I got jazz in my crates. I got old joints in my crates. I listen to whatever sounds good. I like a lot of smoothed out R&B, Hip Hop and R&B. Whatever relaxes me or takes me where I want to go. I just wanted to preserve it. I stay in tune with the streets. That alone is what helps me relate to the Hip Hop. -Rakim
What was the high point in hip hop for you?
Rakim: The high point in hip hop for me was back in 1981. To bare witness when hip hop was in its rarest form, to be there when pioneers were setting it. It’s like the first time you smoke weed, you don’t get that feeling after a while.
I know there are many people that pioneered this. But, can you think of at least two or three people that inspired you to do this?
Rakim: Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Flash.
What are people going to hear your new album, that haven’t been hearing with Eric B and Rakim?
Rakim: I feel I’m on the next level. I’m more mature now- I grew. If anything, they’re gonna get Rakim at his next level. It’s still me I guess that’s what kept me around this long. I had to give them a shot of what they’ve been missing and what they’ve accepted me for and take it to the next level.
Why did you stay away from the spotlight for so long?
Rakim: I had problems with the contract. To make a long story short, he had an idea that he’d do a solo joint and I do a solo joint. So I signed his contract and let him do his. He did it, handed it in, so I don’t know what happened when it came time to do mine. He had a problem signing the contract. So I had to go through a little less than year of chasing him around trying to get the contract right.
From Eric B?
Rakim: Yeah.
What’s the scenario between you and Eric B now?
Rakim: We’re not business partners anymore. I wish him the best, but we’re no longer a group. I’ll have to do my thing. When I started working on another album, the staff got fired again…demos leaked out. So it took me about a year to do the album. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be here, it was just that forces were holding me back.
Do you feel that your sound is going to be missing something you don’t have without Eric B around?
Rakim: To be honest man, I did most of the Eric B and Rakim beats.
So your saying he was more like a DJ?
Yeah. He would come through, he would add on. Like I would come through with the bass line. He would put the beat up.
You said you had some projects that leaked out when you were on MCA. Is that where some of the white label bootlegs came from like “State to State?” And, who would do that, people inside or people outside?
People inside. People that were working on the staff. MCA fired the whole staff. They were selling the demos to mixtape DJs, then they starting selling it to radio. That kind of hurt, you know.
So many years out of the business have you been prosperous financially or did you have another career on the side.
Rakim: Nah. I’ve been blessed man. Money I’ve made from my albums, going on tour when we was doing shows at 20,000 seat venues, making $30,000 maybe $25,000 a night, $60,000 if the show sold out. Then not buying 200 cars. I guess watching my money made it last me this long. I don’t do anything on the side. My girl doesn’t have to work. You know, like I was saying, I’ve been blessed. I make sure that I’m always where I need to be.
What do you feel about the music industry today?
Rakim: I got two opinions. I’m glad as far as brothers took it to the next level… brothers got creative. You got DJs doing mad tricks now and making records sound like nobody ever made them sound before. MCs are using more flow and more style. A lot of people might not agree with the lyrical content, but I feel where it’s at right now. We’re getting a little conscious of what we rap about. Right now we can put hip hop back where it’s supposed to be.
What makes Rakim happy?
Rakim: Life. Life itself. Watching my kids grow.
How many kids do you have?
Rakim: I got four kids.
A lot of people, and I happen to be one of the people that agrees with this only because of the experiences I’ve had, call you evasive…someone that’s hard to reach, hard to find. Why would that be?
Rakim: I try to find time for myself at all times. My family you know. I guess another thing is over the years like when I first came out in ’86 I was in clubs every night, Union Square. What I did was as I got older, I stepped back now. After being on tour for seven years you don’t get tired of it but you don’t want to do the same thing every day. The way I preserve myself to the public…I wanted to preserve Hip Hop to me. I don’t want to get tired of it. I listen to music everyday regardless.
What are you listening to these days?
Rakim: When I’m in the lab I go through my crates. I got jazz in my crates. I got old joints in my crates. I listen to whatever sounds good. I like a lot of smoothed out R&B, Hip Hop and R&B. Whatever relaxes me or takes me where I want to go. I just wanted to preserve it. I stay in tune with the streets. That alone is what helps me relate to the Hip Hop.
Why do you think there were so many rumors Rakim moving weight?
Rakim: I guess because of the jewels that I had when I first started, the places people saw me. People saw me in Brooklyn where they couldn’t hang out with all my jewelry on. People couldn’t understand it. Or, maybe it was the people I hang around. I never sold drugs, I never even sold weed.
That’s the thing I always found amazing, that the Rakim I know, if anything, he’s always been negative on drugs. Not necessarily giving a big speech, but saying- selling drugs is a handicap. You’re not someone who has always been in the spotlight as far as talking and making yourself seen. Do you feel that is one of the biggest misinterpretations about Rakim?
Rakim: Yeah, I think that’s the most misunderstood thing about me. When people see you with certain people, in certain places they kind of wonder. At that time they were wondering where we was getting all the jewelry from, how we had Benzes and Jeeps. What they don’t understand is we were the first rappers with a million dollar contract, and that was early. It would be stupid to walk around with a streetlight over your head being in the [music] business and then go somewhere and try to sell drugs.
What happened to your Rolls Royce?
Rakim: Nah, that was Eric B. He had a Rolls Royce.
If someone was to follow Rakim what would they see?
Rakim: I guess they’d see the mystique that they couldn’t understand. I guess they’d see Rakim. They’d understand the righteousness, the creative process a little more.
Where would they see you spend your time?
Rakim: They would spend time with me in my head. Even when I’m in my lab, I’m not really there. It’s like where I’m at, I don’t really want people to focus on that. I want them to concentrate on where my head is at.
Let’s talk about that a little bit. A lot of people, including myself feel that you have the ability to save hip hop music. What do you feel about that?
Rakim: That’s deep. That’s a lot of weight you know. But I feel that I can definitely contribute to that. If they want to put all that on my back, I think I’ll handle it. You got to take the bad with the good because the bad makes the good that much better. As far as peoples’ struggles coming out of where we live, we got to deal with that. At the same time we have to find some balance man. You can’t do 10 tracks on your album talking about how f*&k’d up it is in the ghetto. There’s a place for everything.
Interview by Israel Vasquetelle
