Hip-hop heads, did you know that at one point, Rakim was signed to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment?
After coming through the door and flipping the rap game on its head on the strength of his landmark debut single “Eric B. Is President,” Rakim and Eric. B made history by dropping four classic albums – Paid in Paid in Full, Follow the Leader, Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em and Don’t Sweat the Technique.
The duo parted ways in the early ’90s, pretty much right after releasing Don’t Sweat the Technique and Rakim went on to pursue a solo career.
Ra’s highly anticipated solo debut album, The 18th Letter, dropped in 1997 and featured production from luminaries like DJ Premier, DJ Clark Kent, Pete Rock and more. A couple years later, Rakim dropped his second solo album The Master which also featured beats from Premier and Clark Kent as well as Jaz-O and The 45 King.
Shortly after dropping The Master, Ra signed to Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment label, which had already put out commercially successful projects like Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP and Dre’s 2001.
