228 - Eric B. and Rakim - Paid in Full

Paid in Full is a landmark in hip-hop history. It marks the turning point from old school rap to the modern era. This is a duo that consisted of an MC and DJ that were on the cutting edge on their own, let alone the pioneering they did together.

Rakim's delivery changed how MCs rapped. His chilled vocals were dense with rhymes (frequently using compounding couplets with internal rhyme schemes) that revealed an intelligence on word choice. Rakim's braggadocio had a still confidence about it that made him even cooler than the other MCs.

Eric B's samples on this album were so influential that scores of albums were created using these samples. If you need to blame one man for the heavy use of James Brown samples in late 80's hip-hop, then Eric B is the best culprit to pin-point. The three DJ showcases on the album stand just as strong on their own and are not filler at all.

Songs I Knew I liked: None

Songs I Now Like: "I Know You've Got Soul," "Move the Crowd," "Paid in Full," and "Chinese Arithmetic"

Songs I Can Go the Rest of My Life Never Hearing Again: None