#HotTake...how Rakim a GOAT but go damn near two decades with NOBODY checking for him??

[FrankieLymon757]

imo his cadence held him back...

 

[T.he I.nformant]

@T.he I.nformant spinoff with is so necessary

yup, these old heads will get mad af If u slander KRS, but probably haven't sat down and listened to one of his albums in 15 years.

KRS could easily get the feature

Would have to shark @SirBiatch thread tittle style: "I Got to Get at KRS-1...How You Drop Every Year Since '87 But nikkas Can't Name A Single Non-BDP Related Album?? "

 

[T.he I.nformant]

I don't think its fair to say Rakim couldn't change with the times,because it seems like he REFUSED to change with the times....You cant really get on a artist case as far as not being "checked for" in that situation....Am I gonna knock Rakim because he didn't make horrible and embarrassing records like "headsprung" like LL?

I do think versatility can be argued on another rappers behalf if you want to argue them OVER Rakim,just don't think it should be held against Rakim because he wanted to be a artist his way....His catalogue being "ehhh" is another story and a good point though.

On Rakims behalf you can argue he came first and didn't have a blueprint to work from,cats in the 90's were more talented emcees due to the fact they had rhyming blueprints like Rakim to follow....Its easier when you can follow the leader,than be the leader

Innovation,and originality don't really get enough credit in hiphop,the people who built on those innovations get all the credit

WIth that said at the end of the day that's the way it gotta be, catalogue is what counts,and Rakim just doesn't add up to be goat

This thing about Rakim's catalogue is being overstated a bit though... realistically, he only has two weak albums out of seven. Because to his credit, he didn't stay hanging around for years, repeatedly dropping half-assed albums trying to stay out there- something that many of his contemporaries DID do and ended up making themselves look ancient. Some might say this is making excuses for Ra, but as you young whippersnappers like to say- it is what it is. Rakim being absent for long periods of time does more for his legacy than coming out every year trying to appeal to a crowd that has moved on, or even worse trying to follow what everyone else is doing and sounding ridiculous.

Without a doubt, Rakim would've diminished his legacy had he just released shyt just to release shyt and had he tried to conform to what other nikkas were doing. I can't picture Ra in a shiny suit, selling a latest dance, or rapping over trap beats. My only thing is that Ra was so innovative and influential maybe he could've continued to blaze new trails and set the tone of what was going on with rap had he stayed hot.

 

[Booker T Garvey]

Naw breh that was my shyt in 6th grade, you drawn.

But the culture moved on, that's my point

Plus that video is gabbage

 

[bigbadbossup2012]

Weak stance by OP. Consider this - was there a huge demand for new music from Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Rick James or Luther Vandross in the years before their deaths? No. But they are all greats and MJ is the GOAT. Longevity is without a doubt the hardest thing to achieve in music.

yea but they did waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more dope shyt than him waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more

 

[bigbadbossup2012]

This thing about Rakim's catalogue is being overstated a bit though... realistically, he only has two weak albums out of seven. Because to his credit, he didn't stay hanging around for years, repeatedly dropping half-assed albums trying to stay out there- something that many of his contemporaries DID do and ended up making themselves look ancient. Some might say this is making excuses for Ra, but as you young whippersnappers like to say- it is what it is. Rakim being absent for long periods of time does more for his legacy than coming out every year trying to appeal to a crowd that has moved on, or even worse trying to follow what everyone else is doing and sounding ridiculous.

Yea, it is an excuse. If Ra was showing up killing it every 5 years etc,that would be cool.
But he went away came back and barely made a ripple in 97' and hasnt done much since.
And he ended up looking ancient regardless.

And let's be real,after the second album he wasnt really popping like that.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Are y'all retarded? That Eric B shyt was merely a title. Eric B didn't make beats or DJ. He was just a gangster.

Btw, 18th Letter is fire.

Rakim's fall off had nothing to do with Eric B, it had to do with him not being able to change with the times.

When I first heard the 18th letter the shyt blew my mind. Lyrically nobody is seeing rakim and its not even close

 

[↓R↑LYB]

RAKIM doing trap

Imagine a Rakim song starting with "We got London on the track"

 

[Threnody]

In a perfect world Ra would have dropped that unreleased 95' LP and set shyt off early

 

[Animal House]

Well he damn sure aint Kool G Rap now is he


He GOAT been going strong

 

[DANJ!]

Yea, it is an excuse. If Ra was showing up killing it every 5 years etc,that would be cool.
But he went away came back and barely made a ripple in 97' and hasnt done much since.
And he ended up looking ancient regardless.

And let's be real,after the second album he wasnt really popping like that.

I already know you go into this and every topic with bitter "NY treated us bad" feelings, so I can't help but take some of this with a grain of salt. Bottom line is, Rakim doesn't have a long line of mediocre album after album, which is a credit to his overall catalogue. There are many others who stayed in the game for a long time, putting out several lackluster projects. As a matter of fact, there ain't a lot of artists back then who made so much of an impact that they could've gone away for 5 years and then come back to any fanfare whatsoever. His run was solid and consistent up until that point, and when you narrow it all down, out of seven, he has two that weren't good. Some of the best rappers ever have more weak albums on their resume than they should, such is not the case with his.

 

[bigbadbossup2012]

I already know you go into this and every topic with bitter "NY treated us bad" feelings, so I can't help but take some of this with a grain of salt. Bottom line is, Rakim doesn't have a long line of mediocre album after album, which is a credit to his overall catalogue. There are many others who stayed in the game for a long time, putting out several lackluster projects. As a matter of fact, there ain't a lot of artists back then who made so much of an impact that they could've gone away for 5 years and then come back to any fanfare whatsoever. His run was solid and consistent up until that point, and when you narrow it all down, out of seven, he has two that weren't good. Some of the best rappers ever have more weak albums on their resume than they should, such is not the case with his.

After listening AGAIN his second album aint shyt either. Only a nikka from there could get away with his weak discography.
I just hate the goal post moving.
nikkas will act like cube dipped from his second to third album but in reality cube's 3rd and 4th album are better than any rakim album outside the first one and might trump that one too.

 

[DANJ!]

After listening AGAIN his second album aint shyt either. Only a nikka from there could get away with his weak discography.
I just hate the goal post moving.
nikkas will act like cube dipped from his second to third album but in reality cube's 3rd and 4th album are better than any rakim album outside the first one and might trump that one too.

And like clockwork...

That NY shyt really hurts you guys' feelings beyond repair and I really don't understand why...

 

[bigbadbossup2012]

And like clockwork...

That NY shyt really hurts you guys' feelings beyond repair and I really don't understand why...

You guys? nikka the first three albums i OWNED were ny mc's. And i would acquire many more through out my life.. I'm just speaking the truth. Alot of inflated props are given to alot of east coast mc's. Those same inflated props are not given to anyone else for the most part.

 

[Rakim Allah]

This thing about Rakim's catalogue is being overstated a bit though... realistically, he only has two weak albums out of seven. Because to his credit, he didn't stay hanging around for years, repeatedly dropping half-assed albums trying to stay out there- something that many of his contemporaries DID do and ended up making themselves look ancient. Some might say this is making excuses for Ra, but as you young whippersnappers like to say- it is what it is. Rakim being absent for long periods of time does more for his legacy than coming out every year trying to appeal to a crowd that has moved on, or even worse trying to follow what everyone else is doing and sounding ridiculous.

Quality over quantity. It's been an underrated asset of Ra.