Wissenswertes

Hip-hop MC; half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim.

Converted to Faradian (as in W.D. Fard, Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam, and the Nation of Gods and Earths) Islam at age 16, taking the Godly name of Rakim Allah. His lyrics often contain references to the Five Percenters and its Universal Language. Any coincidence between the Nation of Gods and Earths and traditional Islam is accidental, as this form of Islam, which is actually a social movement instead of a faith, a bacronym for I-Self Lord and Master, is a made-up religion that only has Islamic elements in it.

Has consistently been called one of the greatest MCs of all time, the God MC, by the likes of Nas, Jay-Z, '50 cent', Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and others. In the late 1980s he added a complex flow and fluid delivery to the art of rhyming that many said was ahead of its time.

Nephew of Ruth Brown.

Friends with Biz Markie.

Was once signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath label, but due to creative differences no album came about.