007: "Constant Elevation Causes Expansion, I Write My Rhymes While I Cool In My Mansion..."
The God MC serves up a reminder that internal values are the key to mastering one's craft and yielding the greatest success
It doesn’t get more hip-hop than Rakim. He is a juggernaut. From the moment he debuted, “The God MC” took hip-hop by storm from the 80s, into the golden age of hip-hop and beyond. Even in the present day, despite the hyper-opinionated periods of late since the turn of this century, he has maintained his regal title and status without being checked, let alone challenged. It truly speaks volumes to his pioneering contributions and legendary status. Everything we love about this art form - be it ingenious punchlines, outrageous wordplay, hypnotic flows or grandiose displays of intelligence and consciousness - all roads have a good chance of leading back to Rakim, a titan of an emcee.
A little shy of 2 years ago, Rakim sat down with The Breakfast Club to give an interview. He had released his book “Sweat The Technique” a few months prior, and he was at his usual calm, collected and intellectual best discussing a wide range of topics. Having Sade’s “Smooth Operator” play in the background as he waxed lyrical for over an hour would have been a fitting accompaniment to his mannerisms and overall demeanour.
Rakim was on top form in his interview and kept it real throughout. He cuts the same figure into his 50s as he did when he first burst onto the scene. He still has his head firmly screwed on and is as sharp as anybody could possibly be. It’s pretty impressive to have such an assured sense of humility for somebody who is unanimously referred to as “Rakim Allah”, amongst many other superlatives.
By now, you know that the focus of this newsletter is on 3 key areas; Identity. Lifestyle. Logic. So with that in mind, here are some of the key quotes and segments to highlight and take away from Rakim’s conversation:
Rakim has a musical background having played instruments in his formative years, which he said lead to a natural transition into hip-hop
Rakim realised early on that he had to adapt and switch his style up as far as his raps went - he credited his OGs for highlighting this, however he also says he struck a balance between taking on their advice and finding his own lane so that he could “mould into my own shape and be me… I’m glad I stuck to my guns and did what was best for me”
His initial plans revolved around American football and college, to the extent where he said: “I was content with being a neighbourhood rapper and going to college” - he also mentions his experiences playing as a quarterback influenced his character and taught him to be a leader
“It was hard finding a lane with everybody talking gangsta rap… I always tried to put conscience in… What we in knew in the street, we kept in the street - I tried to separate the two”
He also touched on his infamous exit/annulment from Aftermath Records
Rakim confirmed that he owns his masters (master recordings), he said he had good contract when he signed his deal
“My mentality and ideology, the way I see things, I credit that to the time I came up”
“Hip-hop back then, you felt being apart of it… It gave us discipline, a sense of pride”
On the topic of balancing his spirituality and Islamic beliefs with the world of entertainment, Rakim said: “If I feel I can justify it, I can do it”
“I’m big on principle”
You can stake a claim that the consistency in his self-righteousness is what’s resulted in Rakim’s innovative artistic output. Personally, hearing him speak these words immediately drew links back to his discography and catalogues of songs or rhymes. “Know The Ledge”, “Follow The Leader”, “Paid In Full”; Rakim’s music and everyday life come hand-in-hand. It’s clear that he had it in him from a young age, influenced by those whom he grew up around and was raised by. Growth doesn’t have to necessarily mean change, because finding yourself can happen at any moment. The most impressive thing is that Rakim maintained it and kept it constant. Ultimately, this allowed him to do whatever he wanted to do because he had the balls to do it. He never compromised himself and compartmentalised parts of his life as he saw fit, keeping shit on a need to know basis. His internal compass guided his every move flawlessly, filtering out the good from the bad at every stage.
“Constant elevation causes expansion,
I write my rhymes while I cool in my mansion”
The strength of Rakim’s character is a continuous, underlying theme in both his music and personal life. This is what’s allowed him to excel in multiple fields and defend his position in the face of challenge and criticism. It’s fitting that in a song titled “I Know You Got Soul”, Rakim paints the picture of continuously developing his lyricism - his ultimate craft - even when it results in tangible rewards. The best in the business stay on top by compounding their growth and skillset in any environment. The mansion isn’t the reward, it’s the freedom to keep doing what he does best that is. And of course, being better than us at it, too.
When you’re passionate about something, you can find fuel for your fire no matter what stands in it’s way. It sure as hell could not have been easy to walk away from Dr. Dre when his and Aftermath Records’ stock was at it’s highest, or to look your elders in the face and respectfully disagree with some of their advice, or even to pursue a music career when university was on the table. But it just so happens that The God MC, his notepad and a microphone were an inseparable match made in heaven. In an age where opinions and outside interference rears it’s head at every corner, we can look at Rakim’s come up and personality to learn and draw inspiration from. Seek the right advice, ensure that those around you have no agenda and think with a clear head.
Do yourself justice, utilise your mind.
WhosAria
A Word On The Song/Artist
As a hip-hop fan, it’s impossible to avoid coming across Rakim’s name. Maybe you’re informed from an older listener, or perhaps your inquisitive nature leads you down a rabbit hole where you finally come across his discography. For myself, it was a bit of both. One thing I can recall though is that there was always a mystique around Rakim and his reputation that I’ve never come across before with other artists or public figures in general. It’s comparable to describing a superhero from a comic book - you’re completely sold and in on the idea, but can’t fully believe that something or somebody so cool and peerless exists. Well, he does.
When I came across Paid In Full and played it for the first time, my mind was genuinely blown to the extent where hip-hop as a genre suddenly started to make sense. The amount of soundbites and lines that I already knew of because they were referenced elsewhere was staggering. While I thoroughly enjoy all of Rakim’s work (and Eric B too, of course), the Wee-Bay meme moment I had listening to his bars from start to finish remains unmatched. Rakim is the embodiment of hip-hop and he truly deserves the respect and admiration he gets. Respect your elders.
