I have hear snippets and this sounds like it might be the Hip Hop album of the year. I liked every song I heard.

I've heard "Holy Are You" and "Walk These Streets" and just on those two cuts alone, the album is worth the wait. He's the illest MC ever! That cat Mosi Reeves is a straight up idiot with the bullshit about Rah "still waiting for his sonic Michaelangelo." What the fuck does that mean? Speak English my man! You don't know what you're talking about. I don't care how many albums you've reviewed. You're wrong on this one. Straight up!

wow u must not listen to rap music at all, Rakim a 2.5? i dont think he would feel comfortable releasing an album if it isnt up to par with the best....

wow, fuck you and your shittyass review; i bet you gave souljaboy a 5/5 didnt you? fake ass mothafucka YOUR the reason hip hop is dying

FUCK YOU

this album is 5/5, rakim is the god of emceeing

The best rapper alive comes out with an album that's poorly rated 2.5 stars? Your review is the one that should be rated a 2.5. I've heard 5 tracks off his album and they are all fire. This and KRS-One & Buckshot's album Survival Skills are the best of year because they encompass what Hip-Hop really is.

okay, i just listened to the whole album...i take back what i said. this review is 100% on point, and the album sucks.

sorry spin :(

i listen to the album and ima order 2.... this is aclassic album and the review guy needs to be fired.... guys like u are really killing hip hop... The GOD M.Cee is the truth in the booth... About time RAKIM its been along time since we got something with substance in hip hop.... he talks about things that matter not cars and houses and gold chains.... Mr. Review guy dont fuck this album up because you wanna hear bullshit all day true HIP HOP IS BACK.... RAKIM IS THE GOAT

you people are delusional. Rakim is indeed one of Hip Hop's' GREATS, but this LP/CD sucks. No where near his best work, and no where near a classic.
Easily forgettable.

At no point in dudes critique of the album did homey say Rakim was a weak MC. Everybody that had something negative to say about this review and haven't themself even heard the album is a ****rider. Fans like you are killing hip hop. What he said was that the production was outdated. Is it true? I don't know (I haven't heard the album). Is it possible? Yeah, (an MC coming off a hiatus having a outdated sound is possible). What you wanted him to say that the album was flawless, Rakim is once again dropping some new groundbreaking shit, It seems like the God never left? Rakim, KRS, Kane are all MC's that are in my top ten greatest of all time. Do I think that any one of them is capable of dropping an album with outdated sounding beats or God forbid lyrics? Me being a fan I will buy the album and judge for myself.

All y'all need to shut the fuck up, the reviewer too. Rakim is the GOAT

Rakim is one of the greatest.... but it's true, this album does suck pretty hard

It's because it's all R&B pop hooks and weak beats, and Rakim not spitting as hard as he used to...
He doesn't get a free pass just because he's Rakim - he can do a LOT better than this

This could've been a classic with better beats and fewer R&B filler tracks. "Holy Are You" is incredible though. Hopefully this sells so he decides to come out with another album and try this again, with a better result.

How are you going to judge this album if you're not even reviewing it? You just saying it wasn't that good, shit anybody could say that it wasn't that good, does that mean everybody can be a reviewer? NO!!

As a reviewer you have to say why the album wasn't that good and make references to both good and bad songs on the album, you have to back up your statement with arguments fool.

I bet if Dr. Dre produced the album, you would have been all over it. Dr. Dre played out, get over it.

You suck as a reviewer, my sister can do a better job and she doesn't even like hip hop.

no way, he's stacked up all of Dre's cuts in the lab, it's all new material, i said it's all new material!!

Rakim's choice of beats has always been knocked by people. Everyone has their own taste in beats. Personally, I listen for the way he raises the bar lyrically. He's done that yet again. I've yet to hear a beat that is strong enough to hold Rakim anyways. As far as i'm concerned, he could've released an acapella album and I woulda copped it. These corny rappers nowadays NEED "hot" beats because they cannot rhyme. Plain and simple. The god is back. That's all to it.

I heard the tracks Rakim is on fire and did not disappoint at all . Creative license is why he didnt drop an album in all these years . I will buy the album in a store, simply put if you are a fan of hip hop not (rap) you can vibe with this. Since they started that bling money crap that does'nt really fly where I come from cause your ass will get robbed QUICKLY! I might add. IMO the god body stayed truest to the game did you ever see those niggas he run with real goons dead ass not to be effed around with. REAL is what he is and where I am from so I dig real And real dudes aint out there advertising how bad they are they know who they are ,What they did and done and you aint gonna put incriminating shit on a cd so you tell it like a story for your target audience to vibe and reminesce about shit we familiar with. done

@G Syn... thanks...I want an acapella version of this now!

the album is not that good be honest my equals,and don't pull that "you don't know hip hop shit with me it won't work you jerks haha,ra is a top 5 mc of all time no doubt,and on a couple of songs he really kills it,but the overall flow of the album is not good,and like one guy said on here,alot has to do with the singing on the hooks,if a mainstream rapper did that you "i am hip hop" heads would shit on them hella bad,but if ra does it,it's cool?keep it networth and admit it's no where near his best album,too slow,even tho ra is the original mr slow flow (no disrespect to pmd) he always took it to the next level on uptempo joints yell

myspace. com / panhandoelrcorp

the album is not that good be honest my equals,and don't pull that "you don't know hip hop shit with me it won't work you jerks haha,ra is a top 5 mc of all time no doubt,and on a couple of songs he really kills it,but the overall flow of the album is not good,and like one guy said on here,alot has to do with the singing on the hooks,if a mainstream rapper did that you "i am hip hop" heads would shit on them hella bad,but if ra does it,it's cool?keep it networth and admit it's no where near his best album,too slow,even tho ra is the original mr slow flow (no disrespect to pmd) he always took it to the next level on uptempo joints yell

myspace. com / panhandoelrcorp

Greetings,

Mr. Reviewer, you are a classic di#khead. You're perspective clearly is out of touch with hip hop and reality.

Have a blessed day :-)

I think Eric B can make beats to fit Rakim style and flow thats why they blew up in 86 they was a good team but business differences broke them up. If they ever got back together they would bring that noise they once did. Rakim no doubt has his skills but lacking beats once and a while he find that beat from like dj premier and rahzell that enhance his lyrical but most of the time his beat's is not all that which makes a difference. I personally like rakim as the second best rapper 1# KRS-ONE to me has the title of all time true skool, old skool, new school and beyond but that's another issue peace.

I hate Rakim now.

What happens to the Don't sweat the technique days.....

He must be broke because he as SOLD THE FUCK OUT!!!!

sorry but this album sucks. Not sucks like soulja boy does, but it shouldnt be judged and evaluated in that context - this album is meant to be the return of real hip hop to the public eye, the return of the God Emcee and on that basis it is dreadful. There is no relevant or pertinent lyricism really, nothing about the state of the world today - and for a emcee with rakims skill that is frankly disgusting. Its just another rap album languishing in the bubble of hip hop as if there isnt a world out there beyond it. Unfortunately thats not the worst part, the worst part is the production, the album sounds like it hasnt even been mastered - ironic considering he is the self titled "master". The beats are weak and second rate soundclick jobs, the whole thing doesnt gel and it is the most dissappointing rap album of all time imo, not the worst, but since it was meant to be the best it in some ways is. If this is the result of ten years of work from the best emcee in rap then the music is well and truly dead imo. So cheers rakim, cheers for hammering that final nail into hip hops coffin. God emcee? Pfft ive just become athiest.

you hun you listenin', cause when it come to flippin' ones/
and gettin bundles in the jungle i got tunnel vision/

~
we waitin for judgement, it came in the form of a thug in the game/
to create his compositon, it's floodin' my veins/
the chemical is identical, we one in the same/
with 7 letters and all 3 of my government names/
walk on water, nah leave it to jesus/
it's a parable to make followers and readers believe us/
from eygpt to budapest, rakim is the truest left/
understand the scriptures like the minister louis f/

~

it's hard, it's intricate, flippin' it, isn't it?/
bars is infinite, so ra deliver it, far different/
part lyricist, part instrument, start spittin' it/
the more articulate y'all rythms get/

~
it's the birth, of the streets, it's over they said/
rappers crossover they dead/
i spit my verse with technique, till they're knowing their ledge/
first it's too deep, then i'm over their head/
he too lyrical, and too subliminal/
everything from spiritual to criminal/
it's a message in the bottle, open it/
it's a lesson in survival, cope with it/

~

i see thru the eyes of the prophets, king tutankhamun/
martins and malcolms, elijah muhammads/
wise who acknowledge, paid in full aint just the size of the pockets/
it rise where the top is, rise economics/
i'll show you that time is more valuable then them diamonds in your watches/
you grind with a gloc, is you dying for them dollars?/

anyone saying rakim is wack or this album sucks is buggin and out of touch with hip-hop.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I haven't heard the album. However, you just putting those lyrics up has me fairly convinced that all the naysayers really do not know what they're talking about.