Rakim discusses growing up with a musical family, playing saxophone for eight years.
Although Rakim may be most well-known for his skills on the mic, the rapper detailed his musical expertise outside of rap, during a conversation with KRS-One. During the conversation between the two emcees, Rakim revealed that he played saxophone from fourth to twelfth grade, and was a huge fan of jazz musician John Coltrane.
“What it was is I played sax…I went through the whole school of music thing,” Rakim said in a Boom Bap Nation video. “I learned how to read music…My mother sang jazz to opera in Brooklyn. Back when she was going to school. She was singing for The Apollo, amateur night. She was going for her thing until my pops stepped in and was like ‘Yo, we gon’ go out here and buy a crib and sit down. You know what I mean?’ But my moms was going hard, man. And my brother played everything from piano to woodwinds and shit like that, man. So, I came up under a good [roof for] good music. First thing that made sense to me was joining a band.”
Rakim later explained that John Coltrane’s ability to play two notes at once inspired the way he wrote his rhymes.
“Hearing what John Coltrane was doing, the solos and the rhythms that he was doing, it was just in me,” he said. “And I started realizing, holding on to all them rhythms that I heard in jazz, when I started sitting down to write rhymes in Hip Hop, I wasn’t just hearing ‘one, two, three, four.’ I was hearing ‘one and two and three and four.’ I started realizing ‘Yo, if I could fill in all this space with rhythms and intellectual words and grab ‘em. And four, five syllable words.’ I figured out I can make the same rhythms that he was making by using certain syllable words and using certain syllable words after each other.”
Video of Rakim speaking with KRS-One about his music background, can be found below.
“Wit knowledge of self, there’s nothing I can’t solve
At 360 degrees, I revolve
This is actual fact, it’s not an act, it’s been proven,
Indeed and I proceed to make the crowd keep moving”
He from the era when words meant something. RA you need to come do a show in the H.
Respect the LEGENDS! There would be no hip hop without these ”granpa” MCs. Kids need to stay in check, for real!!!!
Is that Rah Digga? She looks old now.
Rakim may be getting old, but when he speaks, it’s best for you all to shut up and listen to what he got to say because he can speak truth to someone and don’t even know it.
Shout out to the god MC an Knowledge Reigns Supreme over nearly every-ONE.. To the trolls you can’t like hiphop then hate on the pioneers of it.. May peace prevail in the new year
All these so called “GREATS” today can lick on KRS one left nut-sack and Rakim’s right nut-sack, including Jay-Z. Snoop said it on the GGN channel not too long ago when KRS-One grabbed the mic he makes everyone realize he’s the Master of this shit.
Why do people always have to dismiss this generation in order to praise golden era legends? You can celebrate the culture without shaking your fist at what the younger generation are doing today. Fuck outta here with that bullshit.
Obviously this new.generation has no respect whatsoever for.the legends. You have goofballs like vince staples and that Odd.Future homo disrespecting the golden era like they were trash. Hip Hop is at the lowest point.right now. Forgot about the money
LOL you have no idea what Hip-Hop even is, you fucking retard
What “Odd.Future homo” are you talking about? And Vince Staples wasn’t even born during the golden era so he’s obviously going to have a different perspective than your old ass. Golden Era heads talked shit about James Brown even as they were re-appropriating his music. A little defiance is good for Hip-Hop; otherwise shit would just remain Statik.
Two hiphop greats. Salute to both of them.
Real sh1t right there.. And if ya’ll young dudes on here criticizing on him on his age then F you! Remember my little Nukkas you have to get to his age! Peace retarted littl Nukkas!
His latest album was underrated af
Retire old men. Its childish if grown men rap about being number one and having flows. hiphop is for kids and not for grampa Rakim
You’re an idiot who probably thinks Trap music is what Hip-Hop is…Smh. The fuck outta here dummy
If you and I do mean if, you live long enough you will be his age!!!
Dumb lil Nukka!
This just shows how stupid people are and how hard it is for people think on their own. Age in the music industry is an artificial invention. Back before the Internet radio was the only way to promote your music. As a result, the labels would market to people between 13-21 and forget about anyone else. That was their target market as these people bought most of the music. This was back when there were record stores and you had to go buy an LP or CD.
If you actually use your brain for a minute, you will realize that Hip Hop is based on lyrics, stories and how well you can spit on a track. Lyrics come from talent and life experiences. Some of the best MC’s are older now and making the best music of their careers because they have had a lifetime full of experiences – thus they write better lyrics.
Personally, I would rather listen to someone like Rakim who has 40+ years of life experience and has more to offer than drinking and smoking lyrics. I don’t understand the mentality that age has anything to do with the quality of music. I also don’t get the mentality that older people should not rap. Why shouldn’t they rap? At a certain age you aren’t allowed to record anymore?
This is how stupid rap fans are. The Rolling Stones, U2 and other rock and other genre groups outside of rap are 60-70 years old and still making great music, touring and creating albums. Their fans aren’t on blogs or at their shows telling them they are too old and should stop making music. Rap fans need to grow up and start thinking for themselves.
Personally, I like listening to older rappers because they actually have something to say. Rakim’s lyrics are incredible and the tracks he has put out lately are some of the best of his career but because of this fake age crap that was created, a good majority of people will just dismiss him. Is Kool G Rap worse because he is a few years older? Of course not!
Stop being brainwashed and think for yourself.
Word! nuff said
The truth has been told