Eric B. & Rakim

Eric B. & Rakim were an East Coast hip hop duo that popularized the James Brown-sampled funky hip hop of the late 1980s. Eric Barrier (Eric B.) and William Griffin (Rakim) began recording together in the middle of the decade with "Eric B. Is President" (1986 in music) from Zakia records in Harlem. Paid in Full and Follow the Leader were their full-length debuts and were hits by hip hop's standards at the time. Their last album together was Don't Sweat the Technique (1992 in music). Eric B. has begun a solo career on his own 95th Street Records label, as well as serving on various production teams (including working with Dr. Dre).

Related Topics:
East Coast hip hop - James Brown - Hip hop - 1980s - Rakim - 1986 in music - Zakia - Harlem - Paid in Full - Follow the Leader - Don't Sweat the Technique - 1992 in music - 95th Street Records

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In the late '90's, Rakim released two solo albums which were deemed mediocre by critics and nearly ignored commercially. He signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and the two began work on an album that was to be titled Oh My God. However, in July, 2003, the Aftermath website announced that Rakim and Dr. Dre had parted ways.

Related Topics:
Dr. Dre - Aftermath Entertainment

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Eric B. is considered to be one of the great DJs and producers of late 80s, while Rakim is widely considered to be one of the best Hip-Hop MCs ever.

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