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William Michael Griffin Jr., or better known by his stage name Rakim, is an American hip-hop artist from Long Island, New York.
Griffin was born on 28 January 1968 and at the age of 18 became involved in the New York hip-hop scene. At first he was known as Kid Wizard, but took the name Rakim Allah when he joined The Nation of Gods and Earths. He teamed up with Eric Barrier (aka Eric B) and together the pair recorded and released four albums before parting ways in 1992.
From 1995 through 1996, Rakim recorded several demos/songs by himself, and in 1997 released “The 18th Letter.” Two years later he also released “The Master” which, along with “The 18th Letter” was very well received. Rakim was then signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label in 2000, however, due to numerous changes in artistic direction and personnel the album that he had been working on had been delayed several times. This resulted in Rakim leaving the label in 2003.
Rakim retreated to his Connecticut estate to work leisurely on music, and it wasn’t until 2009 that he released any new music. Because he was able to retain the tracks he had made with Dr. Dre, Rakim released “The Seventh Seal” in 2009 on his own label, and it was followed shortly by a live album. In 2011, Rakim performed Paid in Full in its entirety at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, and in honor of its 25th anniversary Rakim and Erib released a special edition of the record.
Read moreHip hop isn’t a genre known for the modesty of its musicians, but to be fair to Rakim, describing himself as the ‘God MC’ probably isn’t unreasonable. Put simply, he’s one of the most influential rappers of all time, with his collaborative classic with Eric B, Paid in Full, one of the defining works of the genre. Two years ago, respected hip hop magazine The Source named him the greatest lyricist of all time, and he’s widely considered to be one of, if not the, greatest MC in hip hop history. The more you think about it, the more the bravado in that self-ascribed moniker seems totally fair. He continues to play live, too, although his fear of flying means he doesn’t make it over to the UK all that often; his last visit, in 2011, saw him open the Science of Speech tour that also featured De La Soul and Black Star. His set was a straightforward, fifty-fifty affair; decked out in camo gear, he split his performance between Eric B & Rakim classics, and numerous cut from his most recent album, The Seventh Seal, which was released in 2009, and that he continued to promote to the crowd between songs as well as during them. He might not be topping the bills these days, but no true hip hop fan would pass up the opportunity to see him; he’s one of the genre’s genuine icons.
I ALWAYS LOVE seeing My FAVORITE MC, The G.O.AT. Rakim perform. The show was great, but I wished I could have gotten back stage to get a picture with him. I thought they would have been selling back stage passes like at the Apollo in July. I guess because of the situation at the Barclay last month, security was really tight. I have been to Michigan and California to see him this year, as well as at Don Coqui in May in Queens, and The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival in June. I will be attending the show in Boston this weekend and in Virgina Beach in December. I hope My FAVORITE MC will see me and be able to take a pic with me...For the record I was able to get pics in May, June, July, August and September, so I can't be too sad...LOL...He is THE GREATEST and always so Humble...I just love the person he is and have always since I was 13. He to me is the EPIPHANY of what a Man & an MC should be...I wanted to be just like him when I was growing up; well, a female version anyway...He helped me learn who I was at an early age. A Queen and a Goddess, a child of The Most High...HE IS MAGICAL and definitely of The Most High...As long as I have the funds, and am able to get off from work, I will ALWAYS support My MC...Rakim ALWAYS gives a GREAT show...Thanks...
William Michael Griffin, Jr. better known by his stage persona Rakim is considered to be one of the most iconic and influential rappers of our time due to his impressive solo discography and his part in the esteemed duo Eric B. & Rakim. The two have collected numerous accolades by a whole host of esteemed publications over the years including MTV and The Source.
There is no surprise then that Rakim's live show is one of instant sell out when he takes to the road to showcase this celebrated. Tonight is all about the solo material as Rakim runs through his debut album 'The 18th Letter' in its near entirety for the cheering fans. He does acknowledge his past endeavours and his famous collaborator with a thumping performance of 'Eric. B Is President'. The audience cannot be faulted for their energy levels this evening as they jump, sing, cheer and applaud in all the right places. Rakim's hype men hardly have anything to do, especially by the final performance of 'Paid In Full' as the recognisable introduction near breaks the sound barrier.
The show was great! D.J John Blaze warmed us up with a bunch of late 80's, and 90's Hip Hop tracks. Rakims D.J followed with a 30 minute rush through great old school New York tracks, and then The God M.C hit the stage, and did a backwards run of hits, Starting with his solo album "The 18th Letter" and ending with Paid in full!!! He never slowed down, interacted with the crowd, and although it was just about 1/3 compacity of the room fulled, he gave all the Hip Hop heads in attendance a great bang for the buck show!!! Shout out to The R for a wonderful evening!!!
Rakim is my man's favorite artists and we were both very excited about seeing the God. We got there really early so we'd get good seats or standing spots, which we did. The show was supposed to start at 9. Rakim didn't come on stage until after 11! The house DJ was great and Rakim's DJ was good too. The concert was good but was overshadowed by how late it started. People were tired and even started booing before Rakim finally came out. Two hours late isn't acceptable to make fans wait. Rakim did apologize at the end for the delay, which I was glad he did.
The Rakim concert was postponed to next Saturday. The promoter informed the audience a good 2+ hours after doors were open. He said that Rakim was involved in a motor vehicle accident on his way and while Rakim suffered no injuries he will not be able to make it to Washington DC.
I look forward to seeing Rakim next Saturday
Great show, R got on at midnight, got off at 1am. There was a good 10 - 15 minutes where the DJ did his thing within that interval.
Overall he did all his most well known songs. I always like seeing him when he does some of his less mainstream stuff but this was a solid set. Can't complain!
As ALWAYS, My FAVORITE MC, Rakim Allah, put on the GREATEST Show ever. He is always pleasant, fan friendly, courteous, and energetic. I can't wait until 12/29/2017 in Washington DC. I am more than sure I will be pleased with his performance as always. I JUST SIMPLY ADORE HIM...
The Rakim show at Newport Blues Cafe was amazing! It was truly an honor to open for the God MC along with my DirtyDurdie brethren, Lord Gremithy and Unk11. Rakim is definitely a master of what he does. Highly recommended if you have never seen him live before.
Great local showcase and Rakim absolutely amazing experience. The show started very late about 1230. The crowd was getting antsy with anticipation for a lot of us over 40 we have working kids. But when it was all said and done is absolutely bangin
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Rakim is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 3 concerts across 1 country in 2024-2025. View all concerts.
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