Amazon.com
Hip-hop has always been a puzzle, and the two-CD "platinum edition" of 1987's classic
Paid in Full reestablishes one of the genre's key pieces in proper context by combining the original 10-song tour de force with a companion collection of important remixes. From Eric B.'s Technics terrorism and sampling symphonies to Rakim's soulful, street-smart flow,
Paid in Full is landmark science, a Ph.D. effort building on the early theories of New York City legends like the
Sugarhill Gang and
Grandmaster Flash. By featuring 10 remixes--including Coldcut's "Seven Minutes of Madness" treatment of the title track and the Wild Bunch's "Move the Crowd"--
The Platinum Edition also highlights the duo's influence on DJ and club culture beyond the B-boy set.
--Mark Woodlief
URB
They can package and re-package it all they want, yet
Paid in Full remains undoubtedly one of hip-hop's greatest triumphs.... [T]his album makes for a remarkably compelling listen, whether it's your first or four-hundredth listen.