Eric B. & Rakim - I Ain't No Joke / Eric B. Is On The Cut (7)

Craft a record iconic enough and, no matter what you�ve sampled to make it, you�re destined to be sampled more yourself. It helps if you�ve got Rakim�s voice, of course. When he and Eric B went into Power Play Studios in New York in 1987 to record �I Ain�t No Joke�, their next move was highly anticipated due to the critical success of the duo�s first record, �Eric B. Is President�. Rakim was already seen as a masterful MC with a distinctive slow, baritone flow and seamless access to a rich vein of words not often heard in hip-hop.People�s first exposure to this track was on the landmark �Paid in Full� album, and it was clear this had the potential to jump off as a single. The repetitive, simply scratched sample of �Pass the Peas� by the JB�s was an infectious ear worm that needed a truly strong MC to stand up to it. He did more than that � here Rakim spun timeless lyrics and lines that would go on to be sampled and referred to dozens of times down through hip-hop history. He took one of rap�s great instrumentals and wrestled it to the floor.Of course, you can�t have Eric B & Rakim without Eric B. The DJ gets his time to shine on the flip, and while he isn�t a man renowned for his dexterity and turntablist skills, the track still knocks. Maybe it�s because Eric B has already realised what many would come to work out later: If you haven�t got Rakim on your record, at least scratch his vocals. This re-release comes with a brand new cover utilising some of Dan Lish�s trademark artwork.