Rakim was born January 28, 1968
Written by Mister Anderson on January 28, 2023
William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim, is an American rapper and record producer. One half of the golden age hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time.
Rakim is considered a transformational figure in hip-hop for raising the bar for MC technique higher than it had ever been. Rakim helped to pioneer the use of internal rhymes and multisyllabic rhymes, and he was among the first to demonstrate the possibilities of sitting down to write intricately crafted lyrics packed with clever word choices and metaphors rather than the more improvisational styles and simpler rhyme patterns that predominated before him. Rakim is also credited with creating the overall shift from the more simplistic old-school flows to more complex flows.
Rakim released four albums with DJ Eric B.: Paid in Full (1987), Follow the Leader (1988), Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em (1990), and Don’t Sweat the Technique (1992). He has released three solo albums: The 18th Letter (1997), The Master (1999), and The Seventh Seal (2009).
…[source: Wikipedia]
