Legendary hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim first formed in Long Island, NY, in 1985. The premier DJ/MC team, not only was their chemistry superb, but individually, each represented the absolute state of the art in their respective skills. Between 1987 and 1992, they released four acclaimed albums, the platinum-selling Paid In Full (1987), Follow The Leader (1988), Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em (1990) and Don’t Sweat The Technique (1992).

Paid In Full caused a stir in the hip-hop music world due to its novel sound, approach, and subject matter. Their songs were the first to really impart hip-hop music lyrics with a serious poetic device sensibility while their gritty, heavy, and dark beats, marked the beginning of heavy sampling in hip-hop records. As a disc jockey, Eric B. reinstated the art of live turntable mixing and his soul-filled sampling became influential in future hip hop production.

Follow the Leader, Eric B. & Rakim’s second release, is also their second out and out classic record. Following the same formula as their debut it’s anchored by Eric B.’s innovative production style and Rakim’s blisteringly brilliant braggadocio. Home to high-water marks like “Microphone Feind” and “Follow the Leader,” the golden age of hip-hop certainly has a surplus of fantastic LPs but Follow the Leader is right near the top.

The duo reunited in 2017 for a string of one-off shows commemorating the 30th anniversary of Paid in Full. In 2018 Eric B. & Rakim will undertake their first major tour together since their initial break up in 1993.