The man born William Michael Griffin turns 40 today. There really isn't anything I need to say about this man that already hasn't been said in the 20-plus years he's spent in the music business. The man is a legend.
And if you are unfamiliar with Ra or don't see why he's such a big deal then you're really not a true hip-hop head. Without Rakim there would be no Nas, Tupac (even 50 said Ra was his favorite rapper) or the hundreds of rapper's that were influenced by them.
It's kinda hard to explain why his lyricism was so great back then (shit, I wasn't even born in '86) but if you understand then you will appreciate his greatness. Rakim pioneered the art of emcceing by incorporating poetic sensibilities into his lyrics, creating internal rhyme schemes, utilizing multi-syllabic words and creating a mystique around him that seems unpenetratable to this day.
It's been over 8 years since his last album and the much-anticipated "Oh My God", which was supposed to be executive-produced by Dr.Dre and released on Aftermath, was scrapped along time ago. "The Seventh Seal" is supposed to drop later this year, not much has been said on the project. Whatever happens true heads will know that his legacy will remain in tact.
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