Get To Know H.E.R.

Eric B and Rakim. Quite possibly one of the most influential emcee producer duos of all time. And for no small reason either. Production wise, Eric B popularized James Brown samples and soul samples in general in the making of beats. On the emcee side, Rakim literally tore down lyricism as it was and rebuilt it into a whole new monster. That’s one of the reasons I get so mad when I hear songs on the radio these days. It’s almost like they’re trying to undo what was done for lyricism and make hip hop go backwards. But that’s for another entry. This one’s wholly devoted to the widely considered classic, the legendary duo’s debut, Paid In Full.

1. I Ain’t No Joke - The intro is nonexistant here. The album wastes no time revolutionizing hip hop with this great track. As much as I appreciate old school pre Golden Age hip hop, I’m not gonna lie. It’s refreshing to hear this and I’m glad we’re in 1987.

2. Eric B Is On The Cut - The token DJ cut. It’s pretty good, but I’ve heard better and I’ve never really went nuts over too many straight DJ tracks to begin with anyways. I prefer rhymes over my beats.

3. My Melody - Contrary to popular belief, Eric B did not produce the entirety of Paid In Full. This track is actually produced by legendary Juice Crew producer Marley Marl and really, it does kinda stick out compared to the rest of the album.

4. I Know You Got Soul - One of the duo’s more famous tracks, I’m sure most people have heard this track at least once, even if you don’t recognize the name. IMHO, easily one of the best songs on this album. It absolutely rocks.

5. Move the Crowd - The beat is an absolute masterpiece and Rakim’s lyrics don’t trail too far behind. Five tracks in and not a weak song yet. This feels good, especially after reviewing RZA’s Digi Snax.

6. Paid In Full - Another song everyone’s heard at least once. Even if don’t remember anything else, I know you’ll recognize the bass from countless other hip hop songs. Quite the beauty of a track, it’s Coldcut remix is also quite the crazy song. I may place a link to it this weekend if I’m in the mood.

7. As The Rhyme Goes On - I always appreciate Beastie Boys vocal samples, and this is no exception. Contains a couple of Rakim’s more famous rhymes. Actually, scratch that since I can say that about damn near every track on this album.

8. Chinese Arithmetic - Another DJ track, I actually think it’s better than Eric B is on the Cut but did we really more than one of them? I could’ve used some more tracks with rhyming especially considering the album is only 10 tracks long.

9. Eric B. Is President - I remember back when I first heard this album, I thought that this would be another DJ track because of the name. I remember being really glad when Rakim started rhyming and ripping it up.

10. Extended Beat - I also remember hearing this and thinking “WTF they decided to end this with another Rakimless track?” I still think that today.

Final Score: 9.5

If they decided to remove one or two of the Eric B solo DJ tracks and replaced it with some more actual songs, this would be a 10.0 no problem. As it stands, it’s still a good fucking album (I’m pretty sure it’s not my favorite by the duo either). I’m sorry if this sounds like some strange Paid In Full lovefest, but this is one of the few albums that actually deserve it. It’s influence is undeniable, especially in the lyrics department. Listen to this thing straight through and I’ll guarantee you that in almost every song you’ll be like, “O! Rakim said this? My favorite rapper says this all the time.” Listen and be blown away.