Shots Fired: Eric B. & Rakim -vs- EPMD

Not every MC war becomes a full-fledged battle. There are countless accounts where rappers took shots at one another without actually naming names. Some shots are obvious and feuds become widely-known. Some are not so obvious, going way over the heads of average listeners. Often lines or bars are incorrectly perceived as shots leading to unwarranted return fire. This is the first post of many to follow on the topic of "Shots Fired", and this particular entry features several shots between Eric B & Rakim -vs- EPMD.

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It was 1986, when the streets were knockin' heavy to the hit debut single from Eric B & Rakim, "Erick B For President" and its flip-side "My Melody" which played in heavy rotation for over a year strong. Eric B & Rakim's single came out at the right time and had quite an impact on hip-hop overall.

The boom-bap beat and funky baseline in "Erick B For President" was so intoxicating it made listeners move their necks and shoulders in a way that arguably started, but certainly propelled a dance craze called "the wop". Rakim's delivery was extremely laid back and his voice was almost completely monotone. He single-handily brought lyricism and thought provoking metaphors to the game. He also manifested a new revelation, that rap could be respected in the streets without yelling and cursing. In fact if you think about the rappers that never cursed or cursed the least over time, Rakim is right up there with the likes of Young M.C. and the Fresh Prince. Toppled with his 5% knowledge, clearly Rakim came to the game to "show and prove".

In 1987, Eric B and Rakim followed up with "I Got Soul" and a separate single called "I Ain't No Joke". Just as the year prior the two songs became hits which solidified their ranking amongst the greatest. They shot their first music video for "I Ain't No Joke" where many saw them in the flesh for the first time ever. The song was up-tempo with horns sampled from James Brown accompanied by Rakim's laid back flow. "I Ain't No Joke" gave you reason after reason as to why Rakim is to be taken seriously. To anyone considering biting their style, Rakim concluded the 2nd verse with this warning:

Your offbeat DJ, if anything he play,

Sound familiar, I'll wait til E say Play 'em. /

So I'ma have to diss and Bro

you could get a smack for this, I ain't no joke. /

Eric B and Rakim soon after dropped their first album "Paid In Full" leading to a very successful year with a string of songs playing all over the radio including its title track. Meanwhile an emerging unseen duo called EPMD was beginning to hit the airwaves. Their song "It's My Thing" was done over the then classic break-beat "7 Minutes of Funk" by Whole Darn Family, (later used again by Jay Z and Foxy Brown on the song "Ain't No Nigga"). Both E and PMD went back and forth over the beat and some noticed that both, mainly PMD, had somewhat the same laid back monotone flow as Rakim. However vocally, not lyrically. Ultimately comparing them to The R lyrically would be like trying to compare Ma$e to Notorious B.I.G., you just can't. Likewise EPMD's lyrical flow was more simplified but they were just as confident, slick, and sarcastic.

On the flip side to EPMD's single was a song called "You're A Customer", which boldly pointed out the distinction of EPMD being the "stars" and anyone who brought the record as merely a "customer". Credit them for introducing that level of extreme confidence and as for the fans, they just ate it up and became customers as the duo anticipated. The song contained a very simple yet highly contagious beat and base riff that gave you "goose bumps when the baseline thumps". The now classic track was a real treat for Hip-Hop (later used to remix Jodeci's "Can I Talk to You"). In "You're A Customer" Erick sparked it off in the first verse with lines like "Remember this line you're in a danger zone, I figured you would, now leave me alone" while PMD boasted in the following verse:

I have the capability to rap and chill,

Cold wax and tax MC's who tend to act ill. /

It's like a digg'em smack,

Smack me and I'll smack you back. /

So the controversy began. Was this an answer to Rakim's line, "You could get a smack for this"? Hip-Hop had its first official smack fest. At the time there wasn't a die hard listener that would say different. I can personally reflect on the time with additional knowledge stemming from my days producing Video Undaground". The show interviewed E (Erick Sermon) directly and the topic of these shots was addressed from his perspective.

Video Undaground host, Smitty Dawgs, was with Erick Sermon in the studio years later when Erick recalled, "That line was not directed to Rakim or anybody in particular but everybody was coming at us like why y'all dissed Rakim?" Nevertheless an explanation really didn't matter at that point, it had already become an outbreak in Hip-Hop. The fact that it was perceived as a diss meant everyone expected an answer regardless, especially from the self-proclaimed God, Rakim. There would be some time before there was an answer. Meanwhile EPMD continued their agenda by releasing their follow up single "You Got's To Chill" as well as their debut album "Strictly Business" in 1988. Throughout 1987 - 88, both sides were riding high on their success and promoting their albums to the fullest; both realising multiple singles and videos.

Very late in 1988, Erick B and Rakim returned with the sophomore album titled "Follow The Leader" and as expected Rakim answered both of them in the title track with this:

Stop buggin', a brother said digg'em, I never dugg'em

He couldn't follow the leader long enough so I drug 'em. /

Enter danger zone, he should arrange his own

Face it, it's basic, erase it, change your tone. /

In only two bars Rakim addressed Erick's danger zone, PMD's digg'em smack, the fact that their rhymes are basic and that PMD or perhaps both should make a change from the monotone style Rakim is noted for. There were more shots taken in the song that could have been directed at the duo, but these were the bars that pretty much came at them specifically. Erick Sermon told Video Undaground exclusively, "It was crazy after that, his camp was amping him and our camp was amping us". Everyone wanted the forming battle to reach the point of naming names. Ultimately since they never went at Rakim in the first place they ended up addressing the subject without going back at Rakim directly. In 1989, EPMD dropped the sophomore album titled "Unfinished Business". The first single was "So What You Sayin' ". In that song PMD came with this:

People 'round town talking this and that,

on how we sound like The R, and our music was wack. /

Dropped the album Strictly Business and you thought we would fold,

30 days later, the LP went gold. /

Ironically the follow up album "Unfinished Business" went gold in just 10 days, a true milestone for hip-hop back then. According to Erick, after that both sides finally met and it was all cleared up. One has to wonder how ugly it could have gotten if they went into a full-fledged battle. Who knows if a career would have ended early but so it is, the shots came to an end without casualties. --End

Note: This story was retitled as "Secret Wars" and is also featured on ALLHIPHOP.COM

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P.S. Its been a while since my last blog so to acknowledge that, I'm leaving off with these lyrics by Rakim that also express my thoughts:

It's been a long time, I shouldn't of left you,

without a strong [blog] to step to. /

Think of how many weak [blogs] you slept through,

times up, sorry I kept you. /

A.R's Spotlight: Kiki Haynes-Bell

Ki Ki Haynes and A.R.

Kiki Haynes-Bell, was the Hostess of Video Undaground from 1998 – 2000 (Interviews conducted include: P. Diddy, 112, Silkk The Shocker, Tank, Cam’Ron, Alicia Keys and countless others). She has made major moves since leaving the show. The day I met Kiki I knew her hustle was serious. That day she came to Video Undaground’s annual cookout in Harlem and interviewed the then No Limit / Priority Records R&B artist Mechalie Jameson. I put her on the spot and first time out she conducted the interview like a veteran. Priority Records Executive, Mike Cole, was also there and couldn't believe it was only her first interview. Needless to say I was both impressed and blessed to be able to bring her on deck.

Kiki has since moved to L.A. and has become an Actress. Her first credited role was the year 2000 release of “Bamboozled” written and directed by Spike Lee. To date her filmography includes: “Cutthroat Alley”, “Nora’s Hair Salon”, “Restraining Order”, “Rings”, “A Different Light”, “Tournament of Dreams”, “Shattered!”, and she has just wrapped production of “Double Duty”. She is also featured in the book “Self Management for Actors” by Bonnie Gillespie. The book includes Kiki’s essay “The Power of the Word No” which is one of 50 contributing essay’s made by the acting community of working professionals. There is no question as to why she is spotlighted here both for her success and because it’s clear to me that she has a bright future ahead of her.

UPDATE 2013 - Ki Ki is currently Co-Starring in Tyler Perry's "For Better or Worse" on TBS.

A.R. Remembers B.I.G. and introduces The Notorious Trailer

I remember 1994, when a promoter they called Jay Black shouted at the top of this lungs that this was going to be the year of the Bad Boy. I remember the picket signs and I remember being handed a burger carton that read "B.I.G. Mack". Inside was a burger bun with a cassette tape in the middle. One side was samples of Notorious B.I.G and the other side promoted Craig Mack, both sides was fire! That was the same year my show was born, Video Undaground. 

I remember just two weeks before B.I.G was murdered I sat in a conference room at Arista Records with the host of Video Undaground, Smitty Dawgs. There was about 20 people in attendance overall, most of them journalist. Nothing happened until B.I.G. came in on crutches accompanied by Lil' Cease. That's when we sat down and herd the entire album "Life After Death". The only song that we did not hear that day was "Long Kiss Goodnight" produced by RZA because as B.I.G. explained, it was the only song that was still not mixed. He added, "when y'all hear that y'all gonna know". 

Overall I believed the album was missing something at the time. I was a little disappointed that there was not a track that addressed the so-called beef(s) at the time (at least not how I wanted him too). I loved "My Downfall" which was my favorite at the time mainly because it came the closest to getttin' back at them kats. I just wanted some real hard shit. After listening the floor opened up to questions and the first was not even related to the album. Someone asked, "So who are you looking to tour with this time out?" B.I.G. responded, "You mean who's looking to tour with me?" and the room erupted with laughter. He added that he wasn't sure yet and changed the subject to say "right now we about to go to Cali to shoot the video." Everyone must have been thinking the same thought (as 2 Pac was recently killed) but one concerned person actually asked, "Are you sure you ready to go to Cali at this point in time?" B.I.G. responded, "Got to, there's money out there". 

So we all know the story and you can draw the conclusion as to what happened in the following weeks. I remember getting a physical copy of the album in the mail a day before its release and very shortly after his burial. Thanks to Wendy White the envelope contained the double CD and an 8 X 10 picture of myself, Notoriois B.I.G. in the center and Smitty Dawgs to his left (I am looking to update this posting with that picture at a later date). I can't describe how charged I was when I finally herd "Long Kiss Goodnight". It was the song that to me, completed the double album and gave me everything I wanted even though I was now almost confused and felt guilty that I wanted it so bad. But fuck that! I got over that guilt quickly and it's still my favorite song and til this day. If that's what I'm listening to in my Zen MP3 player when you see me in the street ... be very careful how you approach me because I am charged beyond belief (something Hulk like). Overall I hope this movie makes everyone remember forever ... who we lost when we lost B.I.G. 

It felt good to get that out.