Known for movies
American Psycho (2000)
as Soundtrack
Limitless (2011)
as Soundtrack
Boiler Room (2000)
as Soundtrack
Old School (2003)
as Soundtrack
Short Info
| Net Worth | $1 million |
| Date Of Birth | January 28, 1968 |
| Fact | Nephew of Ruth Brown. |
Rakim (born William Michael Griffin Jr. on January 28, 1968), is an American rapper and record producer. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and groundbreaking emcees of all time. Rakim began his career as a member of the rap duo Eric B. & Rakim, who in 1986 released their debut album Paid in Full, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Rakim is known for his complex rhyme patterns, intricate metaphors and innovative delivery.
Rakim was born William Michael Griffin Jr. on January 28, 1968, in Wyandanch, New York, to William Griffin Sr. and Sylvia Robinson. He has three sisters: Pamela, Donna and Michele. Rakim’s father left the family when Rakim was just a child, and his mother worked several jobs to support the family. Rakim began writing rhymes at the age of 11, and by the time he was in high school, he had formed a rap duo with his friend Eric Barrier.
Rakim’s career began in 1986 with the release of Eric B. & Rakim’s debut album Paid in Full. The album was an instant classic, and Rakim’s lyrical prowess and innovative delivery set him apart from other rappers of the time. Paid in Full is widely considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
Rakim continued to release groundbreaking albums with Eric B., including Follow the Leader (1988) and Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em (1990). In 1991, Rakim embarked on a solo career with the release of his debut album The 18th Letter. The album was another critical and commercial success, cementing Rakim’s place as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Rakim has released four solo albums: The 18th Letter (1997), The Master (1999), The Seventh Seal (2002) and The Eighth Day (2008). He has also released a number of collaborative albums, including Oh My God (with DJ Premier) (1997), The Watcher 2 (with J Dilla) (2008) and Legends Never Die (with Alchemist) (2013).
Rakim is widely considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. He is credited with influencing a generation of rappers with his complex rhyme patterns, intricate metaphors and innovative delivery. Rakim has sold over 4 million records and has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
General Info
| Full Name | Rakim |
| Net Worth | $1 million |
| Date Of Birth | January 28, 1968 |
| Profession | Record producer, Singer-songwriter, Rapper, Composer, When I B on tha Mic, I Know You Got Soul, Guess Who's Back |
| Nationality | American |
Family
| Children | Destiny Griffin, Jabar Griffin, When I B on tha Mic, I Know You Got Soul, Guess Who's Back |
| Parents | William Griffin Sr. |
| Siblings | Steve Griffin |
Accomplishments
| Awards | BET Hip Hop Awards I Am Hip-Hop Icon Award |
| Music Groups | Eric B. & Rakim |
| Nominations | VGX Award for Best Song in a Game |
| Movies | Chuck D's Hip Hop Hall of Fame |
Social profile links
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Was once signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath label, but due to creative differences no album came about. |
| 2 | Has consistently been called one of the greatest MCs of all time, the God MC, by the likes of Nas, Jay Z, '50 cent', Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and others. In the late 1980s he added a complex flow and fluid delivery to the art of rhyming that many said was ahead of its time. |
| 3 | Nephew of Ruth Brown. |
| 4 | Converted to Faradian (as in W.D. Fard, Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam, and the Nation of Gods and Earths) Islam at age 16, taking the Godly name of Rakim Allah. His lyrics often contain references to the Five Percenters and its Universal Language. Any coincidence between the Nation of Gods and Earths and traditional Islam is accidental, as this form of Islam, which is actually a social movement instead of a faith, a bacronym for I-Self Lord and Master, is a made-up religion that only has Islamic elements in it. |
| 5 | Hip-hop MC; half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim. |
Movies
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Togetherness | 2015 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
| Dope | 2015 | writer: "Juice Know The Ledge" - as William Griffin | |
| Fresh Dressed | 2015 | Documentary writer: "Move The Crowd" | |
| Top Five | 2014 | performer: "When I B On tha Mic" | |
| EA Sports UFC | 2014 | Video Game performer: "Guilty All the Same" / writer: "Guilty All the Same" | |
| Battle of the Year | 2013 | writer: "Know the Ledge" - as William Griffin | |
| Parenthood | 2012 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
| Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap | 2012 | Documentary performer: "Follow The Leader", "The 18th Letter Always And Forever" / writer: "Follow The Leader", "The 18th Letter Always And Forever", "My Melody" / writer: "Microphone Fiend" - as William Griffin | |
| The Lincoln Lawyer | 2011 | writer: "Don't Sweat the Technique" - as William Griffin | |
| Limitless | 2011/I | writer: "Don't Sweat The Technique" - as William Griffin | |
| Dance Central | 2010 | Video Game writer: "Don't Sweat The Technique" - as William Griffin | |
| Cop Out | 2010 | writer: "Follow the Leader" - as William Griffin | |
| Dance Flick | 2009 | writer: "Know the Ledge Juice" - as William Griffin | |
| Fish Tank | 2009 | writer: "Juice Know the Ledge", "Don't Sweat the Technique" - as William D. Griffin | |
| Center Stage: Turn It Up | 2008 | writer: "Don't Sweat" - as William Griffith | |
| Step Up 2: The Streets | 2008 | writer: "Money in the Bank" - as William Griffin | |
| Skate. | 2007 | Video Game performer: "Juice Know the Ledge" / writer: "Juice Know the Ledge" | |
| So You Think You Can Dance | 2005 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | 2004 | Video Game performer: "I Know You Got Soul" | |
| Tony Hawk's Underground 2 | 2004 | Video Game writer: "Soul Brother #1" - as William Griffin | |
| Old School | 2003 | writer: "Papered Up" - as William Griffin | |
| Brown Sugar | 2002 | writer: "Paid in Full 7 Minutes of Madness Remix" - as William Griffin | |
| Paid in Full | 2002 | writer: "Paid in Full" - as William Griffin | |
| The Wash | 2001 | writer: "I Aint No Joke" - as William Griffin | |
| Life as a House | 2001 | writer: "Rearranged" - as William Griffin | |
| Freddy Got Fingered | 2001 | writer: "Microphone Fiend" - as William Griffin | |
| Scratch | 2001 | Documentary writer: "Know the Ledge Juice", "Microphone Fiend" - as William Griffin | |
| High Fidelity | 2000 | writer: "Juice Know the Ledge", "What's On Your Mind" - as William Griffin | |
| Boiler Room | 2000 | performer: "New York Ya Out There" / writer: "New York Ya Out There" | |
| American Psycho | 2000 | writer: "Paid In Full Coldcut Remix" - as W. Griffin | |
| The Rugrats Movie | 1998 | performer: "Take the Train" / writer: "Take the Train" | |
| The Replacement Killers | 1998 | writer: "Makes Me Wanna Die" | |
| Tommy Boy | 1995 | as William Griffin, "I Love It Loud Injected Mix" | |
| CB4 | 1993 | writer: "Paid in Full" - as William Griffin | |
| Juice | 1992 | producer: "Juice Know the Ledge" / writer: "Juice Know the Ledge" - as William Griffin | |
| House Party 2 | 1991 | writer: "What's On Your Mind" - as William Griffin | |
| House Party | 1990 | writer: "Run 4 Cover" - as W. Griffin |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Scratch: The Birth of Hip Hop | 2016 | Documentary executive producer / producer |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off-Time | post-production | Mack Griffin |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Down with the Kings | 2008 | Short special musical thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip-Hop Evolution | 2016 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| The Eighties | 2016 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| Hip-Hop Evolution | 2016 | Documentary | Himself |
| What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music | 2014 | Documentary | Himself |
| Memories of Paul C McKasty | 2013 | Video documentary | |
| 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards | 2012 | TV Special | Himself |
| Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap | 2012 | Documentary | Himself |
| Sample: Not for Sale | 2012 | Documentary | Himself - Interviewee |
| How Hip Hop Changed the World | 2011 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| BET Hip Hop Awards 2008 | 2008 | TV Special | |
| The Hip Hop Live Tour | 2008 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Classic: Better Than I've Ever Been | 2007 | Video short | Himself |
| Ali Rap | 2006 | TV Movie | Himself |
| 3rd Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors | 2006 | TV Movie | Himself - Honoree |
| The Drop | 2006 | TV Series | Himself |
| The MC: Why We Do It | 2005 | Video documentary | Himself |
| The Art of 16 Bars: Get Ya' Bars Up | 2005 | Video documentary | Himself |
| 3rd Annual BET Awards | 2003 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| Def Poetry | 2002 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Chris Rock Show | 1997 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Voice of a Nation | 1993 | Video documentary | |
| Gunmen | 1993 | Himself | |
| In Living Color | 1992 | TV Series | Himself - Musical Guest |
| Rapmania: The Roots of Rap | 1990 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Soul Train | 1987 | TV Series documentary | Guest |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop | 2004 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
