Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em

Performer: Eric B. & Rakim
Producer: Eric B. & Rakim
Distributor: (Independently by Label)

Notes: Eric B. & Rakim: Eric B. (turntables); Rakim (rap vocals). Engineers include: Patrick Adams, Anton Fukshansky, Tony A. Recorded at Power Play Studios and Libra Digital Sound, Long Island City, New York, Skip Saylor Recording and A&M Studios, Hollywood, California. Videos directed by Julien Temple and Scott Kalvert. Eric B. & Rakim, masters of hip hop minimalism, pioneered the frontier separating old school heroes such as Kool Moe Dee from new school followers like Method Man and Jeru Tha Damaja. A testament to this fact is the duo's often-overlooked third album, LET THE RHYTHM HIT 'EM. Released in 1990, as hip-hop changed guards, the record brought together the relentless boasting of hip-hop's past with the sonic creativity of its future. Although narcissistically mesmerized by his own incredible technique, Rakim has reason to sing his own praises. His focused signature monotone delivery coupled with Eric B.'s dynamic production style offer many classic tracks. "In the Ghetto" and "Step Back" are impressionist portraits of after-hours urban ambiance, while the title track and "No Omega" pump up the level of musical innovation to that of the duo's seminal effort PAID IN FULL. Unfortunately, as quickly as Eric B. and Rakim rose to the top, they fell from the spotlight after releasing only one more album, 1992's DON'T SWEAT THE TECHNIQUE. Not to be forgotten, LET THE RHYTHM HIT 'EM, released in the early days of gangsta rap and the heyday of Public Enemy's political bombast, is truly a hip hop classic.

Rolling Stone (8/23/90) - 3.5 Stars - Very Good "...this bold attempt at cross-generational fusion says more about the Afro-American cultural continuum than a truckload of medallions and dashikis..." Spin (10/90) - "...Rakim's devastating rapid-fire delivery has lost none of its edge...Eric B.'s murky grooves are still funky...`Let The Rhythm Hit `Em' is no great departure from their previous work. Thus, it's hard to tell if this record is a continuation of a well-fopcused commitment or the first step into the tar pits of dinosaurdom..."

With a smoother, more hypnotically listenable version of Run-DMC's streetwise forthrightness, Eric B. & Rakim added another layer of depth to 1980s rap music. Among the first acts to articulate a hip-hop worldview, the duo represented the first flowering of rap into a full-blown subculture. Rakim's skill as one of hip-hop's premier wordsmiths carried him over four records of mindblowing rhymes, exemplified by classic singles like "Microphone Fiend" and "Juice (Know the Ledge)." The duo even sparked the long-running trend of hip-hop acts guesting on R&B hits in 1989, with Jody Watley's top ten hit "Friends." The pair parted ways in 1992 with Rakim embarking on a hit-or-miss solo career.

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