Eric B. & Rakim – "Paid in Full" Review: The Most Influential Rap Album Ever Made
- Jay Jewels
- May 3
- 5 min read
Quick Verdict
Paid in Full arrived on July 7, 1987, and immediately set a new standard for what technical rap performance could be. Eric B. & Rakim’s debut album is the record that introduced Rakim Allah — widely regarded as the greatest technical MC in hip-hop history — to the world, and the record that permanently elevated the expectations placed on rappers from a rhythmic and lyrical standpoint. Eric B.’s production drew on James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and Bobby Byrd to build a minimalist, bass-heavy framework that gave Rakim maximum space for his unprecedented syllabic complexity, internal rhyme construction, and philosophical content. It is the most influential debut album in rap history by any measure of subsequent impact on the genre. Rolling Stone ranked it at #23 on their 2023 all-time list. It is the grandfather of every technically sophisticated rap that came after it. Rating: 10/10.
At a Glance
Album Details
Context: The Album That Set the Technical Standard for Rap
By 1987, rap music had been commercially active for eight years following “Rapper’s Delight” and had produced a succession of important records — Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, and Public Enemy had each advanced the art form in different directions. But no one had addressed the fundamental question of what the finest pure MC performance could sound like with the seriousness and technical rigour that Rakim brought to Paid in Full. Born William Michael Griffin Jr. in Wyandanch, Long Island, Rakim had studied jazz saxophone before turning to rap, and his musical training showed in his approach: he thought about rhythm, meter, and rhyme as a composer rather than a performer, constructing verses with an internal complexity that no MC before him had attempted. His multi-syllable internal rhyme schemes, his ability to hold multiple rhyme sounds simultaneously across multiple bars, and the philosophical weight of his content — drawn from Five Percent Nation theology and a genuine intellectual engagement with language — created a standard that shaped every technically ambitious rapper of the following three decades. Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Big L all cite Rakim as a foundational influence. Paid in Full is the album where this influence begins.
Production and Sonic Landscape
Eric B.’s production philosophy on Paid in Full is the opposite of the Bomb Squad’s maximalist approach — he strips everything back to give Rakim’s voice maximum presence. His beats are built primarily from James Brown samples — “Funky Drummer,” “Soul Pride,” “Alone Again,” and others — processed into minimal, bass-heavy loops that function as instrumental frames rather than productions in the contemporary sense. The drum patterns are hard and unadorned. The bass lines roll with a physical authority that makes each track feel rooted in the body before Rakim’s voice has entered. “Paid in Full” is the album’s most minimalist production — a single James Brown sample loop under Rakim’s most directly autobiographical verse. “I Know You Got Soul” builds a Bobby Byrd loop into the album’s most immediately infectious groove. “Move the Crowd” uses a funk sample to create the album’s most energetic performance vehicle. The production’s minimalism was not a limitation but a deliberate decision — Eric B. understood that Rakim needed space, and he provided it. The album is the most sampled record in hip-hop history. That statistic tells you everything about its production’s quality.
Lyricism, Flow, and Delivery
Rakim’s lyricism on Paid in Full is the single most technically significant body of work on any album in this series. His approach to rhyme is not the standard end-rhyme structure of late-1970s and early-1980s rap but a complex system of internal rhymes, multi-syllable rhyme chains, and near-rhymes that weave through individual bars and across multiple verse structures simultaneously. His delivery is also distinctive to the point of being unrepeatable — a measured, almost meditative calm that creates the impression of effortlessness while the technical content is doing the opposite of effortless work. The philosophical content of his verses — drawn from Five Percent Nation theology, his own artistic identity, and a genuine engagement with the act of rhyming as a spiritual and intellectual exercise — gives the album a conceptual seriousness that most rap of the era did not attempt. His opening verse on “I Ain’t No Joke” is considered by many hip-hop historians to be the finest single verse on any album of the decade — a statement of artistic mastery that raises the bar for every MC who heard it and understood what was being demonstrated.
Track-by-Track Review
Best Songs on Paid in Full
"I Know You Got Soul"
The album’s most immediately accessible and infectious track. Eric B.’s Bobby Byrd loop is irresistible, and Rakim’s delivery rides the groove with an ease that disguises the technical complexity of what he’s actually doing. The track became one of the most sampled in hip-hop history and remains the most immediate entry point into the album for listeners new to the era.
"I Ain't No Joke"
The album’s most technically celebrated track and the one most often cited as Rakim’s finest performance. His opening verse’s multi-syllable rhyme construction and its philosophical content — a meditation on artistic mastery delivered with complete calm — is considered by many hip-hop historians to be the finest verse on any album of the decade. The track is the clearest statement of what Rakim changed about the art form.
"Eric B. Is President"
The debut single that introduced the partnership and is one of the most important records in hip-hop history. Before the album existed, this single announced Rakim’s arrival with a verse that made every MC who heard it reconsider what they knew about rhyming. Its inclusion as the album’s final track rather than its opener is a production decision that functions as a statement of confidence: the album is strong enough to not need its most famous song at the beginning.
Final Verdict and Rating
Paid in Full is a perfect album and the most historically significant record in this entire series from the standpoint of its impact on subsequent rap. Rakim’s technical standard raised the bar permanently — every MC who came after him, from Nas and Jay-Z to Kendrick Lamar and Eminem, measured themselves against what he demonstrated on this album. Eric B.’s production is the most sampled in hip-hop history. At 42 minutes, it is the tightest record in this series. It is mandatory listening. Rolling Stone ranked it #23 all-time. That is not high enough.
Final Rating: 10/10
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paid in Full a good album?
Paid in Full is a perfect rap album and the most historically significant record from a technical MC standpoint in the genre's history. Rated 10/10 and ranked #23 on Rolling Stone's all-time list. Mandatory listening.
What are the best songs on Paid in Full?
The five essential tracks are: "I Know You Got Soul," "I Ain't No Joke," "Eric B. Is President," "Paid in Full," and "My Melody." The album is only 42 minutes. Just listen to the whole thing.
What is the rating for Paid in Full?
Rap Reviews Daily rates Paid in Full a perfect 10/10. It is the most historically significant album from a technical MC standpoint on this entire list, and the record that established the standard every subsequent rapper has been measured against.
References and Further Listening
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