Like no other culture, Hip-Hop now pushes towards 50 years of breaking barriers, testing boundaries and making billions. The culture, which comprises several elements, is competitive in ways that escape other art forms. When it comes to emceeing, the list of greats is long, but one rises to the top of every connoisseur’s list. Rakim.
Rakim, the god emcee, endures as one of the most thought-provoking, influential, lyricists. To many, he is the best ever – the absolute greatest of all time – and to all, one of the illest to hold a mic. With four albums as half of Eric B & Rakim and three additional solo albums, Rakim’s impact is with few peers. The legend has also added author to his resume. “Sweat The Technique: Revelations On A Creativity From A Lyrical Genius” is half memoir and half “writing guide.” He talks about his lyrical technique and how his genius came to be.
AllHipHop’s Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur has been a huge fan of Rakim since he fell in love with the culture and asked Rakim a pair of killer questions that the god of rap handled well.