"Paid in Full" was one of the biggest songs ever for Eric B. and Rakim. It came on their first studio album, and definitely was something new to the New York rap scene.
Understand, at this time, the majority of the rap world could be found within 100 square miles. The New York metro area was basically it. The Beastie Boys hadn't yet decamped to LA to record Paul's Boutique, and NWA was at least a year away from turning rap on it's ear. Ice-T was big with "6 in the morning" but it wasn't anywhere near as universal as the stuff still coming out of New York. Basically, it was the 5 Boroughs and Long Island, with Philly thrown in as well. At this time, Eric B. decided he needed an MC if he was going to be big. The story goes that he was taken by a friend to one rapper's house, but the guy wasn't home. So they went to Rakim's house, and that was that.
Rakim tackled rapping with a methodical means. He wrote all his lyrics, and read them off the paper. Meanwhile, with a booming voice and a slow flow, he captures your attention in a way the normal yelling wouldn't. The dramatic difference between Chuck D and Rakim (both of whom are very political in their rhymes) is fantastic. Both are heavy-weights in rap, but I think Rakim is the better MC. His cock-sure rhymes put me in the mood of a beat poet. He definitely wasn't the first with the slow flow (I'd say that was more Slick Rick), but he was the best. Considering all the people the man influenced, you could say that he was one of the most influential people in the history of Rap. I mean, Tupac, Biggie, Snoop and Nas credit him as being an influence. Snoop even covered this song in the movie "Old School."
With "Paid in Full" the song starts with a typical hip-hop beat of drums and cymbals. Then strangely, the bass and a flute come in. There aren't many instances when a flute is used in rap music, and this may have been one of the first. Eric B. then starts asking Rakim questions, basically giving a shout-out to their team. (Management, Agent and Record Company all are mentioned.) Then Rakim goes into his flow:
"Thinkin of a master plan/cuz ain't nothin but sweat inside my hand/so I dig into my pocket all my money is spent/so I dig deeper but still comin up with lint"
That's a pretty good opening right there. Everyone's been there previously, when you just don't have any money. The rap goes on to discuss how he can make money and the options he has. He used to rob people, but he doesn't feel right doing that any more. So he decides that he and Eric B. are going to make music so he can get paid without doing something illegal. (Funnily, he says he just wants to record and eat fish, which is his favorite dish.) The beat keeps going while Eric B. jumps back in to tell Rakim they need to visit their girlfriends because his girl is mad that they took too long to make the album. This is probably meant as an inside joke, since it only took a week to record the entire album.
This song is 3 minutes and 49 seconds, but the rapping makes up maybe half of the song. However, it's still very influential to the history of the genre. Rakim usually rapped about how great his rhymes were, or his religion (Islam), so he didn't get into the whole gangster rap idea. This album has been rated as one of the 500 best albums of all time. It's certainly one that will give you an appreciation for the work put into it. Eric B. had a great ear for beats and especially what would go well with Rakim's flow. Shortly after this album came out, NWA dropped "Straight Outta Compton" and the Rap scene changed forever. What would rap sound like now if it was Eric B. and Rakim that made the huge splash that NWA did? It's an interesting thought. Personally I think it was a media hype that made the difference. Why listen to a sweet flow when you can be completely horrified by gangster images. Still, "Paid in Full" is a great song, and one you should listen to. Listen to it as an artifact of what could have been in the rap world, and then listen to it because it's a great song.
No comments:
Post a Comment