Eric B and Rakim

When this album hit the scene in 1987, rap music would be forever changed. Rakim Allah single-handedly raised the bar for all emcees, helping hip-hop lyricism progress from simple shouted rhymes to complex, intricate street poetry. The production is equally hype, with thumping breakbeats and slick cuts galore. An undeniable masterpiece.

Rakim raps quick and clean and almost quiet about the business at hand, which is moving the crowd. Eric B.'s grooves approach a classic swing on nothing but scratch and sampled percussion, with touches of horn or whistle deep in the mix. If you spent your life listening to people brag, sometimes without opening their mouths, you'd overrate the new crew too. (Grade - B)