Eric B's deep (Dennis Edwards) baseline on the song Paid in Full was a changing of guard. Ra's slowed down flow was next level. Fav's are the entire album. Nuff Said.