Follow the Leader (Eric B. & Rakim song)

"Follow the Leader"
Single by Eric B. & Rakim
from the album Follow the Leader
B-side "Just a Beat"
Released 1988
Format 12"
Genre Hip hop
Length 5:36
Label MCA
Writer(s) Eric Barrier, Rakim Allah
Producer Eric B.
Eric B. & Rakim singles chronology
"Paid in Full"
(1988)		 "Follow the Leader"
(1988)		 "The R"
(1989)

"Follow the Leader" was the first single and title track from the hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim's second album. The song, with its pulsing bass line and almost-ambient use of samples, signaled a departure from the minimalism of the duo's first album, Paid in Full. Rakim's lyrics showcase the rapper's lyrical prowess, as he takes the listener on a metaphorical voyage into outer space. The song peaked at #9 on the Rap/Hip Hop charts when it was released in 1988, and has since become one of Eric B. & Rakim's most recognized singles. In the second verse Rakim says "by showin' & provin' and lettin' knowledge be born." and the "Showin' provin'" part was sampled for the Big Daddy Kane song "Show & Prove".

Samples

Eric B. & Rakim
Studio albums
Compilations
20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Eric B. & Rakim · Classic · Gold · Repaid in Full: The Paid in Full Remixed · Rarities Edition: Paid in Full
Singles
"Eric B. Is President" · "I Ain't No Joke" · "I Know You Got Soul" · "Move the Crowd" · "Paid in Full" · "Follow the Leader" · "The R" · "Microphone Fiend" · "In the Ghetto" · "Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em" · "Mahogany" · "What's on Your Mind?" · "Casualties of War" · "Don't Sweat the Technique" · "Know the Ledge"
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