Eric B and Rakim - Paid in Full : The Platinum Edition (1987/1998) (FLAC)

One of the most influential rap albums of all time, Eric B. & Rakim's Paid in Full only continues to grow in stature as the record that ushered in hip-hop's modern era. The stripped-down production might seem a little bare to modern ears, but Rakim's technique on the mic still sounds utterly contemporary, even state-of-the-art -- and that from a record released in 1987, just one year after Run-D.M.C. hit the mainstream. 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. The key cuts here are some of the most legendary rap singles ever released, starting with the duo's debut sides, "Eric B. Is President" and "My Melody." "I Know You Got Soul" single-handedly kicked off hip-hop's infatuation with James Brown samples, and Eric B. & Rakim topped it with the similarly inclined "I Ain't No Joke," a stunning display of lyrical virtuosity. The title cut, meanwhile, planted the seeds of hip-hop's material obsessions over a monumental beat. There are also three DJ showcases for Eric B., who like Rakim was among the technical leaders in his field. If sampling is the sincerest form of admiration in hip-hop, Paid in Full is positively worshipped. Just to name a few: Rakim's tossed-off "pump up the volume," from "I Know You Got Soul," became the basis for M/A/R/R/S' groundbreaking dance track; Eminem, a devoted Rakim student, lifted lines from "As the Rhyme Goes On" for the chorus of his own "The Way I Am"; and the percussion track of "Paid in Full" has been sampled so many times it's almost impossible to believe it had a point of origin. Paid in Full is essential listening for anyone even remotely interested in the basic musical foundations of hip-hop -

- this is the form in its purest essence. (allmusic)

The Album

1-01 I Ain't No Joke 3:52 

1-02 Eric B Is On The Cut 3:49 

1-03 My Melody (Remix Marley Marl) 6:46 

1-04 I Know You Got Soul 4:44 

1-05 Move The Crowd 3:47 

1-06 Paid In Full 3:48 

1-07 As The Rhyme Goes On 4:00 

1-08 Chinese Arithmetic 4:06 

1-09 Eric B Is President (Remix Marley Marl) 6:17 

1-10 Extended Beat 3:49 

The Remixes

2-01 Paid In Full (Seven Minutes Of Madness - The Cold Cut Remix) 7:10 

2-02 I Know You Got Soul (The Richie Rich Mega-Mix) 4:55 

2-03 Move The Crowd (The Wild Bunch Remix) 4:23 

2-04 Paid In Full (Derek B.'s Urban Respray) 5:12 

2-05 As The Rhyme Goes On (Pumpin' The Turbo - Chad Jay In Effect) 6:08 

2-06 Move The Crowd (Beatmix By The Democratic 3 Feat. D.J. Slack) 7:08 

2-07 I Know You Got Soul (Acapella) 4:42 

2-08 I Know You Got Soul (Dub) (Remix Patrick Adams) 4:45 

2-09 Eric B Is President (Dub) (Remix MC Shan, Marley Marl) 4:03 

2-10 My Melody (Dub) 6:29

CD1

CD2