Paid in Full (album)

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This article is about an album. For the movie, see Paid in Full (film)

Paid In Full
Studio album by Eric B. & Rakim
Released	July 7, 1987
Recorded	1986-1987
Genre	Hip hop
Length	45:08
Label	Zakia/4th & Broadway
Producer(s)	Rakim, Eric B., Marley Marl
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B) link
Eric B. & Rakim chronology
	Paid In Full (1987)	Follow The Leader (1988)

Paid In Full is the debut album by rap duo Eric B. & Rakim, released in 1987 on Zakia/4th & Broadway records. The album is entirely produced by Eric B. & Rakim, except the tracks "My Melody" and "Eric B. Is President" which are produced by Marley Marl. Paid In Full features no guest rapping or singing. The album was very well received upon release and has since been considered a classic album. According to Steve Huey of All Music Guide, it is "One of the most influential rap albums of all time".^[1]

According to Vibe Magazine: "...[When Rakim] took to the mike in 1987, and served up Paid in Full with DJ Eric B., he set hip hop's new course....[Rakim was] a street-wise mystic with eminently clear and dexterous rhymes that sounded like they might never end..." . Furthermore, Eric B.'s innovative distillation of a James Brown sample in "I Know You Got Soul" introduced the "godfather rap" period that witnessed the extensive sampling of R&B and soul music as instrumentals for hip hop songs. Eric B. is President, the first single off the album and by the duo, was somewhat revolutionary at the time of its release in that it showcased a different style of rapping that would soon be adapted by numerous MC's of the past and present. The song was also produced mostly by Marley Marl, contrary to the popular belief that Eric B. had produced it singlehandedly.

While certainly not a genre-creator in its own right, the album, nevertheless, introduced new conventions that redefined hip hop music while the genre was still in its infancy. The album Ranked #19 in Rolling Stone's "50 Coolest Records", was included in Vibe's "100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century", and was ranked as the greatest hip hop album of all time by MTV.^[2] In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source Magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums. In 2003, the album was ranked number 227 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Contents 1 Influence and Aftermath 2 Additional Accolades 3 Track listing 4 Samples Used 5 Album singles 6 Lawsuit 7 References

[edit] Influence and Aftermath

Paid in Full has become a benchmark hip-hop record and definitive piece originating the late 1980s' Golden Age period^{[citation needed]}. It has been acknowledged by numerous fans, hip hop recording artists, and published music critics as unsurpassed in quality^{[citation needed]}. Its lyrical content and delivery is looked upon as legendary and untouchable; Rakim's ability to flow smoothly and powerfully at the same time was supplemented by Eric B.'s revolutionary sampling, as well as his jazz and soul oriented beats. Rakim's use of elaborate metaphors, double puns, paradoxes, etc. embedded in his rhymes have been copied and used by a vast number of MC's since the release of this album. Steve Huey of All Music Guide said that "Rakim basically invents modern lyrical technique over the course of Paid in Full, with his complex internal rhymes, literate imagery, velvet-smooth flow, and unpredictable, off-the-beat rhythms".^[3] Prior to Paid in Full, most hip-hop records consisted of stereotypical plain beats with little or no focus on the lyrics, as most were to assist beats meant for clubs. In 1987 many albums were released which were vital for the revolution that rap faced and continued with through until around the end of the decade. Rakim and Eric B. are possibly at the top of the list for the most important and fundamental artists to garner this change, and rightly so due to the impeccable and nearly flawless content and quality of the album. The many directions that 1987 hip hop had taken include the association of gangsta rap into mainstream music, change in the beats used by rappers in sampling or inclusion of more jazzy and even reggae beats in the record, more focus on the lyrical ability and skills possessed by the MC which distinguished him from others, the socio-political commentary incorporated in many records and other messages coated within the song, amongst others. Rakim could incorporate most of these into just one album, and was very effective in carrying it out in a skillful manner leaving many listeners in awe. Even today, Rakim is referenced by countless other rappers and critics as being the driving force behind the turning point in rap music, constantly associating him with the leader of the old school.

[edit] Additional Accolades

• Ego Trip (U.S.) - Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98 (1999) 4#

• 'Pitchfork Media' (U.S.) - Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1980s (2002) 52#

• Rolling Stone (U.S.) - The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003) 227#

• Spin Magazine (U.S.) - 100 Alternative Albums (1995) 21#

• Spin Magazine (U.S.) - Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years (2005) 47#

• Pop (Sweden) - The World's 100 Best Albums + 300 Complements (1994) 28#

• Tempo (Germany) - The 100 Best Albums from the 80's (1989) 25#

• Rock de Lux (Spain) - The 200 Best Albums of All Time (2002) 172#

• Blender Magazine (U.S.) - 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die (2003)

• The Source (U.S.) - The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time (1998)

• Vibe (U.S.) - 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century (1999)

• Vibe (U.S.) - 51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement (2004)

• Paul Morley (UK) - Words and Music, 5 x 100 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003)

• Q Magazine (UK) - The Ultimate Music Collection (2005)

[edit] Track listing

#	Title	Songwriters	Producer(s)	Performer (s)
1	"I Ain't No Joke"	Eric Barrier, William Griffin	Eric B. & Rakim	Rakim
2	"Eric B. Is on the Cut"	Eric Barrier, William Griffin	Eric B. & Rakim	*Instrumental*
3	"My Melody"	Eric Barrier, William Griffin	Marley Marl	Rakim
4	"I Know You Got Soul"	Eric Barrier, William Griffin, Bobby Byrd, James Brown, Charles Bobbitt	Eric B. & Rakim	Rakim
5	"Move the Crowd"	Eric Barrier, Steve Griffin, William Griffin	Eric B. & Rakim	Rakim
6	"Paid in Full"	Eric Barrier, William Griffin	Eric B. & Rakim	Rakim
7	"As the Rhyme Goes On"	Eric Barrier, William Griffin	Eric B. & Rakim	Rakim
8	"Chinese Arithmetic"	Eric Barrier, William Griffin	Eric B. & Rakim	*Instrumental*
9	"Eric B. Is President"	Eric Barrier, William Griffin	Eric B. & Rakim	Rakim
10	"Extended Beat"	Eric Barrier, William Griffin	Eric B. & Rakim	*Instrumental*

[edit] Samples Used

I Ain't No Joke

• "Pass The Peas" by The JB's
• "Theme from the Planets" by Dexter Wansel

Eric B Is On The Cut

• "I Think I'll Do It" by ZZ Hill
• "It's Great to Be Here" by The Jackson 5

I Know You Got Soul

• "Ain't Nobody" by Rufus
• "The Grunt" by James Brown
• "You'd Like It Too" by Funkadelic
• "Got To Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn
• "Pussyfooter" by Jackie Robinson
• "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson
• "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5
• "Greedy G" by the Brentford All-Stars
• "I Know You Got Soul" by Bobby Byrd
• "Ashley's Roachclip" by Soul Searchers
• "Last Night Changed it All (I Really Had a Ball)" by Esther Williams

Move The Crowd

• "Feel Good" by Fancy
• "N.T." by Kool and the Gang
• "Midnight Theme" by Manzel
• "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard
• "Sofistifunk" by Return to Forever
• "Beat Bop" by Rammelzee vs. K Rob
• "The Jam" by Graham Central Station
• "Soul Power '74" by Maceo & the Macks
• "Impeach The President" by The Honey Drippers
• "Pass The Peas" and "Hot Pants Road" by The JB's
• "Action Speaks Louder than Words" by Chocolate Milk
• "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Babe" by Barry White
• "(Say It Loud) I'm Black and I'm Proud", "Papa Don't Like No Mess" and "Don't Tell It" by James Brown

Paid In Full

• "Im Nin'Alu" by Ofra Haza
• "When Boys Talk" by Indeep
• "Hot Pants" by James Brown
• "Love Break" by Salsoul Orchestra
• "Change Le Beat" by Fab Five Freddy
• "Train Sequence" by Geoffrey Sumner
• "Boogie Woogie" by Sound Dimension
• "Ashley's Roachclip" by The Soul Searchers
• "Don't Look any Further" by Dennis Edwards
• "Love Break (Ooh I Love It)" by The Soul Children
• "We Want to Parrty, Parrty, Parrty" by Lyn Collins

As The Rhyme Goes On

• "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More Babe" by Isaac Hayes
• "Change le Beat" by Fab Five Freddy

Eric B. Is President

• "Long Red" by Mountain
• "The Champ" by the Mohawks
• "Funky President" by James Brown
• "Over Like a Fat Rat" by Ronda Fae

[edit] Album singles

Single cover	Single information
	"Eric B Is President" Released: 1986 B-side: "My Melody"
	"I Ain't No Joke" Released: 1987 B-side: "Eric B Is On The Cut"
	"I Know You Got Soul" Released: 1987 B-side:
	"Move The Crowd" Released: 1987 B-side: "Paid In Full"

[edit] Lawsuit

Ironically, in 2003 Eric B. alleged the artists had not in fact been paid in full for their work, and launched a lawsuit against Island Def Jam Music Group, Lyor Cohen, and Russell Simmons.^[4]

[edit] References

1. ^ http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:8v8o1vfjzzba
2. ^ http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2005/greatest_albums_0505/index11.jhtml
3. ^ http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:usuf6j8h71u0
4. ^ http://www.allhiphop.com/Hiphopnews/?ID=2463