The 18th Letter [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

Rakim

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 4, 1997)
• Original Release Date: November 4, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Umvd Labels
• ASIN: B000005B0R
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #118,856 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Up in hip-hop heaven, once Lateef and Lyrics Born got finished kicking Puff Daddy's ass, they'd send him to Rakim's cloud, where Rakim would have him write, "I am very sorry for impersonating a rapper" 1 billion times on the chalkboard. In a rap scene where it's hard enough to stick around and nearly impossible to come back, hip-hop's most legendary MC has returned 11 years after his brilliant debut (and five years since he split from partner Eric B.). Amazingly, he's lost none of his skill and even gained wisdom with maturity. Even more amazing, 1997's The 18th Letter looks like a measured commercial success. The deluxe, double-CD version contains a retrospective of Rakim's career; also worth checking out is the reissue of Eric B. & Rakim's seminal Paid in Full. --Roni Sarig

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Universal Lyrical God, August 9, 2004

By	Drenco Dame "kc" (Nigeria) - See all my reviews

Aiyo, Rakim is the greatest rapper of all time, and best believe his rhymes penetrate the mind, his accurate word manipulation is superb/plus he has the capability to kill the mic with a verb/ his word is bond, so when he drops its always the bomb/ my first dope rhyme was inspired by the "R"/ he took me to a far elevated height/ he's raw, rough,cool, his knowledge is the light/ all y'all critics aint actually felt this man/ cos if ya really feelin him then you know he's the man/ ra should keep droppin those deep phrases/it makes us to get down and think before we make hits/

Thats my word for Rakim Allah.
The Universal Lyrical God.
Peace.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Its The R, January 30, 2008

By	Nuisance "the rebel" (Miami) - See all my reviews

Rakim breaking up with Eric B might have been sad for some people to take but this album is far from weak. This album falls short of a classic but it's still a lot better than the tepid release that follows(The Master). How can you listen to tracks like The 18th Letter, It's Been A Long Time and Guess Who's Back and say that that's not vintage Rakim? So what Eric B is not producing a track. DJ Premier laces him with heat that he delivers on(It's Been A Long Time and New York). Pete Rock laces Rakim Allah with some dope beats on The Saga Begins and When I'm Flowin. Even the ever so underrated southern producer T-Mix hooks Rakim up with a tight beat on Its Been A Long Time(Suave House Mix). Rakim gets nostalgic on Remember That. New York(Ya Out There)is Rakim's anthem for NYC. Rakim still finds time to deliver a gem in the form of The Mystery(Who Is God?).
The only two songs that are skippable is Stay A While and Show Me Love. These two tracks are chick records that should have never been attempted. Bottom Line: The 18th Letter is the last great release that Rakim has given you. Even without Eric B, Rakim proved with this album that he can make a great album without him. The production was on point and so was Rakim's rhymes. So what's the fuss about? Exactly. Nostalgia strikes again! Standouts: THE 18TH LETTER, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME(original and Suave House records version), THE SAGA BEGINS, GUESS WHO'S BACK, THE MYSTERY(WHO IS GOD?) and WHEN I'M FLOWIN.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All In All, its good, August 19, 2004

A Kid's Review

My friend who hates rap gave this Cd to me. He was going to torch it but he remembered that I like rap, so he saved them for me. This was the first of four Cds I listened to because I was familiar with Rakim. I thought it was a good CD. I mean theres a few I don't really care for such as It's Been A Long Time. That songs OK, but its not the best. I also don't prefer the skits and this album is full of them. I just ignore those and listen to the songs. But Rakim is a great MC. So if your looking for a good rap CD, go ahead and pick it up. Youll like it. Again, not a perfect CD but it should hold ya for a while.