Paid in Full (album): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox album

:''This article is about an album. For the movie, see [[Paid in Full (film)]]''

| name = Paid in Full

{{Album infobox |

| type Name = Paid In Full |studio

| Type artist = [[albumEric (music)|AlbumB. & Rakim]] |

| cover Artist = [[Eric BRakimPIF. & Rakim]] |jpg

| alt Cover = Eric B= - Paid In Full.jpg |

| released = {{Start date|1987|07|07}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/paid-in-full-mw0000193005|title=Paid in Full – Eric B. & Rakim – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=August 30, 2016|archive-date=August 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828051553/http://www.allmusic.com/album/paid-in-full-mw0000193005|url-status=live}}</ref>

Background = Orange |

| recorded = 1986–1987

Released = [[October 10]] [[1987]] |

| studio = {{hlist|[[Marley Marl]]'s home studio ([[Chestnut Ridge, New York]])|Power Play Studios ([[Queens|Queens, New York]])}}

Recorded = [[1987]] |

| genre Genre = [[HipGolden hop music|Hipage hip-hop]] |

| length Length = 45:08 |

| label Label = Zakia/{{hlist|[[4th & BroadwayB'way Records|4th & B'way]]|[[Island Records|Island]]}}

| producer Producer = [[Rakim]], [[Eric B.]], [[Marley& Marl]] |Rakim

| prev_title =

Reviews = <nowiki></nowiki>

| prev_year =

*[[All Music Guide]] [[Image:5_out_of_5.png|5/5]] [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:69zyxdkbjolk~T1 link]

| next_title = [[Follow the Leader (Eric B. & Rakim album)|Follow the Leader]]

*[[Robert Christgau]] (B) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=428&name=Eric+B.+%26+Rakim link]

| next_year = 1988

|

| misc = {{Singles

Last album = |

| This album name = '''''Paid Inin Full'''''<br />(1987) |

| type = studio

Next album = ''[[Follow the Leader (Eric B. and Rakim)|Follow The Leader]]''<br />(1988) |

| single1 = [[Eric B. Is President]]

| single1date = 1986

| single2 = [[I Ain't No Joke]]

| single2date = 1987

| single3 = [[I Know You Got Soul (Eric B. & Rakim song)|I Know You Got Soul]]

| single3date = 1987

| single4 = Move the Crowd

| single4date = 1987

| single5 = [[Paid in Full (Eric B. & Rakim song)|Paid in Full]]

| single5date = 1987

}}

}}

'''''Paid in Full''''' is the debut studio album by American [[Hip-hop|hip hop]] duo [[Eric B. & Rakim]], released on July 7, 1987, by [[Island Records|Island]]-subsidiary label [[4th & B'way Records]]. The duo recorded the album at [[Hip-hop production|hip-hop producer]] [[Marley Marl]]'s home studio and Power Play Studios in New York City, following [[Rakim]]'s response to [[Eric B.]]'s search for a rapper to complement his [[disc jockey]] work in 1985. The album peaked at No. 58 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart, No. 8 on the [[R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart, and produced five singles: "[[Eric B. Is President]]", "[[I Ain't No Joke]]", "[[I Know You Got Soul (Eric B. & Rakim song)|I Know You Got Soul]]", "Move the Crowd", and "[[Paid in Full (Eric B. & Rakim song)|Paid in Full]]".

'''''Paid in Full''''' is the debut full-length [[LP (format)|LP]] by [[hip hop music|rap]] duo [[Eric B. & Rakim]], released in [[1987]]. The album was generally very well received on release, with many calling it captivating, profound, innovative and instantly [[Pop albums that have consistently appeared in top lists|influential]]. According to [[Vibe]] Magazine: ''"...[When Rakim] took to the mike in 1987, and served up ''Paid in Full'' with DJ Eric B., he set hip hop's new course....[Rakim was] a street-wise mystic with eminently clear and dexterous rhymes that sounded like they might never end..."'' . Furthermore, Eric B.'s innovative distillation of a [[James Brown]] sample in "I Know You Got Soul" introduced the ''"godfather rap"'' period that witnessed the extensive [[Sampling (music)|sampling]] of [[R&B]] and [[soul music]] as instrumentals for hip hop songs. ''Eric B. is President'', the first single off the album and by the duo, was somewhat revolutionary at the time of its release in that it showcased a different style of rapping that would soon be adapted by numerous MC's of the past and present. The song was also produced mostly by [[Marley Marl]], contrary to the popular belief that Eric B. had produced it singlehandedly.

''Paid in Full'' is credited as a benchmark album of [[golden age hip-hop]]. Rakim's rapping, which pioneered the use of [[internal rhyme]]s in hip-hop, set a higher standard of lyricism in the genre and served as a template for future rappers. The album's heavy sampling by Eric B. became influential in hip-hop production. The record has sold over a million copies and the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) certified it [[RIAA certification|platinum]] in 1995. In 2020, the album was ranked number 61 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine's list of the "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]".<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/eric-b-rakim-paid-in-full-1063172/| year=2021| title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]| access-date=February 20, 2021| archive-date=April 9, 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409175154/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/eric-b-rakim-paid-in-full-1063172/| url-status=live}}</ref>

While certainly not a genre-creator in its own right, the album, nevertheless, introduced new conventions that redefined [[hip hop music]] while the genre was still in its infancy. The album Ranked #19 in <i>[[Rolling Stone]]</i>'s "50 Coolest Records", was included in <i>Vibe</i>'s "100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century", and was ranked as the [http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2005/greatest_albums_0505/index11.jhtml greatest hip hop album of all time] by [[MTV]]. {{RS500|227}}

== Background ==

==Influence and Aftermath==

[[Eric B.]] and [[Rakim]] met in 1985 after Eric B. looked for a rapper to complement his [[turntablism|turntable work]] at the New York City radio station [[WBLS]].<ref>{{citation|encyclopedia=The [[Rolling Stone]] Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2001|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ericbandrakim/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222133155/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ericbandrakim/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 2007|title=Eric B and Rakim: Biography|access-date=September 5, 2008}}</ref> After Rakim responded to Eric B.'s search for "New York's top MC",<ref name="ogg">Ogg, Alex (2002). ''The Men Behind [[Def Jam]]: The Radical Rise of [[Russell Simmons]] and [[Rick Rubin]]''. p. 105. Omnibus Press. {{ISBN|0-7119-8873-0}}</ref> Eric B.'s friend and roommate [[Marley Marl]] allowed him to use his home studio. The first track they recorded, "[[Eric B. Is President]]", was released as a single on the independent Zakia Records in 1986. After [[Def Jam Recordings]] founder [[Russell Simmons]] heard the single, the duo were signed to [[Island Records]] and began recording the album in [[Manhattan]]'s Power Play Studios in early 1987.<ref name="ogg" /> Rakim wrote his songs in approximately one hour while listening to the beat. He then recorded his vocals in the booth by reading his lyrics from a paper. In 2006, Rakim revealed, "When I hear my first album today I hear myself reading my rhymes but I'm my worst critic."<ref>JButters (August 1, 2006). "[http://halftimeonline.net/portfolio/rakim/ Halftimeonline.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729100201/http://halftimeonline.net/portfolio/rakim/ |date=July 29, 2017 }}". HalftimeOnline.net. Accessed September 25, 2008.</ref> The duo completed the album in one week. They have said that they worked in 48-hour shifts and recorded in single takes to complete the album within budget.<ref>MacInnes, Paul (June 13, 2011). [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/13/ericb-rakim-paid-full Eric B and Rakim record Paid in Full in a week] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927174815/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/13/ericb-rakim-paid-full |date=September 27, 2016 }}. ''[[The Guardian]]''. [[Guardian Media Group|Guardian News and Media Limited]]. Retrieved August 9, 2011.</ref> In a 2008 interview with [[AllHipHop]], Eric B. stated, "[T]o sit here and say we put together this calculated album to be a great album would be a lie. We were just doing records that felt good."<ref name="allhiphop">Berrios, Martin A. (February 29, 2008). "[http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviews/archive/2008/02/29/19357057.aspx Class Of '88: Paid In Full] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305002238/http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviews/archive/2008/02/29/19357057.aspx |date=March 5, 2008 }}". AllHipHop. Accessed September 6, 2008.</ref>

The album's success led to a contract with [[Uni Records]] and [[MCA Records]], where they released their second album, ''[[Follow the Leader (Eric B. & Rakim album)|Follow the Leader]]'' (1988).<ref name="amg">Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). ''All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul''. p. 374. Backbeat Books. {{ISBN|0-87930-653-X}}.</ref> Eric B. and Rakim are credited as officially producing ''Paid in Full''. Although Marley Marl claimed to have produced two tracks ("My Melody" and "Eric B. Is President"<ref name="taylor" />), Eric B. has argued that Marley Marl was only an engineer.<ref name="allhiphop" /> In 2003, Eric B. alleged the duo had not been paid in full for their work, and filed a lawsuit against the [[Island Def Jam Music Group]], [[Lyor Cohen]], and Russell Simmons.<ref>Strong, Nolan (October 17, 2003). "[http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2003/10/17/18128455.aspx Eric B. Wants To Be Paid In Full, Suing Island Def Jam] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202013413/http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2003/10/17/18128455.aspx |date=December 2, 2008 }}". AllHipHop. Accessed July 15, 2008.</ref>

''Paid in Full'' has become the benchmark hip-hop record which, to this day, remains unsurpassed. The lyrical quality is looked upon as legendary and untouchable; Rakim's ability to flow smoothly and powerfully at the same time was supplemented by Eric B.'s revolutionary sampling, as well as his jazz and soul oriented beats. Rakim's use of elaborate metaphors, double puns, paradoxes, etc. embedded in his rhymes have been copied and used by a vast number of MC's since the release of this album. Prior to ''Paid in Full'', most hip-hop records consisted of stereotypical plain beats with little or no focus on the lyrics, as most were to assist beats meant for club. 1987 had many albums which were vital for the revolution that rap faced and continued with through until around the end of the decade. Rakim and Eric B. are possibly at the top of the list for the most important and fundamental artists to garner this change, and rightly so due to the impeccable and nearly flawless content and quality of the album. The many directions that 1987 hip hop had taken include the association of gangsta rap into mainstream music, change in the beats used by rappers in sampling or inclusion of more jazzy and even reggae beats in the record, more focus on the lyrical ability and skills possessed by the MC which distinguished him from others, the socio-political commentary incorporated in many records and other messages coated within the song, amongst others. Rakim could incorporate most of these into just one album, and was very effective in carrying it out in a skillful manner leaving many listeners in awe. Even today, Rakim is referenced by countless other rappers and critics as being the driving force behind the turning point in rap music, constantly associating him with the leader of the old school and even the 'God MC'.

The album cover featured a photo of Eric B. and Rakim wearing custom-made [[Gucci]] "knock-ups" by [[Harlem]] tailor [[Dapper Dan (designer)|Dapper Dan]].<ref name="complex">{{cite news |last1=Hairston |first1=Tahirah |title=Dapper Dan Is Finally Getting His Props |url=https://www.complex.com/style/2018/07/dapper-dan-gucci-interview |access-date=September 30, 2018 |work=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]] |date=July 27, 2018 |language=en |archive-date=October 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001031519/https://www.complex.com/style/2018/07/dapper-dan-gucci-interview |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Additional Accolades==

== Music ==

* '''Ego Trip''' (USA) - ''Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98'' (1999) '''4#'''

Rakim's rhyming deviated from the simple rhyme patterns of early 1980s hip-hop. His free-rhythm style ignored [[bar (music)|bar]] lines and had earned comparisons to [[Thelonious Monk]].<ref name="dulac" /> ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} [[Ben Ratliff]] wrote that Rakim's "unblustery rapping developed the form beyond the flat-footed rhythms of schoolyard rhymes".<ref name="Ratliff">Ratliff, Ben. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEEDB1E3DF93BA25751C1A96E958260 Review: ''Paid in Full''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202184609/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEEDB1E3DF93BA25751C1A96E958260 |date=December 2, 2008 }}. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved on October 19, 2009.</ref> While many rappers developed their technique through improvisation, Rakim was one of the first to demonstrate advantages of a writerly style, as with for instance his pioneering use of [[internal rhyme]].<ref name="allmusic">Huey, Steve. "[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p116720/biography|pure_url=yes}} allmusic Rakim > Biography]". Allmusic. Accessed September 5, 2008.</ref> Unlike previous rappers such as [[LL Cool J]] and [[Run-DMC]] who delivered their vocals with high energy, Rakim employed a relaxed, stoic delivery.<ref name="ogg" /><ref name="light">Light, Alan (November 13, 2006). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20070216020446/http://www.time.com/time/2006/100albums/0%2C27693%2CPaid_in_Full%2C00.html The All-TIME 100 Albums]". ''Time'' magazine. Accessed September 29, 2008.</ref> According to [[MTV]], "We'd been used to MCs like [[Joseph Simmons|Run]] and [[Darryl McDaniels|DMC]], [[Chuck D]] and [[KRS-One]] leaping on the mic shouting with energy and irreverence, but Rakim took a methodical approach to his microphone fiending. He had a slow flow, and every line was blunt, mesmeric."<ref name="mtv">"[http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2005/greatest_albums_0505/index11.jhtml MTV.com: The Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011004350/http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2005/greatest_albums_0505/index11.jhtml |date=October 11, 2007 }}". MTV (2005). Accessed July 15, 2008.</ref> Rakim's relaxed delivery resulted from his [[jazz]] influences; he had played the [[saxophone]] and was a [[John Coltrane]] fan.<ref name="taylor">Taylor, Steve (2004). ''The A to X of Alternative Music''. p. 20. Continuum International Publishing Group. {{ISBN|0-8264-8217-1}}</ref><ref name="dulac">Freedom duLac, Josh. (October 2, 2006). "[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/01/AR2006100101132.html A Stop-and-Go Hip-Hop Show] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201131619/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/01/AR2006100101132.html |date=December 1, 2017 }}". ''The Washington Post''. Accessed September 5, 2008.</ref><ref>Jbutters (July 6, 2006). "[http://halftimeonline.net/portfolio/rakim/ Rakim] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729100201/http://halftimeonline.net/portfolio/rakim/ |date=July 29, 2017 }}". HalftimeOnline.net. Accessed September 5, 2008.</ref><ref>"[http://www.thaformula.com/rakim_lyrics_of_fury_thaformula_music.html Q & A w/ Rakim: Lyrics of Fury] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716214156/http://www.thaformula.com/rakim_lyrics_of_fury_thaformula_music.html |date=July 16, 2011 }}". ThaFormula.com (2005). Accessed October 29, 2008.</ref> His subject matter often covered his own rapping skills and lyrical superiority over other rappers.<ref>Darby, Derrick; Shelby, Tommie; West, Cornel (2005). ''Hip Hop and Philosophy: Rhyme 2 Reason''. p. 42. Open Court Publishing. {{ISBN|0-8126-9589-5}}.</ref><ref name="Harvell"/>

[[AllMusic]] editor Steve Huey characterized Rakim for his "complex internal rhymes, literate imagery, velvet-smooth flow, and unpredictable, off-the-beat rhythms."<ref name="Huey"/> ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' writer Jess Harvell described his rapping as "authoritative, burnished, [and] possessing an unflappable sense of rhythm".<ref name="Harvell"/> ''Paid in Full'', which contains gritty, heavy, and dark beats,<ref>Rose, Tricia (1994). ''Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America''. p. 93. Wesleyan University Press. {{ISBN|0-8195-6275-0}}.</ref> marked the beginning of heavy [[sampling (music)|sampling]] in hip-hop records.<ref name="Ratliff" /> Of the album's ten tracks, three are [[instrumental]]s.<ref>Wang, Oliver (2003). ''Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide'', p. 69. Entertainment, Culture, Writing Press. {{ISBN|1-55022-561-8}}</ref> As a [[disc jockey]], Eric B. had reinstated the art of live turntable mixing.<ref name="taylor" /> His [[soul music|soul]]-filled sampling became influential in future hip-hop production.<ref name="mtv" /> Music critic [[Robert Christgau]] noted that Eric B. had incorporated "touches of horn or whistle deep in the mix" of his sampled percussion and scratches.<ref name="Christgau"/>

* '''[[Pitchfork Media]]''' (USA) - ''Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1980s'' (2002) '''52#'''

== Singles ==

* '''[[Rolling Stone]]''' (USA) - ''The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time'' (2003) '''227#'''

"Eric B. Is President" was released as the first single with "My Melody" as the [[B-side]].<ref name="dulac" /> It peaked at number 48 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks]] and number forty on the [[Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales]].<ref name="charts">"[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r27822/charts-awards/billboard-single|pure_url=yes}} allmusic Paid in Full > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles]". Allmusic. Accessed August 4, 2008.</ref> The track sparked debate on the legality of unauthorized sampling when [[James Brown]] sued to prevent the duo's use of his music.<ref>Simon & Schuster (2001). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20071222133155/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ericbandrakim/biography Eric B and Rakim]". ''The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll''. Accessed August 4, 2008.</ref> ''[[PopMatters]]''{{'}} [[Mark Anthony Neal]] called it "the most danceable hip-hop recording" of 1986.<ref>Neal, Mark Anthony (November 19, 2003). "[http://www.popmatters.com/music/features/031119-rakim.shtml ...And Bless the Mic for the Gods: Rakim Allah] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050101154651/http://www.popmatters.com/music/features/031119-rakim.shtml |date=January 1, 2005 }}". PopMatters. Accessed August 4, 2008.</ref> According to [[Touré (journalist)|Touré]] of ''The New York Times'', "It is Rakim's verbal dexterity as well as his calm, deep voice and dark tone that has made this song a rap classic: 'I came in the door/ I said it before/ I'll never let the mic magnetize me no more/ But it's bitin' me/ Fightin' me/ Invitin' me to rhyme/ I can't hold it back/ I'm looking for the line/ Takin' off my coat/ Clearin' my throat/ The rhyme will be kickin' it/ Til I hit my last note.'"<ref>Touré (August 14, 1994). "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9507EFDD1630F937A2575BC0A962958260 Pop View; Only One Star in the Two Schools of Rap] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202184559/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9507EFDD1630F937A2575BC0A962958260 |date=December 2, 2008 }}". ''The New York Times''. Accessed August 6, 2008.</ref> Remixes of both “Eric B. Is President” and “My Melody” were included on the album as opposed to their original versions.

The second single, "[[I Know You Got Soul (Eric B. & Rakim song)|I Know You Got Soul]]", peaked at number 39 on the [[Hot Dance Music/Club Play]] chart, number 34 on the [[Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales]], and number 64 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.<ref name="charts" /> The track's production contains "digitized cymbal crashes, breathing sounds, and a bumping bass line."<ref>Perry, Imani (2004). ''Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop''. p. 52. Duke University Press. {{ISBN|0-8223-3446-1}}</ref> The song popularized James Brown samples in hip-hop songs.<ref>"[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r27822|pure_url=yes}} allmusic Paid in Full > Overview]". Allmusic. Accessed August 6, 2008.</ref> The British band [[MARRS|<nowiki>M|A|R|R|S</nowiki>]] sampled the line, "Pump up the volume", on their number one UK single, "[[Pump Up the Volume (song)|Pump Up the Volume]]".<ref name="wojcik">Wojcik, Pamela Robertson; Knight, Arthur (2001). ''Soundtrack Available''. p. 254. Duke University Press. {{ISBN|0-8223-2800-3}}.</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked it at number 386 on "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]".<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20071016130128/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596231/i_know_you_got_soul I Know You Got Soul]". ''Rolling Stone'' (December 9, 2004). Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref>

* '''[[Spin Magazine]]''' (USA) - ''100 Alternative Albums'' (1995) '''21#'''

The third single, "[[I Ain't No Joke]]", peaked at number 38 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.<ref name="charts" /> Described as one of the album's "monumental singles",<ref>Huey, Steve. "[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p53231/biography|pure_url=yes}} allmusic Eric B. & Rakim > Biography]". Allmusic. Accessed August 15, 2008.</ref> Michael Di Bella wrote in the ''All Music Guide to Rock'' that "Rakim grabs the listener by the throat and illustrates his mastery of the rhyming craft".<ref name="amg" /> The fourth single, "Move the Crowd", peaked at number three on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and number 25 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales.<ref name="charts" /> The track's B-side, "[[Paid in Full (Eric B. & Rakim song)|Paid in Full]]", was released as a single in 1987 and later [[remix]]ed by the production duo [[Coldcut]]. The remix used several vocal samples, most prominently "[[Im Nin'alu]]" by Israeli singer [[Ofra Haza]].<ref name="wojcik" /> In 2008, the song was ranked at number 24 on [[VH1]]'s "100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs".<ref>Winistorfer, Andrew (September 29, 2008). "[http://www.prefixmag.com/news/vh1s-100-greatest-hip-hop-songs/21901 VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002064543/http://www.prefixmag.com/news/vh1s-100-greatest-hip-hop-songs/21901/ |date=October 2, 2008 }}". ''Prefix'' magazine. Accessed October 14, 2008.</ref>

* '''[[Spin Magazine]]''' (USA) - ''Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years'' (2005) '''47#'''

== Reception and influence ==

* '''Pop''' (Sweden) - ''The World's 100 Best Albums + 300 Complements'' (1994) '''28#'''

{{Music ratings

| title = Retrospective professional ratings

| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]

| rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Huey">{{cite web|last=Huey|first=Steve|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/paid-in-full-mw0000193005|title=''Paid in Full'' – Eric B. & Rakim|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=October 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605015605/https://www.allmusic.com/album/paid-in-full-mw0000193005|archive-date=June 5, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

| rev2 = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''

| rev2score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Bemis|first=Alec Hanley|author-link=Alec Hanley Bemis|url=http://www.blender.com/reviews/review_1504.html|title=Eric B. & Rakim: ''Paid In Full'' Deluxe Edition|magazine=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]|___location=New York|access-date=October 31, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040811100707/http://www.blender.com/reviews/review_1504.html|archive-date=August 11, 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref>

| rev3 = ''[[Melody Maker]]''

| rev3score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Kulkarni|first=Neil|author-link=Neil Kulkarni|date=October 31, 1998|title=Eric B. & Rakim: ''Paid in Full'': Platinum Edition|magazine=[[Melody Maker]]|___location=London|volume=75|issue=44|page=37}}</ref>

| rev4 = ''[[Muzik]]''

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Tope|first=Frank|date=December 1998|title=Eric B & Rakim: ''Paid in Full'' – The Platinum Edition|magazine=[[Muzik]]|___location=London|issue=43|page=74}}</ref>

| rev5 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''

| rev5score = 7.8/10<ref name="Harvell">{{cite web|last=Harvell|first=Jess|date=June 1, 2005|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11734-paid-in-full-follow-the-leader/|title=Eric B. & Rakim: ''Paid in Full'' / ''Follow the Leader''|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|access-date=May 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120034646/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11734-paid-in-full-follow-the-leader/|archive-date=November 20, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

| rev6 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''

| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Roberts|first=David|date=December 1998|title=Eric B. & Rakim: ''Paid in Full''|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|___location=London|issue=147|page=140}}</ref>

| rev7 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''

| rev7score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Frere-Jones">{{cite book|last=Frere-Jones|first=Sasha|author-link=Sasha Frere-Jones|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor1-link=Nathan Brackett|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|editor2-link=Christian Hoard|year=2004|chapter=Eric B. & Rakim|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lRgtYCC6OUwC&pg=PA281|access-date=May 19, 2015|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|edition=4th|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/281 281–282]}}</ref>

| rev8 = ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]''

| rev8score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Got Five On It|magazine=[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]|___location=New York|issue=150|date=March 2002|pages=174–179}}</ref>

| rev9 = ''[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]''

| rev9score = 10/10<ref>{{cite book|last=Hunter|first=James|editor1-last=Weisbard|editor1-first=Eric|editor1-link=Eric Weisbard|editor2-last=Marks|editor2-first=Craig|year=1995|chapter=Eric B. & Rakim|title=Spin Alternative Record Guide|title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide|publisher=[[Vintage Books]]|isbn=0-679-75574-8|page=133}}</ref>

| rev10 = ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''

| rev10score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Felix|first=Larry|date=February 2004|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/candi_staton/reviews/6994|title=Rhyme kingpins|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|___location=London|issue=81|access-date=August 29, 2022|page=88|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206084954/http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/candi_staton/reviews/6994|archive-date=December 6, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

}}

In a contemporary review for ''[[The Washington Post]]'', Mark Jenkins highlighted the single "Eric B. Is President" but was unimpressed by the rest of ''Paid in Full'': "Its beats are monotonous, and the attempts to take 'jazz and the quiet storm' and 'convert into hip-hop form' fall flat."<ref>{{cite news|last=Jenkins|first=Mark|date=September 4, 1987|at=Weekend section, p. n.15|title=The Rappin' Rocks On|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/09/04/the-rappin-rocks-on/3efbed92-9cf4-431f-a8c6-3a102f2b768f/|access-date=May 19, 2015|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107030349/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/09/04/the-rappin-rocks-on/3efbed92-9cf4-431f-a8c6-3a102f2b768f/|url-status=live}}</ref> Robert Christgau gave the album a "B" grade in his "Consumer Guide" column for ''[[The Village Voice]]''.<ref name="Christgau">{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=September 29, 1987|url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv9b-87.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|___location=New York|access-date=May 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407232825/https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv9b-87.php|archive-date=April 7, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing in 2001, he said it has "four groundbreaking masterworks" in "I Ain't No Joke", "I Know You Got Soul", "Paid in Full", and "Eric B. Is President", but was less enthusiastic about the other six songs: "They're pure, innovative, in-your-face—no doubt. But they're also turntablism with spoken decoration, of small use to anyone who hasn't internalized the 'real' hip hop aesthetic."<ref>{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=December 18, 2001|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2001/12/18/a-ken-burns-xmas/|title=A Ken Burns Xmas|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|___location=New York|access-date=May 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208051640/http://www.villagevoice.com/2001-12-18/music/a-ken-burns-xmas/|archive-date=December 8, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> In the newspaper's annual [[Pazz & Jop]] critics' poll, it was named the 27th best album of 1987.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres87.php|title=The 1987 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|___location=New York|date=March 1, 1988|access-date=May 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313093859/https://robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres87.php|archive-date=March 13, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

* '''Tempo''' (Germany) -'' The 100 Best Albums from the 80's'' (1989) '''25#'''

''Paid in Full'' was released during what became known as the [[golden age hip-hop]] era.<ref name="cobb">Cobb, William Jelani (2006). ''To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic''. p. 140. New York University Press. {{ISBN|0-8147-1670-9}}.</ref> In ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' (2004), [[Sasha Frere-Jones]] called it "one of hip-hop's perfect records",<ref name="Frere-Jones"/> while Alex Ogg considered it to be the duo's [[Masterpiece|magnum opus]] in his book ''The Men Behind Def Jam''.<ref name="ogg" /> Rakim's rapping on the album set a blueprint for future rappers and helped secure [[East Coast hip-hop]]'s reputation for innovative lyrical technique.<ref name="allmusic" /><ref>Karon, Tony (September 22, 2000). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20050220060638/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,55635,00.html 'Hip-Hop Nation' Is Exhibit A for America's Latest Cultural Revolution]". ''Time'' magazine. Accessed September 25, 2008.</ref> Author William Cobb stated in ''To the Break of Dawn'' that his rapping had "stepped outside" of the preceding era of [[old school hip-hop]] and that while the vocabulary and lyrical dexterity of newer rappers had improved, it was "nowhere near what Rakim introduced to the genre".<ref name="cobb" /> ''The New York Times''{{'}} Dimitri Ehrlich, who described the album as "an artistic and commercial benchmark", credited Rakim for helping "give birth to a musical genre" and leading "a quiet musical revolution, introducing a soft-spoken rapping style".<ref name="ehrlich">Ehrlich, Dimitri (December 7, 1997). "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00E6D71F3AF934A35751C1A961958260 Recordings View; A Rap Pioneer Defies the Odds] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202184716/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00E6D71F3AF934A35751C1A961958260 |date=December 2, 2008 }}". ''The New York Times''. Accessed July 16, 2008.</ref> AllMusic's Steve Huey declared ''Paid in Full'' one of hip-hop's most influential albums and "essential listening" for those interested in the genre's "basic musical foundations".<ref name="Huey"/> MTV ranked it at number one in "The Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time", stating it raised the standards of hip-hop "both sonically and poetically" and described it as "captivating, profound, innovative and instantly influential".<ref name="mtv" /> The album is broken down track-by-track by Rakim in Brian Coleman's book ''[[Check the Technique]]''.<ref>Coleman, Brian. ''[[Check The Technique]]: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies''. New York: Villard/Random House, 2007.</ref>

* '''Rock de Lux''' (Spain) - ''The 200 Best Albums of All Time'' (2002) '''172#'''

In 2003, ''Rolling Stone'' listed ''Paid in Full'' at number 228 on "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]", maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list, calling it "Ice-grilled, laid-back, diamond-sharp: Rakim is a front-runner in the race for Best Rapper Ever, and this album is a big reason why."<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20070617161454/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6599369/227_paid_in_full 227) Paid in Full]". ''Rolling Stone'' (November 1, 2003). Accessed July 15, 2008.</ref> In the 2020 reboot of the list, the album's rank shot up to number 61.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/eric-b-rakim-paid-in-full-1063172/ |title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time – Rolling Stone<!-- Bot generated title --> |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=February 20, 2021 |archive-date=April 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409175154/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/eric-b-rakim-paid-in-full-1063172/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Similarly, ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' magazine included the album in its "500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die".<ref>"[http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=126 500 CDs You Must Own: Hip-Hop] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080809133340/http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=126 |date=August 9, 2008 }}" . ''Blender'' magazine (April 2003). Accessed September 24, 2008.</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine listed it as one of the eighteen albums of the 1980s in its "All-TIME 100" albums; editor [[Alan Light]] acknowledged the record changed the "sound, flow, and potential" of hip-hop and that if Rakim is "the greatest MC of all time, as many argue, this album is the evidence".<ref name="light" /> Jess Harvell of ''Pitchfork'' complimented Rakim for an "endless display of pure skill" and described the album as "laidback and funky", but believed it contained "too much filler to get a free 'classic' pass".<ref name="Harvell"/> ''Pitchfork'' placed ''Paid in Full'' at number fifty-two in its "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s"; editor Sam Chennault wrote that Rakim inspired a generation of MCs and "defined what it meant to be a hip-hop lyricist".<ref>Chennault, Sam (November 20, 2002). "[http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/36736-top-100-albums-of-the-1980s Top 100 Albums of the 1980s] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070418182453/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/36736-top-100-albums-of-the-1980s |date=April 18, 2007 }}". ''Pitchfork''. Accessed September 29, 2008.</ref> By 2018, at which point ''Pitchfork'' had substantially altered their list of the top albums of the 1980s, ''Paid in Full'' was moved to number eleven and called ″a crowning achievement of hip-hop's first golden age″ and one of the genre's ″glittering Rosetta Stones″.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-200-best-albums-of-the-1980s/?page=10|title = The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s – Page 10|website = [[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]| date=September 10, 2018 |access-date = July 23, 2020|archive-date = July 24, 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200724105006/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-200-best-albums-of-the-1980s/?page=10|url-status = live}}</ref> ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' listed the album at #32 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s" saying "For his part, Rakim didn't need to rely on macho jargon and trite gangsterisms for his self-aggrandizing sermons; he would simply reel off line after line of spellbinding wordplay, influencing an entire decade of tongue-twisting MCs in the process."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/best-albums-of-the-1980s/308/page_7|title=Best Albums of the 1980s &#124; Feature|magazine=Slant Magazine|access-date=July 5, 2013|archive-date=May 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529063902/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/best-albums-of-the-1980s/308/page_7|url-status=live}}</ref>

* '''[[Blender Magazine]]''' (USA) - ''500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die'' (2003)

Rakim is credited with influencing rappers including the [[Wu-Tang Clan]], [[Jay-Z]], [[50 Cent]], and [[Nas]],<ref name="ehrlich" /><ref>"[http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index8.jhtml MTV.com: The Greatest MCs Of All Time] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060413234037/http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index8.jhtml |date=April 13, 2006 }}". MTV (2006). Accessed October 28, 2008.</ref> who cited ''Paid in Full'' as one of his favorite albums.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Isnanul|first=Ahmed|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/05/nas-25-favorite-albums/eric-b-rakim-paid-in-full|title=Nas' 25 Favorite Albums|journal=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]|publisher=Complex Media|date=May 22, 2012|access-date=May 22, 2012|archive-date=May 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525072414/http://www.complex.com/music/2012/05/nas-25-favorite-albums/eric-b-rakim-paid-in-full|url-status=live}}</ref> 50 Cent told ''[[NME]]'' that ''Paid in Full'' was the first album he bought: "I used to get my grandmother's tape recorder – the one she used to tape church services – and record hip-hop off the radio. And, with Eric B. & Rakim, I think that was the first moment where I felt like, 'I've got to own this. This is crucial.'"<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Gavin|last=Haynes|title=Soundtrack of my life|magazine=[[NME]]|date=October 1, 2015|page=48}}</ref> "It was a record that caused trouble," remarked [[Busta Rhymes]], "but it was one you couldn't top."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Angus|last=Batey|title=My record collection – Busta Rhymes|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|date=October 2009|page=46}}</ref> [[Eminem]] borrows or interpolates lines from ''Paid in Full'' on tracks from [[The Marshall Mathers LP]] including "My Melody" ("I'm Back") and "As The Rhyme Goes On" ("[[The Way I Am (Eminem song)|The Way I Am]]").

* '''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]]''' (USA) - ''The 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time'' (1998)

On July 11, 1995, the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) certified the album [[RIAA certification|platinum]].<ref>"[https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Paid%20in%20Full&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25 RIAA Searchable Database – Paid in Full] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019031736/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Paid%20in%20Full&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |date=October 19, 2015 }}". Recording Industry Association of America. Accessed September 5, 2008.</ref> As of December 1997, it had sold over a million copies.<ref name="ehrlich" />

* '''[[Vibe]]''' (USA) - ''100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century'' (1999)

== Track listing ==

* '''[[Vibe]]''' (USA) - ''51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound and a Movement'' (2004)

All songs written and produced by Eric B. & Rakim.

{{Track listing

| all_writing =

| title1 = [[I Ain't No Joke]]

* '''Paul Morley''' (UK) - ''Words and Music, 5 x 100 Greatest Albums of All Time'' (2003)

| length1 = 3:54

| title2 = Eric B. Is on the Cut

| note2 = instrumental

| length2 = 3:48

| title3 = My Melody

| note3 = remix

| length3 = 6:46

| title4 = [[I Know You Got Soul (Eric B. & Rakim song)|I Know You Got Soul]]

| length4 = 4:45

| title5 = Move the Crowd

| length5 = 3:49

| title6 = [[Paid in Full (Eric B. & Rakim song)|Paid in Full]]

| length6 = 3:50

| title7 = As the Rhyme Goes On

| length7 = 4:00

| title8 = Chinese Arithmetic

| note8 = instrumental

| length8 = 4:07

| title9 = [[Eric B. Is President]]

| note9 = remix

| length9 = 6:20

| title10 = Extended Beat

| note10 = instrumental mix of "Move the Crowd"

| length10 = 3:49

}}

== Personnel ==

* '''[[Q Magazine]]''' (UK) - ''The Ultimate Music Collection'' (2005)

Adapted from AllMusic.<ref>"[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r27822/credits|pure_url=yes}} allmusic Paid in Full > Credits]". Allmusic. September 7, 2008.</ref>

*Ruth Kaplan – art direction

*Patrick Adams – engineer

*Robert Hill – executive producer

*Herb Powers – mastering

*Ron Contarsy – photography

*Eric B. & Rakim – producers

*Marley Marl – remixing

== Track listingCharts ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"

{{expand}}

|-

#[[I Ain't No Joke]] – 3:52

! Chart (1987)

#[[Eric B Is on the Cut]] – 3:49

! Peak<br />position

#[[My Melody (song)|My Melody]] – 6:47

|-

#[[I Know You Got Soul (song)|I Know You Got Soul]] – 4:44

| [[UK Albums Chart]]<ref>Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). ''The Complete Book of the British Charts''. p. 92. Omnibus Press. {{ISBN|1-84449-058-0}}.</ref>

#[[Move the Crowd]] – 3:48

| style="text-align:center;"|85

#[[Paid in Full (song)|Paid in Full]] – 3:48

|-

#[[As the Rhyme Goes On]] – 4:00

| US [[Billboard 200|Top Pop Albums]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/eric-b-rakim/chart-history/tlp|title=Eric B. & Rakim Chart History (Billboard 200)|website=Billboard|access-date=February 3, 2025|archive-date=February 21, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250221034639/https://www.billboard.com/artist/eric-b-rakim/chart-history/tlp/|url-status=live}}</ref>

#[[Chinese Arithmetic]] – 4:06

| style="text-align:center;"|58

#[[Eric B. Is President]] – 6:18

|-

#[[Extended Beat]] – 3:50

| US [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|Top Black Albums]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/eric-b-rakim/chart-history/blp|title=Eric B. & Rakim Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)|website=Billboard|access-date=February 3, 2025|archive-date=February 21, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250221034946/https://www.billboard.com/artist/eric-b-rakim/chart-history/blp/|url-status=live}}</ref>

| style="text-align:center;"|8

|}

==Certifications==

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Eric B. & Rakim|title=Paid in Full|award=Platinum|relyear=1987|certyear=1995|refname="riaa"}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

== Reissues ==

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!Region

!Date

!Label

!Format

!Catalog

|-

|rowspan="3"|United States

|October 27, 1998

|Island/PolyGram Records

|Double CD (Platinum Edition) ''Out Of Print''

|524 573

|-

|November 4, 2003

|Island/IDJMG/Universal Records

|Double CD (Deluxe Edition)

|986 083

|-

|April 26, 2005

|Island/IDJMG/Universal Records

|CD (Expanded Edition)

|988 042

|}

== See also ==

* [[Album era]]

== Notes ==

{{Reflist|30em}}

== References ==

* {{cite book|author=Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard|title=[[Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]|others=Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8}}

* {{cite book|last=Weisbard|first=Eric|author2=Craig Marks|title=[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]|publisher=Vintage Books|year=1995|isbn=0-679-75574-8}}

== External links ==

* ''[http://www.discogs.com/Eric-B-Rakim-Paid-In-Full/master/12854 Paid in Full]'' at [[Discogs]]

* [https://archive.today/20130104010637/http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/eric_b_rakim/albums.jhtml?albumId=39324 Audio samples and lyrics] at [[MTV]]

* [http://criticalkaraoke.libsyn.com/paid-in-full-a-day-in-the-life-for-july-7-2016 "A Day in the Life"] podcast on the release of the album.

{{Eric B. & Rakim}}

{{Rakim}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1987 debut albums]]

{{hiphop-album-stub}}

[[Category:1987Island Records albums]]

[[Category:Eric B4th &amp; RakimB'way Records albums]]

[[Category:UniversalEric DeluxeB. Editions& Rakim albums]]

[[Category:Albums produced by Marley Marl]]

[[Category:Albums produced by Eric B.]]