The other day, while I was daydreaming about gutting Bill O’Reilly and feeding his cyanide laced insides to the Fox News crew, it occurred to me that Bill was a machine sent here from Hell, and that, by design, he had no edible insides.
I was saddened, and gravely needed a song to listen to as a pick me up. This is how I ended up typing in a random word into my Winamp search.
“Uplift”
Mr. Allah, or Rakim as I like to call him, is quite arguably one of the most acceptable answers to the question: “Who’s your favorite MC of all time?” He’s everyone’s favorite scapegoat and my favorite MC.
This song reminded me why. In many ways, I know his music better than I know some of my family members. For this reason, I bark random trivia questions at those who invoke the man’s name with pride, in vain, proving the obvious: 99% of y’all muff huckers are liars and Stans.
Regardless, I always liked this song. Every time I brought it up mf’s acted like they’d forgotten. “Which particular track do you mean? Refresh our memories? Oh, that track. Yeah it was dope.” All this said to the rhythm of my grinding teeth.
After the song finished playing I was still angry, so I went around asking that favorite MC question again so I could find a new victim for my Hannibal Lecter-esque daydream.
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Ask who my fave MC is and I’ll respond with “Ghostface Killah.” Rakim would be my #2
Yo, thats my word, I’ve been listening to Rakim non stop for the last 3 days. This is why this site is major to the kid. Oh yea, Follow the Leader, conveys to me how ahead of his time this genius really was!
Rakim is probably the only veteran that I know who hasn’t lost his cadence and dexterity on the microphone, still sounds fresh like 1987.
^ Throw G Rap in that category too.
Ra is still the G-O-D.
Now if he could just put out a decent album without Eric B.
Contra, on some real shit i feel you. LMAO at you going hannibal, but i really think Rakim stays underrated and lacking appreciation due to his beat selection. His beats aren’t wack, but they are nothing special that compliment his own genius. They lack that original flavor to frame his paintings perfectly…It’s a damn shame Dre wanted him to go gangsta and fucked off that album, cause that would have been Oh My God! for real but lyrically, spitting wise, he is G-O-D no doubt.
Way off topic but when is shyne gettin out???
also what about Vick?
This is a top 3 Rakim song in my book. Dope shit. The horns get me everytime.
@B.Payton: he had a 10 year bid and started in ’99 IIRC, so should be this year…i’m honestly just hoping he comes back and drops a classic…probably won’t happen, but I can dream can’t I?
“That is a fucking sick picture,” Beware says aloud to himself upon heading to his homepage.
rakim should have a movie made about HIS life.
rakim is the G.O.A.T.
i said it.
wat r some sick rakim cds dat ishould listen to ???
Not to be snarky, but how can they be liars AND Stans? If you barked Em trivia questions at the eponymous Stan, he would know the answers, no?
Actually, wouldn’t a Stan be the one to bark trivia questions at purported fans?
Dope track on a dope album, no doubt, but it’s still an album cut on an album that barely cracked the top 75 and is the least necessary of his discography (if I had to pick one). This post is like questioning an AZ fan who doesn’t instantly recognize “Animal” from the title alone, except that the word “uplift” never appears in Uplift.
What if they listened to it in their cars? Why do you think T.I. rapped about “bumping Goodie Mob, Soul Food #4″? If I mostly bump something in the car, I usually don’t know all the titles.
TSS usually steers clear of this kind of hipster one-upmanship.
TSS is major though.
I fucking concur..
Top 5..
1.Rakim
2.Krs-one
3.Big Daddy Kane
4.Kool G.Rap
5.Biggie/Jay-z/Nas..you choose..
and no offence homie wtf are you “daydreaming about Bill O’Reilly ” for?…there are many big-booty chicks out here to occupy those thoughts..shit,high blood pressure is a motherfucker..peace
@ AS:
Hi. I’m Contra.
I’m the angry sarcastic one in the crew. My views seldom reflect, and often oppose those of the crew at large. Granted, we move as a unit, and our freshness is irrefutably greater than any other in the universe. However, if we were the Watchmen of Hip Hop, I would be Rorschach. I’m generally irrational, and fueled by my frustration with today’s Hip-Hop audience. I’m also notably violent and annoying.
Recently, I was pissed off by posers and stans who will ride the dick off an O.G.’s lap without knowing shit about him. Kinda like strippers, but less attractive.
I singled out Rakim because so many claim his name, but the fact is that most of them wouldnt be able to do shit beyond naming him as a favorite MC.
Seriously. Irrationality aside, I actually did this “research”. Went around asking people (about a dozen, give or take) “Do you think Ra is the G.O.A.T?” If they said yes. I’d say: “Name 2 Rakim verses that would trump anything out today.” After getting a lot of blank faces, I broadened the question to “Name 2 Ra albums that you still ride to.” After that failed miserably, I went to simpler and simpler questions… eventually leaving it at which was ur favorite Rakim single.
Oh, yes. It was that pitiful. I have to commend 25+ year olds, coz they seem to know their shit. But everyone else…doodoo. And this is why I call them liars. They’ll claim Ra is the greatest, and then drive him bumping “Kiss me thru the phone” while shuffling thru Lil Wayne Mixtapes.
Hmm.
I’m not saying I’m better than them. My research is not scientific. And my word, unfortunately, is not gospel.
I’m just saying muffuckas is on some real dubious shit these days.
Peace and increase brethren.
Your freshness has been duly respected.
Separated at birth?
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h142/trillwill205/shyne.jpg
@Contra
I’m rolling with you.. Lol
rakim is old. thats why i havent memorized his albums like every 25+ hip hop head out there. sowee !
Flobama endorses this track from the G-O-D. Saw him live for my birthday two years ago in San Diego at the HOB and slapped hands with him. Fought my way to the front… Best show of my life. Bruised my ribs on the rail. Ill… AND Ras Kass opened… Word.
I thought that was Shyne at first too. Its a dope painting(?) though, info on the artist?
Info on the artist:
http://juartlittle.deviantart.com/
Rakim, LL, Krs, Nas, Kane, GRap, Biggie, Jay, Andre3000, Em
“rakim iz da goat” charles hamilton
VS.
“ll cool j iz da goat” joe budden n friends
Lyrics of Fury trumps any song made int he past 10 yrs of this “new Generation” his breath control is ridiculous even live he has the same swagger and air of confidence you feel in the songs when you listen to them. I have been a Rakim fan since 86 when check out my melody hit the streets.