Hip hop isn’t a genre known for the modesty of its musicians, but to be fair to Rakim, describing himself as the ‘God MC’ probably isn’t unreasonable. Put simply, he’s one of the most influential rappers of all time, with his collaborative classic with Eric B, Paid in Full, one of the defining works of the genre. Two years ago, respected hip hop magazine The Source named him the greatest lyricist of all time, and he’s widely considered to be one of, if not the, greatest MC in hip hop history. The more you think about it, the more the bravado in that self-ascribed moniker seems totally fair. He continues to play live, too, although his fear of flying means he doesn’t make it over to the UK all that often; his last visit, in 2011, saw him open the Science of Speech tour that also featured De La Soul and Black Star. His set was a straightforward, fifty-fifty affair; decked out in camo gear, he split his performance between Eric B & Rakim classics, and numerous cut from his most recent album, The Seventh Seal, which was released in 2009, and that he continued to promote to the crowd between songs as well as during them. He might not be topping the bills these days, but no true hip hop fan would pass up the opportunity to see him; he’s one of the genre’s genuine icons.
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