Review Summary: Eric B and Rakim innovated with their legendary debut, "Paid in Full".
In 1987, hip hop was doing pretty good. Beastie Boys had just debuted a year ago, Boogie Down Productions debuted, Public Enemy and so on and so forth. 1987 was also the year that Eric B and Rakim blessed the world with their marvelous debut Paid in Full, so another breakthrough was made thanks to them.
Paid in Full is a classic album for many reasons, one of the biggest reasons is pure lyrics. Rakim laid the foundation for what an MC should sound like, with artists like Eminem and Nas sampling and interpolating him so much, and many other artists paying homage. Rakim was the first really complex lyricist to pop up in history, and this album is filled with hip hop quotables. This album also has great production from Eric B, who provides somewhat minimalistic production, but it's very groove-influenced and enjoyable. The beats give Rakim room to shine, as they aren't super noisy.
Another reason for this album being a classic is that there are absolutely no skippable tracks, even the instrumental tracks are enjoyable to the ears. Every song has some charm to it, and dare I say every single song is classic. This album is also short and sweet, so it doesn't run on too long with unnecessary filler tracks. This album is just all killer no filler.
Overall this is an absolute must have classic album if you're a hip hop fan, and in my opinion one of the top 3 greatest hip hop albums. This album is truly a masterpiece in every sense of the word. If you consider yourself a hip hop fan, than you have no excuse for not having listened to this.
Ratings:
1. I Ain't No Joke: 5/5
2. Eric B. Is on the Cut: 5/5
3. My Melody: 5/5
4. I Know You Got Soul: 5/5
5. Move the Crowd: 5/5
6. Paid in Full: 5/5
7. As the Rhyme Goes on: 5/5
8. Chinese Arithmetic: 5/5
9. Eric B. is President: 5/5
10. Extended Beat: 5/5
Best song: Eric B. is President
Weakest song: Extended Beat
Production: 10/10
Lyrics: 10/10
Overall rating: 100/100
Grade: A+
