Rakim
Sign in to saveWilliam Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (), is an American rapper. He is one half of golden age hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: Paid in Full (1987), Follow the Leader (1988), ''Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990), and Don't Sweat the Technique (1992). He also released five solo albums: The 18th Letter (1997), The Master (1999), The Seventh Seal (2009), G.O.D.'s Network: Reb7rth'' (2024) and The Re-Up (2025)
Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1968-01-28
- Works
- 4
Top works
- 21. yüzyıl yaklaşırken Beyoğlu ve İstiklâl Caddesi (Cadde-i Kebi, Grande rue de Pera)
- Hızır Bey Çelebi
- Tourist's guide to Istanbul
- Turistik İstanbul rehberi
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · New York City, New York, USA
William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (/rɑːˈkɪm/), is an American rapper. He is one half of golden age hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: Paid in Full (1987), Follow the Leader (1988), Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990), and Don't Sweat the Technique (1992). He also released four solo albums: The 18th Letter (1997), The…
Known for
- Sean Combs: The Reckoning — Self (archive footage)2025
- All Up in the Biz — Self2023
- The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sports — Self2023
- A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop — Self2023
- Off-Time — Mack Griffin2022
- You're Watching Video Music Box — Self2021
- Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell — Self - Hip-Hop Artist (archive footage)2021
- The Last O.G. — The Siz2018
- Word is Bond — Self2017
- From Scratch: The Birth of Hip Hop — Self2017
via TMDB
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 651,279
- Total plays
- 6,408,620
Tags
Hip-Hoprapold schoolnew yorkhip hop
Rakim (pronounced rah-KIM) (Born William Michael Griffin Jr. on January 28, 1968 in Long Island, New York, USA) is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop. He is consistently cited as one of the most skilled (and top amongst the most influential) MCs of all time due to his exceptional flow and complex lyrical craftsmanship, he revolutionized hip-hop lyricism with his complex flow, elaborate metaphors and rapid delivery. Together with Eric B, he released a number of classic
via Last.fm · Rakim
Recent publications · Crossref
5 total works indexed
- Colloidal Mechanisms of Gold Nanoparticle Loss in Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation
· 2016 · cited 33x
- Thermoresponsive and Photoluminescent Hybrid Silicon Nanoparticles by Surface‐Initiated Group Transfer Polymerization of Diethyl Vinylphosphonate
· 2014 · cited 26x
- Improving oxygen barrier property of biaxially oriented PET/phosphate glass composite films
· 2017 · cited 23x
- Effect of Prey Limitation on Competitive Interactions Between a Native Lady Beetle,<i>Coccinella novemnotata</i>, and an Invasive Lady Beetle,<i>Coccinella septempunctata</i>(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
· 2014 · cited 19x
- Behavioral responses of gravid
<i>Culex quinquefasciatus, Aedes aegypti</i>
, and
<i>Anopheles quadrimaculatus</i>
mosquitoes to aquatic macrophyte volatiles
· 2018 · cited 15x
via Crossref · CC0
Key facts
- Musical artist.name
- Rakim
- Musical artist.image
- Rakim at Paid Dues 4 (cropped).jpg
- Musical artist.caption
- Rakim performing in 2008
- Musical artist.birth_name
- William Michael Griffin Jr.
- Musical artist.alias
- The God MC • Kid Wizard • The R • The 18th Letter • Rakim Allah • Ra • Microphone Fiend.
- Musical artist.birth_place
- Wyandanch, New York, U.S.
- Musical artist.discography
- Rakim discography
- Musical artist.past_member_of
- Eric B. & Rakim
- Person.embed
- yes
- Person.signature
- Rakim sig.svg
via Wikipedia infobox
Key dates
- Born
- 28 January 1968
via Wikidata · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- William
- Family name
- Griffin
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- United States
- Place of birth
- New York City
- Occupation
- singer
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Religion
- Islam
- Field of work
- music industry
Article
18 sectionsContents
- Early life
- Career
- Pairing with Eric B. (1985–1992)
- 1986–87: Beginnings and classic debut
- 1988–89: Sophomore peak
- 1990–92: Final albums and dissolution
- Solo-career (1993–present)
- 1993–2003: Legal issues, solo debut, and Aftermath stint
- 2007–2009: ''The Seventh Seal''
- 2011–present: Reunion with Eric B. and ''G.O.D.'s Network: Reb7rth''
- Artistry
- Legacy
- Discography
- Studio albums
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (), is an American rapper. He is one half of golden age hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: Paid in Full (1987), Follow the Leader (1988), ''Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990), and Don't Sweat the Technique (1992). He also released five solo albums: The 18th Letter (1997), The Master (1999), The Seventh Seal (2009), G.O.D.'s Network: Reb7rth'' (2024) and The Re-Up (2025)
Rakim is considered a transformative figure in hip hop. He helped to pioneer the use of internal rhymes and multisyllabic rhymes, and was among the first to demonstrate the possibilities of sitting down to write intricately crafted lyrics packed with clever word choices and metaphors rather than the more improvisational styles and simpler rhyme patterns that predominated before him. Rakim is also credited with creating the overall shift from the more simplistic old school flows to more complex flows. Rapper Kool Moe Dee explained: "Rakim is basically the inventor of flow. We were not even using the word flow until Rakim came along. It was called rhyming, it was called cadence, but it wasn't called flow. Rakim created flow!"
Gallery (7)
Connections
Categories
1968 births20th-century African-American musicians20th-century American male rappers20th-century American rappers21st-century African-American male rappers21st-century African-American rappers21st-century American male rappers21st-century American rappersAfrican-American songwritersAftermath Entertainment artistsAmerican male songwriters