Friday, July 27, 2007

My daily attempt to resurrect Hip Hop: Eric B & Rakim "Microphone Fiend"



I know that people get pissed at me when I make that "who farted" face when they proclaim that Biggie or Tupac are the greatest MC's of all time - people unfortunately take my rejection of such preposterousness as me sullying the memory of these great MC's. I respect both of those dudes, my favorite Tupac album is "Me Against the world" - and even though Biggie's "Ready to Die" is a classic, I have a special place in my heart for "Party and Bullshit". It's just, respectfully - that these fallen brothers, despite how great they were or how much they've been martyred - can't hold a candle to Rakim in my humble opinion. But the funny thing is, the "Greatest of all Time" title is obviously subjective - no matter how many Rakim lyrics I quote, the person who I'm having the argument with can simply spout something rather quotable from Biggie and Pac as well. The both of us just left standing there in a proverbial stalemate.

But I realized how I can differentiate Rakim's lyrical ability and everybody else's, simply play his lyrics acapella and it becomes abundantly clear why he is the greatest to ever grasp a microphone aparatus. Like a Miles Davis trumpet solo, the beauty of a Gregory Hines tap dance routine before he left this earth prematurely - the rhythmic verbal cadence, the metaphors and similies that you could calibrate a metronome to, you find yourself head-nodding to Rakim's 16 bar verse like a new Premo beat..

3 comments:

*Tanyetta* said...

yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i love when my daughter plays a song and swears up and down it's a NEW song then i have to point out who was the originator!!!!!! :)

BLESSD1 said...

Yeah...the way this dude was SO FAR advanced beyond his time is incredible. And on that "Classics" joint, he out-shined Kanye, KRS, AND Nas...further evidence that he is indeed the GOAT!!!

Nyree said...

Co-Fuckin'-signin'!!