Rakim speaks on Dre and Aftermath

[Ally Al]

Rakim Speaks out on Dr. Dre
Monday - April 3, 2006
A-Plus

Rakim recently broke his silence on his relationship with Aftermath Records and Dr. Dre.

It seems that creative differences and an undesired image change led to one of the greats breaking away from the good Doctor. Here are some highlights from the interview which can be found on XXL’s web site.

”The artist that I am is the artist I want to remain” he says of himself. ”My integrity and my pride for my craft, hip-hop and the hood is something that I don’t want to play with Dre, I respect him. He’s a smart cat, man. He knows what’s in the mainstream. But at the same time, picking the guns back up and talking about a lot of the dirt that I’ve been around and seen, I don’t think that’s a smart move for me right now. I respect the people that I been around. I respect the neighborhood too much. I don’t want to play myself short with that. The things that I’ve seen and the people that I’ve been around is real people. I respect them, and I’m not going to do nothing to put them out there.”

Rakim went on to say that he felt some pressure from Dre to conform to today’s Hip Hop standards when making music.

”Dre got his people around him that would speak to me, or they would ask my manager to ask me. Sitting down in the studio and speaking to Dre, he would most of the time say, “Well, that’s what I want you to talk about, Ra.” Things that go on in the ’hood, things that I’ve been around—that’s what he wanted me to speak on and that was clear. And some of the people at his label, that was they message as well.”

While the emcee can still keep it street, you won’t see him going the way of the G Units and Young Jeezy’s. At this stage of his career, Rakim needs a purpose to go there.

”I do grimy records, but it has to have a purpose. One of the grimiest records I did was “Juice,” and that was for a movie. Its purpose was to show you the difference between what you think juice is and what happens if you take the wrong road.”



this is good to read in this day and age i think

[cj hood]

if dre was like this with rakim, imagine what he did with eminem....

[pshabi]

if dre was like this with rakim, imagine what he did with eminem....
Good point.

[checkyourprez]

why do you think you hear eminem singing his hooks, and not coming with that hard ass shit he used to in his freestyles and early stuff?

dre was like yo you wanna be with me and make money be my bitch.


thats why i respect rakim and think he is one of the serious greats. wont compromise his style to sell records. that is commendable on so many levels.

[ASsman]

Corporate bitches. Good read indeed.

[The Notorious LOL]

yeah but if hes talking about "not compromising" and dropping straight garbage like the 18th letter he should just retire.

[Kid Presentable]

So Addictive was fiyah.

[Ally Al]

yeah but if hes talking about "not compromising" and dropping straight garbage like the 18th letter he should just retire.


All the greats make bad albums it's unavoidable, or at least so it would seem, but i still think Rakim can be relevant and make a modern classic with the right production behind him. Hopefully then he'll be able to afford a nice big plate of fish, which is his favourite dish apparently

[The Notorious LOL]

Im sure Rakim is still living okay. Probably not in a mansion or anything, but Im sure hes comfy.

[mickill]

I just want him to stop. He's tarnishing his legacy with garbage like After You Die and R.A.K.I.M. and whatever little cameos he's been making. And he was doing commercials for gold teeth. I mean, stop already.

I thought the 18th Letter had a few good songs. The Master was a lot less impressive.

I hear Preemo will be handling the bulk of the production on the "next" album, and that Dre will contribute a few tracks. I read an interview with Mel Man, who used to co-produce with Dre. He said that Rakim left because he was left on the back burner for too long and because Dre kept rejecting beats he was getting from NY producers, including Preemo. They didn't click, apparently.

[roosta]

The 18th Letter had its moments....."When I Be On the Mic" was great (only thing i know from "The Master")


Only thing he can do is an album with like...Primo, Pete Rock and Large Proffessor handling the production....maybe a big banger from Just Blaze for the single.

ANything else would be poo. I mean, what's he gonna talk about? How Allah is in his socks?

[Ally Al]

Only thing he can do is an album with like...Primo, Pete Rock and Large Proffessor handling the production....maybe a big banger from Just Blaze for the single.


this is how it should be for me, just a full NY album, forget about Dre, maybe with a little north carolina thrown in for good measure. i think the god would kill it over a 9th beat

also, bring that uptempo hip hop back, just update it

[deadbeatz1]

Sadly, this is what rap has become. People are more worried about the music than with what people got to say. When "Paid In Full" came out, everybody was like, "Listen to that cat flow." Now, we're worried about who's producin' the shit. We need to get back to the bangers like '88, know what I mean?! Like Wu came out in '93. A few music licks, a big kick. Some chant. And let the motherfucker go off. That's what I want. Keep it off the radio. Leave that for Diddy and 50.

[The Notorious LOL]

rap hasnt become like that, its been like that. Hence the reason people bought Group Homes albums.

[Ally Al]

if you want 50 numbers though it's all about radio play these days, or BET or whatever. Target the right audience and there's a possiblity of gold but play it safe and try and play both sides of the fence and he could lose both ways i think. Kanye could bring enough attention, that'd be nice. Anyways mc's are just hopeless thinking record sales make them the dopest

[roosta]

i completely forgot what an awful song "R.A.K.I.M." is.


thanks for reminding me about it Mickill you fucker.

[Hiplanedriftr]

An R record produced by the likes of a kanye West is laughable.

RZA is one dude who comes to mind who might be able to spin an update on that mid/late 80's rawness that we all know and love from Rakim. Either that or go with some strictly underground producer who hasn't been tainted by what Warner bros. music says the people want.

[roosta]

RZA, as much as i like the man and his work, has fallen off completely. He does, what, one good beat a year? If even?

[Ally Al]

[QUOTE=Hiplanedriftr]An R record produced by the likes of a kanye West is laughable.


laughable for what reason ?

also you missed my point

[Rip Round'n Roc]

i remember readin a swizz beats interview in Scratch, and he said he had the opertunity to work with Rakim, but he didn' t want to do it, because he didn't think he had what it would take to continue his legacy, he was like if he put out a Rakim record and it was wack he would have killed himself

[Ally Al]

i remember readin a swizz beats interview in Scratch, and he said he had the opertunity to work with Rakim, but he didn' t want to do it, because he didn't think he had what it would take to continue his legacy, he was like if he put out a Rakim record and it was wack he would have killed himself


LOL

mind you i keep reading that swizz is bringing the heat of late BUT i've not heard any of yet so i'm not going to pass judgement just yet

[Hiplanedriftr]

[QUOTE=Hiplanedriftr]An R record produced by the likes of a kanye West is laughable.


laughable for what reason ?

also you missed my point

Wasn't trying to diminish your idea. I just see them as being diverse ends of a spectrum. To me Rakim IS raw and real and old school and Kanye is all fluffy, marketable and fake new school. Just MHO.

I did get your point however. I could see Kanye bringing instant numbers to the sales of R's album. At what cost though?

Do kids today even like Rakim or know who he is?

[Ally Al]

[QUOTE=Ally Al]

Wasn't trying to diminish your idea. I just see them as being diverse ends of a spectrum. To me Rakim IS raw and real and old school and Kanye is all fluffy, marketable and fake new school. Just MHO.

I did get your point however. I could see Kanye bringing instant numbers to the sales of R's album. At what cost though?

Do kids today even like Rakim or know who he is?

right ok. Yeah i see what your saying but with kanye's high profile he'd be ideal to bring the attention to a new rakim project because "the kids" prolly don't know who he is or rather the mainstream kids won't. I'm sure there are millions of kids coming up who are hardcore hip hop fans back tracking musically, and checking out all the greats but if he could get the attention of the other kids as well he's on to a winner, no ?

i wouldn't want mr west making any emcee cameo's BUT i do think a couple of beats from him would do no harm at all. I'm fairly sure he'd be more respectful of Rakims work and style. I like a lot kanye's beats personally so i would like to hear what would come from a collaboration

[checkyourprez]

all the kiddies know today is dipset and 50 and that crap. its all they hear, all they see. and kids are impressionable.


i remember i was at a party like 2 years ago, and this girl had her little shit brothers there and their friends about 14/15. they were talking about "good rappers" putting j.r.writter and juezl and all these other homos at the top of the lists.

i started named quality rappers (rakim and the like), even when i said nas, whom is still relevant, they thought i didnt know what i was talking about.

they just get brainwashed from such an early age about whats cool, instead of whats flat out good.

its a shame.

[Ally Al]

yikes

that sucks. The most unfortunate thing is they'll all aspire to be just like their heroes

there's still some hope i think though, i'm keepin' the faith (c) de la

[Qdrop]

all the kiddies know today is dipset and 50 and that crap. its all they hear, all they see. and kids are impressionable.


i remember i was at a party like 2 years ago, and this girl had her little shit brothers there and their friends about 14/15. they were talking about "good rappers" putting j.r.writter and juezl and all these other homos at the top of the lists.

i started named quality rappers (rakim and the like), even when i said nas, whom is still relevant, they thought i didnt know what i was talking about.

they just get brainwashed from such an early age about whats cool, instead of whats flat out good.

its a shame.

i would have left that party....

[ASsman]

Not before grabings two girlies and a beer, that's cold.

[checkyourprez]

i would have left that party....


they were in one of their rooms not really into the thing. but had it been a party of nothing but those kids i would have. but then again i would have been quite the loser to be going to a party full of 15 year olds anyways now wouldnt i.