Editing Eric B. & Rakim (section)

==Career==

===Early years and ''Paid in Full''===
Eric Barrier was born and raised in the [[East Elmhurst, Queens]]. He played [[trumpet]] and [[drums]] throughout high school, and later switched to experimenting with [[Phonograph|turntables]] prior to graduation.  The newly dubbed "Eric B." soon began DJing for radio station WBLS in [[New York City]], including WBLS' promotional events around the city.  Barrier wound up meeting Alvin Toney, a promoter based in Queens. Eric B. had been looking for rappers and Toney recommended he use [[Freddie Foxxx]], a [[Long Island]] MC. Toney took Eric B. to Foxxx's home, but Foxxx was not there, so Toney suggested another option: William Griffin, a.k.a. Rakim.<ref name="allhiphop.com">{{cite web|author=Martin A. Berrios |url=http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviews/archive/2008/02/29/19357057.aspx |title=Class Of '88: Paid In Full |publisher=AllHipHop.com |date=February 29, 2008 |access-date=July 5, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://inverseculture.com/blogs/features/the-dopest-photo-in-hip-hop-the-paid-in-full-posse|title=The Dopest Photo In Hip-Hop: The Paid in Full Posse|work=Inverse Culture|access-date=July 29, 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729095043/https://inverseculture.com/blogs/features/the-dopest-photo-in-hip-hop-the-paid-in-full-posse|archive-date=July 29, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Eric B. featuring Rakim - Eric B. is President-My Melody (Zakia Records-1986) (Side A).jpg|right|thumb|Eric B. & Rakim began their critically acclaimed partnership in 1986 with the release of "Eric B. is President" / "My Melody".]]
Griffin had begun writing rhymes as a teenager in [[Wyandanch]] and had taken the name "Rakim" as a result of his conversion to [[Five-Percent Nation|The Nation of Gods and Earths]].  Eric B. borrowed records from Rakim's brother, Stevie Blass Griffin (who worked at a plant pressing bootleg albums) and began cutting them in the basement for Rakim, who was down there drinking a beer and relaxing. Said Eric B., "I took [[Fonda Rae]]'s "Over Like A Fat Rat" and said 'This is the bass line I'm going to use for this record.' Rakim spit the beer all over the wall and thought it was the funniest shit in the world. I told Rakim, just like you laughing now you going to be laughing all the way to the bank and be a millionaire one day because of this record."<ref name="allhiphop.com"/>

Eric B. & Rakim decided to record together and came under the tutelage of [[Marley Marl]]. Stories vary over who actually produced their first [[Single (music)|single]], 1986's "[[Eric B. Is President]]" (often cited as "Eric B ''For'' President" because of a mistake made when licensing the recording). Built on the Fonda Rea bass line sample, Eric B. later told AllHipHop, "I took the records to Marley Marl's house in [[Queensbridge Houses|Queensbridge]] and paid Marley Marl to be the engineer. Marley got paid. That's why he's not a producer; that's why he is not getting publishing. I brought the music. I just couldn't work the equipment because that's not what I did..."<ref name="allhiphop.com"/>

The duo recorded their debut album, ''[[Paid in Full (album)|Paid in Full]]'', at Power Play Studios in New York. The album was named in part after the Paid in Full posse, a notorious New York collective of gangsters and rappers: including the [[Kelvin Martin|original 50 Cent]], Killer Ben, [[Kool G Rap]] and [[Freddie Foxxx]]. The Paid in Full posse are featured on the back cover of the album. In 1987, [[4th & B'way Records]] issued the album. After the success of "Eric B. is President", the album climbed into the Top Ten on the [[United States|US]] ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] [[record chart|chart]].<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-b-rakim-mn0000799198/awards |title=Eric B. & Rakim - Awards |website=AllMusic |access-date=July 5, 2013}}</ref> Eric B. would later admit that the album was rushed. "The reason ''Paid In Full'' is so short is because we stood in the studio for damn-near a week. The whole album came together in a week. Listen to the lyrics on it and listen to how short they are. That's because Rakim wrote it right there and we'd been in the studio like for a whole forty-eight hours trying to get the album finished."<ref name="allhiphop.com"/> Rakim agrees: "[I] used to write my rhymes in the studio and go right into the booth and read them. When I hear my first album today I hear myself reading my rhymes - but I'm my worst critic. That's what I hear, though - because that's what it was. I'd go into the studio, put the beat down, write the song in like an hour, and go into the booth and read it from the paper..."<ref name="Halftimeonline.net">{{cite web |url=http://halftimeonline.net/portfolio/rakim/ |title=Rakim - Halftimeonline - Hip Hop Music & Culture |publisher=Halftimeonline |date=May 10, 2006 |access-date=July 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729100201/http://halftimeonline.net/portfolio/rakim/ |archive-date=July 29, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Marley Marl stated that his cousin [[MC Shan]] was an assistant engineer on some tracks, including the single "My Melody," though Eric B. denies this.<ref name="allhiphop.com"/> [[MTV]] listed the album as the greatest in hip hop history:
{{blockquote|text=When ''Paid in Full'' was released in 1987, Eric B. and Rakim left a mushroom cloud over the hip-hop community. The album was captivating, profound, innovative and instantly influential. MCs like Run-DMC, Chuck D and KRS-One had been leaping on the mic shouting with energy and irreverence, but Rakim took a methodical approach to his microphone fiending. He had a slow flow, and every line was blunt, mesmeric. And Eric B. had an ear for picking out loops and samples drenched with soul and turned out to be a trailblazer for producers in the coming years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2005/greatest_albums_0505/index11.jhtml |title=The Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time |publisher=MTV.com |date=March 9, 2006 |access-date=July 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719045814/http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2005/greatest_albums_0505/index11.jhtml |archive-date=July 19, 2013 }}</ref>
|author=[[MTV]]
|source="The Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time" (2006)}}
The record has sold over a million copies and the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) certified it [[RIAA certification|platinum]] in 1995.<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Eric%20B%22 |title=RIAA – Searchable Database: Eric B |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |access-date=October 31, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219203417/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Eric%20B%22 |archive-date=December 19, 2015 }}</ref>  On the heels of the album's incredible platinum success, the duo were the first rap act to sign a million dollar record deal as they entered into an agreement for three albums with [[MCA Records|MCA]].

===''Follow the Leader'' and ''Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em''===
''[[Follow the Leader (Eric B. & Rakim album)|Follow the Leader]]'', the duo's follow-up to ''Paid In Full''; saw their production move away from the blunt minimalism of their debut. The [[Follow the Leader (Eric B. & Rakim song)|title track]] and "[[Lyrics of Fury]]" were two of Rakim's most acclaimed lyrical performances. In 2003, comedian [[Chris Rock]] referred to Rakim's rhymes on the "...Fury" as 'lyrically, the best rapping anyone's ever done...' Rock also listed ''Follow the Leader'' as 12th on his ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' magazine's list of the Top 25 Hip Hop Albums of All-Time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://highfidelitywgtb.blogspot.com/2008/11/chris-rocks-top-25-hip-hop-albums.html |title=High Fidelity-WGTB: Chris Rock's Top 25 Hip Hop Albums |publisher=Highfidelitywgtb.blogspot.com |date=November 4, 2008 |access-date=July 5, 2013}}</ref> The album was another massive success for the duo and included the classic single & video “Microphone Fiend”. The video became a staple on the No. 1 rated show on Mtv, Yo Mtv Raps. 

In 1989, the pair teamed up with [[Jody Watley]] on her single "[[Friends (Jody Watley song)|Friends]]" from the album ''[[Larger than Life (Jody Watley album)|Larger Than Life]]''. The song would reach the Top Ten on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] chart and was one of the first notable collaborations between hip hop and dance pop. Eric B. & Rakim rarely collaborated with other rappers. This was evident in early 1990, when KRS-One's [[Stop the Violence Movement]] put together the charity single "[[Stop the Violence Movement|Self-Destruction]]". The song featured numerous notable rappers, but Rakim was noticeably absent from the proceedings. He told HalftimeOnline.net years later, "I don't think they hollered at me or they hollered at Eric B. and he didn't say anything to me. I was a little bitter with that shit because I felt I had something to do with bringing consciousness in hip hop to the table. I came out and did what I did in '86 and then you know people started running with it. Then when it comes time to do something they didn't holler at me so I was a little bitter. At the same time a lot of reasons I didn't do records with people is because I never wanted their light to reflect on me. I don't have a problem with it but everybody who knows at that time knows they were trying to say I was responsible for [[gangsta rap]], too. They thought I was that dude in the hood so maybe they didn't holler at me for a reason. I love Kris, though — he definitely contributed a lot to hip hop. I've been on tour with him and I know him as a person. He's a good dude. I like Kris, but they definitely didn't holler at me for that man because I would have definitely did it."<ref name="Halftimeonline.net"/>

Their 1990 album ''[[Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em]]'' was another successful gold album for the duo as they sold over 700,000 copies. Rakim referenced his enigmatic reputation on the song "Set 'Em Straight": "Here's the inside scoop on the fiend/They want to know why I'm seldom seen/'Cause who needs the TV screens and magazines/Or shooting through the city in fly limousines/'Cause one thing I don't need is a spotlight/'Cause I already got light..." He later said about his relative lack of commercial success: "You could sell a couple records and keep your integrity or you could go pop and sell a bunch of records and be gone tomorrow. I was trying to stick to my guns at that point."<ref name="Halftimeonline.net"/>

Mark Coleman of ''Rolling Stone'' stated: <blockquote>"There's nothing trendy about this impassive duo, no Steely Dan bites or bits of Afrodelic rhetoric here. Eric B. and Rakim are hip-hop formalists devoted to upholding the Seventies funk canon and advancing rap's original verbal mandate. Almost every track on their third album is built on poetic boasts and wicked J.B. samples, but dismissing ''Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em'' as some sort of conservative reaction – a gold-chain throwback – completely misses the point. Masters of their appointed tasks, rapper Rakim and Eric B. are also formal innovators. They both can riff and improvise like jazzmen, spinning endless variations on basic themes and playing off each other's moves with chilly intuition. The resulting music is as stark, complex and edgy as Rakim's stone-cold stare on the album cover."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/320480/review/5944628/lettherhythmhitem |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328130019/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/320480/review/5944628/lettherhythmhitem |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 28, 2009 |title=Rolling Stone Music {{pipe}} Album Reviews |magazine=Rollingstone.com |access-date=2013-07-05}}</ref> </blockquote> The album was one of the first to receive the honor of a 5 mic rating in ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]''. But, much like their debut album, there is controversy over the production credit.

===''Don't Sweat the Technique'' and split up===
The duo made an appearance on the [[House Party 2 (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] for the 1991 comedy ''[[House Party 2]]'', ("What's On Your Mind") and also recorded the theme for the film, ''[[Juice (1992 film)|Juice]]''. Both singles were included on what would become the duo's last album together. ''[[Don't Sweat the Technique]]'' was released in 1992. The album was not supposed to be the last; but their contract with MCA was due to expire. During the recording of the album, both members expressed an interest in recording solo albums. However, Eric B. refused to sign the label's release contract, fearful that Rakim would abandon him. This led to a court case involving the two musicians and their former label. The legal wrangling eventually led to the duo dissolving completely. Eric B. has clarified that the monetary problems stemmed from labels like [[Island Records|Island]] and others claiming ownership of the masters — not from any financial disputes between him and Rakim: <blockquote>"The money got split 50/50 from the door, because I remember people would try to keep shit going. When we first came out, people were saying 'Eric was getting all the money' and 'he was trying to shine more than Rakim,' but that's not true. [I] would go to all the interviews, [because] Rakim didn't want to go to the interviews. He didn't like that part of the business. [But] we split all the money from dime one. I don't care what money I spent in the past, that money is never coming back. Whatever money we made, we split 50/50. Even up until now, we split every dime 50/50."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/unions/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=26273313&union_id=11620 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730194839/http://www.gamespot.com/pages/unions/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=26273313&union_id=11620 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-30 |title=GameSpot Forums - Off the Books: Anything and Everything Hip-Hop - AHH Review: Class of '88 - Paid in Full |publisher=Gamespot.com |date=2008-03-05 |access-date=2013-07-05 }}</ref></blockquote>

===Post-breakup and legacy===
Eric B. released a self-titled solo album in 1995 on the independent label 95th Street Recordings. Legal issues continued to delay Rakim's solo career, but he finally released ''[[The 18th Letter]]'' in 1997.  In 1999, Rakim's second solo album ''[[The Master (Rakim album)|The Master]]'' was released to less favorable reviews. By the turn of the millennium, Eric B. was pursuing other business interests outside of music. Rakim signed with [[Dr. Dre]]'s [[Aftermath Entertainment|Aftermath]] label in 2000, but the expected album never materialized. Since then, Rakim has made guest appearances with numerous other artists such as [[Jay-Z]] ("The Watcher, Part 2"), [[Truth Hurts (singer)|Truth Hurts]] ("Addictive"), [[Nas]], [[KRS-One]] and [[Kanye West]] ("Classic"). In 2002, "Don't Sweat The Technique" appeared in the video game ''[[Aggressive Inline (video game)|Aggressive Inline]]''. In November 2009, Rakim released ''[[The Seventh Seal (Rakim album)|The Seventh Seal]]''.

Ownership of the duo's catalog consolidated in 1999, when [[PolyGram]] (which owned [[Island Records]], which released ''Paid in Full'') merged with [[Universal Music Group]], an outgrowth of [[MCA Records]], which owned the rest of the duo's albums.

Eric B. & Rakim were announced as one of fifteen finalists to the [[Rock & Roll Hall of Fame]] in September 2011 and are nominated for a second time in 2024.<ref name="Rockhall">{{cite web|url=http://rockhall.com/pressroom/announcements/2012-nominees/ |title=The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2012 Nominees for Induction. Eric B is represented by Louis Gregory, pka Uncle Louie, who is the CEO of ULMG |publisher=ULMG.org |date=September 27, 2011 |access-date=April 3, 2012}}</ref>

===Reunion===
On October 20, 2016, Eric B. announced via [[Twitter]] that he and Rakim reunited as a duo after 23 years and would tour in 2017. This was confirmed by Eric B's business representative [[Uncle Louie]] during an interview with ''Rolling Stone''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/eric-b-rakim-to-reunite-for-2017-tour-album-reissues-w446291|title=Eric B. & Rakim to Reunite for 2017 Tour, Album Reissues|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=October 22, 2016|access-date=October 23, 2016}}</ref>

The duo's first reunion concert was held at the [[Apollo Theater]] in New York City on July 7, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Watch Eric B. & Rakim Play First Show in Over 20 Years {{!}} Pitchfork|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-eric-b-and-rakim-play-first-show-in-over-20-years/|website=pitchfork.com|date=July 8, 2017|access-date=November 29, 2017|language=en}}</ref> In 2018, they announced a 17-date American tour for that spring.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eric B. & Rakim Announce Tour {{!}} Pitchfork|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/eric-b-and-rakim-announce-tour|website=pitchfork.com|date=March 6, 2018|access-date=March 6, 2018|language=en}}</ref>