BUY NOW FROM AMAZON.COM
UMe is revisiting the catalogue of influential hip-hop act Eric B. and Rakim with the July 13 release of a new box set. The Complete Collection 1987-1992, on 8 LPs and 2 CDs, brings together all four of the duo's classic albums (on the 4th & Broadway, Uni, and MCA labels) on eight vinyl LPs plus two CDs of remixes.
Eric B. (Eric Barrier) was the DJ of the duo, and Rakim (William Griffin Jr., later Rakim Allah) the MC. Eric B.'s love of James Brown inspired a reassessment of The Godfather of Soul's venerable back catalogue that continues to the present day; Rakim incorporated jazz sensibilities and intricate wordplay into his own style. Artists from Eminem to Wu-Tang Clan were inspired by Eric B. and Rakim, yet they never scored a major hit of their own. It wasn't for lack of trying, however.
Their first single on the small Zakia label, "Eric B. Is President" b/w "My Melody," was picked up by 4th and Broadway Records, distributed by Island. Their subsequent singles "I Ain't No Joke" and "I Know You Got Soul" sampled James Brown and Bobby Byrd, respectively, and in 1987, their new label released their first LP, Paid in Full. It reached the top ten on the Billboard R&B chart, and the title track was itself sampled by Milli Vanilli for the infamous duo's "Girl You Know It's True." They next were signed by MCA's reactivated Uni label (at one time the home to artists like Neil Diamond) for 1988's Follow the Leader album, and they even got pop exposure when singer Jody Watley called upon them for her single "Friends." They were moved to MCA proper for their final two albums, 1990's Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em and 1992's Don't Sweat the Technique, but personal tensions and creative differences led to their split, though they reunited for a successful tour earlier this year.
The Complete Collection 1987-1992 offers those four seminal albums, each pressed on two vinyl LPs. (Additionally, the four albums will also be released the same day as individual 2-LP sets.) Additionally, two CDs present 26 remixes. A 36-page deluxe booklet containing the albums' original liner notes sweetens the deal. Look for this set saluting two hip-hop greats from UMe on July 13! Pre-order links are available now at the links below.
Eric B. & Rakim,The Complete Collection 1987-1992 (Hip-O/UMe, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
LPs 1-2: Paid In Full (originally released as 4th & Broadway BWAY 4005, 1987)
LPs 3-4: Follow The Leader (originally released as UNI Records 3, 1988)
LPs 5-6: Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em (originally released as MCA Records 6416, 1990)
LPs 7-8: Don't Sweat The Technique (originally released as MCA Records 10594, 1992)
CDs 1-2: Remixes
"Eric B.’s love of James Brown" is a spurious claim and likely unsubstantiated - if cribbed from Universal Music's promotional documentation for this release, fair play, but it's widely acknowledged that the production/beatmaking and sonic content on much of this duo's output was primarily due to the prodigious late genius (before his untimely death in 1989), Paul "Paul C." McKasty, he of 1212 Studios in Queens, mentor to Ultra Magnetic's Ced Gee, responsible for nurturing the likes of Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, Organized Konfusion, and a host of others.
There's no disputing that Rakim was the premier wordsmith of his generation, his laconic yet incisive monotone a hallmark of excellence. But many were befuddled by the inclusion of Eric B. - he wasn't heralded nor known to the cognoscenti at the time - and the pairing always carried the waft of being cobbled together for reasons never publicly disclosed.
Indeed, the promotional material for this release specifically refers to "hugely influential DJ and beatmaker" Eric B.'s "taste for hard-hitting James Brown samples [which] touched off a stampede through the Godfather of Soul's back catalog that continues up to the present day." But I'm happy to give credit where it's due, and props to the late Mr. McKasty as well.