Rakim

Rapper

Rakim was born in Wyandanch, Babylon, Suffolk County, New York, United States on January 28th, 1968 and is the Rapper. At the age of 56, Rakim biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, songs, and networth are available.

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Other Names / Nick Names
William Michael Griffin Jr., The God MC, Kid Wizard, Rakim Allah, The R
Date of Birth
January 28, 1968
Nationality
United States
Place of Birth
Wyandanch, Babylon, Suffolk County, New York, United States
Age
56 years old
Zodiac Sign
Aquarius
Networth
$2 Million
Profession
Rapper, Singer, Songwriter
Social Media
Rakim Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 56 years old, Rakim has this physical status:

Height
183cm
Weight
77kg
Hair Color
Bald
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Build
Slim
Measurements
Not Available
Rakim Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Islam
Hobbies
Not Available
Education
Wyandanch High School
Rakim Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
Spouse(s)
Not Available
Children
Not Available
Dating / Affair
Nicole Smith, Karrine Steffans
Parents
William Griffin Sr., Cynthia Griffin
Siblings
Steve Griffin (Older Brother), Ronnie Griffin (Older Brother)
Other Family
Ruth Brown (Aunt) (Singer, Songwriter, Actress) (d. November 17, 2006)
Rakim Life

William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968) is an American rapper best known by his stage name Rakim.

Eric B., one half of the golden age hip hop team, is on tour for the second time. Rakim and Davidson are widely considered as one of the most popular and most versatile MCs of all time.Eric B. Davidson & Rakim's album Paid in Full was voted MTV's Best Hip Hop Album of All Time by MTV in 2006, while Rakim himself was ranked No. 4 on MTV's list of the Top MCs of All Time.

"Rakim has been revered as one of the finest MCs, possibly the most influential – of all time within the hip-hop group," AllMusic's Steve Huey said. 'Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007)' was ranked #1 on About.com's list of the 'Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007).'

Rakim began his career as the emcee of the rap group Eric B. & Rakim, who were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

In 2012, The Source rated him as one of the "Top 50 Lyricists of All Time" in the United States.

Early life

Rakim is the nephew of Ruth Brown, the late American R&B singer and actress. On Long Island, Wyandanch, New York, grew up. At seven years old, he wrote his first rhyme about Mickey Mouse, the cartoon character. He aspired to play professionally. He was a quarterback for his high school football team.

However, after being introduced to local DJ Eric B. by his buddy Alvin Toney, he began writing lyrics to suit Eric's instrumentation but decided against a career in music. Kid Wizard, the narrator, made his first recordings at Wyandanch High School in 1985.

Rakim was first introduced to Islam in 1986; he later became a member of The Nation of Gods and Earths (also known as the 5 Persecutors) and adopted the Arabic term Rakim Allah. He also chose "Rakim Allah" for his stage name, but it was more often limited to simply "Rakim." He has been dubbed "God MC" throughout his career as an MC and a nodal to the Arabic word for God in his stage name.

Source

Rakim Career

Career

Eric B. and Rakim's first meeting in 1985 went on to release four studio albums before their separation in 1992. The pair were dubbed "the most influential DJ/MC pair in contemporary pop music by NPR journalist Tom Terrell," by NPR's editor, while About.com ranked them as No. 1. Four of the 10 Greatest Hip-Hop Duos of All Time ranked No. 4 on their list of the ten Greatest Hip-Hop Duos of All Time. In 2011, they were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they did not make the final selection.

After Rakim replied to Eric B., he told him. Eric B.'s hunt for "New York's top MC" is the result of his hunt for "New York's top MC." Marley Marl,'s companion and roommate, allowed them to use his home studio. "Eric B. Moost" was one of the first songs to be released by the band. "Is President" and "My Melody" were both released as a single/b-side on the independent Zakia Records in 1986. Russell Simmons, the founder of Def Jam Recordings, was taken to Island Records and started recording the album in Power Play Studios in Manhattan early 1987.

The duo's debut album, Paid in Full, was released on July 7, 1987, on the Island-subsidiary label 4th & B'way Records. The album reached No. 1 on the charts. "Eric B. 58" appeared on the Billboard 200 chart and released five singles: "Eric B. 58" was the most popular on the Billboard 200 chart. "I Ain't No Joke," "I Know You Got Soul," "Moving the Crowd," and "Paid in Full" are all in.

Although its singles had moderate success, Follow the Leader did better on music charts than Eric B. & Rakim's debut album debuted on the United States, putting him at number 22 on the charts. Billboard's Pop Albums chart. The Recording Industry Association of America has rated it as gold for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States. The album, which came out in the hip hop's "golden age," was well-received by reviewers and has since been named as one of the most influential and influential hip hop albums of all time by music journalists. "On the heels of Paid in Full, Eric B. Cobb, an American author, wrote about the album's importance. In 1988, Rakim and his son Follow the Leader, an album clip. Following Rakim's most lyrical appearance,' 'Lyrics of Fury,' and the nearly felonious 'No Competition,' a broader range of sounds than the James Brown samples that had defined the initial release.' The publication marked a turning point in the partnership between the two teams, but it came at a "long decline" in the 1990s.

Let the Rhythm Hit the Rhythm B. Eric B. Byron, who was born in 1990, was Eric B. & Rakim's third album. The pair's sound improved on this album, with Rakim adopting a more youthful, more aggressive tone of voice as well as more mature and serious subject matter. The output ranges from smoother soulful tracks like "In the Ghetto" to the hard-edged assault on the title track. Despite the fact that it could not sell singles as well as the duo's previous albums, many people think it to be the pair's most cohesive album. It is one of the few albums to have been given a "five-mic" rating from The Source. The album was voted as one of The Source's Top Rap Albums in 1998. The back cover features a tribute to Rakim's father, William, and producer Paul C., who had been on several of the album's tracks before his assassination in July 1989. Large Professor Robert Connie's protégé completed his duties. Both of the album's notes are lauded.

Don't Sweat the Technique, Eric B & Rakim's fourth and final album. The title track was a minor radio hit. As a whole, "Certifieds of War" was also released as a single. "Know the Ledge" first appeared in the film Juice under the heading "Juice (Know the Ledge)." Eric B., on the other hand, refused to sign MCA's freedom deal, afraid that Rakim will abandon him. The two musicians and MCA were involved in a lengthy, complicated court conflict. The feud came to an end, with the pair's divorce effectively ending.

Rakim kept a low profile after breaking up with Eric B. in early-1993, with only making one notable appearance on the 1993 film Gunmen's soundtrack. In 1994, MCA's reshuffle led to Rakim's deposition from the name. As Rakim continued to have legal issues, he signed a deal with Universal Records and began recording his solo debut, The 18th Letter in 1996. The album The 18th Letter was released in November 1997. Rakim's hopes were high when the album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 and was rated Gold by the RIAA.

Rakim appeared on three tracks of Art of Noise's "The Seduction of Claude Debussy" in June 1999. Keith Farley of AllMusic reports that "the album charts the experimental use of sampled breakbeats, which was pioneered by Noise's Art of Noise themselves," with nods to '80s hip-hop plus their '90s counterpart, drum'n'bass."

Rakim introduced The Master in November 1999, to critical notice, but it didn't sell well.

In 2000, Rakim was signed by Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label for work on an album tentatively titled Oh, My God. Various shifts in artistic direction and staff were involved in the album's delays, which culminated in many changes. Rakim appeared on four Aftermath albums, including the hit single "Addictive" by Truth Hurts and its remix (which featured a different Rakim verse from the main version), Eminem's 8 Mile soundtrack album with the track "R.A.K.I.M."

However, Rakim left the label in 2003, and Oh, My God was indefinitely shelved. Since Rakim eventually left Aftermath Entertainment, he explained that the reason for his departure was due to stylistic inconsistencies with Dr. Dre. Rakim used the metaphorical example that Dr. Dre wanted Rakim to write about murdering someone, while Rakim wanted to write about someone's resurrection.

Rakim retreated to Connecticut to spend leisurely on music. He didn't have a tour guide since 1999, preferring infrequent gigs over touring. Rakim was able to keep the songs he had made with Dr. Dre and that he would debut The Seventh Seal, a new studio collection. The album was delayed until 2009, but instead, he launched The Archive: Live, Lost & Found, a live album. In a 2008 interview with Billboard, Rakim revealed that the Seventh Seal's name was based on a legend.

In another interview with Billboard in 2009, he said, "I believe it was my pleasure."

After many delays on Rakim's own Ra Records, TVM, and SMC Recordings, it was released on November 17, 2009, and Universal Music Group and Fontana and Universal Music Group's distribution was announced. After a ten-year absence between releases, the album features two singles: "Holy Are You," which was released on July 14, 2009, and "Walk These Streets," which was released on October 7, 2009. Nottz, J., and several well-known hip hop artists have contributed to this compilation, including Nottz, J. Wells, Needlz, Jake One, and Nick Wiz. According to SoundScan, the album had sold 12,000 copies in the United States by November 22, 2009. Most music reviewers were generally mixed or average on the Seventh Seal's debut, although Metacritic's aggregate score stands at 59/100.

In 2011, Rakim performed Paid in Complete at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City in honor of the album's 25th anniversary. The Roots backed him.

Rakim revealed in 2012 that he and Eric B. would launch a 25th anniversary edition of their 1987 album Paid in Full, which will feature new tracks by Eric B. Rakim and Rakim, a.k.a. Rakim, by the end of 2012; Rakim revealed that he would debut a new solo album before 2012. In June, he appeared at the annual Roots' Picnic in Philadelphia. In an interview with The Detroit Free Press, he revealed that he was in the studio with Pharrell Williams on a new album that would be released in 2013, and that the first single would be released before the year's end.

"Don't Call Me" was a DMX-based collaborative single on September 24, 2013.

Rakim appears on the American rock band Linkin Park's joint album titled "Guilty All the Same" in 2014. Warner Bros. Records' first single, titled The Hunting Party, was released on March 6, 2014. During the bridge for the main version of the song, he performed his rhymes; however, he is not included in the song's radio edit. The song was officially released on March 7, 2014 for digital download.

On April 27, 2015, Rakim revealed he was working on a new album and planned to release it in the middle or end of 2015. "This is one of those albums on which I can have fun," he said. The Seventh Seal, my last album, was a bit of a conscious one. "I wanted to make a statement on that album."

"King's Paradise," a new song on the Luke Cage season 2 soundtrack, was released in late-June 2018. For the first time on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts collection, Rakim performed the song alongside former A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad and producer Adrian Younge.

Rakim had reunited with Eric B. after 23 years, and it was announced on Twitter on October 20, 2016. The pair teased a potential reunion tour the next morning and held a poll for the fans to vote on which city Eric B. The tour delves into Rakim and Taoise. Four locations were considered a candidate: New York City, Las Vegas, London, and Australia. Fans have speculated whether the two bands would release a new studio album in the near future following the announcement of the reunion.

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