This came out in 2000 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
According to his press bio, old-school rap legend Rakim is still coming up on 30 — which would mean he dropped his first hit, 1986’s classic Eric B. Is President, at the ripe old age of 18.
Obviously he was wise beyond his years — a quality he continues to display on the blast-from-the-past outing The Master. Flow was what Rakim — born William Griffin Jr. — brought to the game, and it’s still his trademark. These smooth, effortless rhymes are delivered in his monotone baritone with all the deadpan precision of a Vegas dealer. And fittingly, he always wins. Sure, there are plenty of faster, louder, flashier gunslingers out there. But Rakim still has enough skill and firepower to make The Master deservedly titled.
