No surprise which side he’s on. If you looked up “hip hop” in the dictionary, there’s a decent chance Rakim would be the picture example. The rapper revolutionized the genre in the 1980s. He laid the groundwork for future icons like Nas, JAY-Z and Kendrick Lamar, and can still hold his own on the mic. He just dropped a new …

The collab we didn’t know we needed. Rakim and Will Smith are peers. In genre, if not in style. Rakim is considered to be one of the most elite lyricists of all time. Will Smith, on the other hand, was the family-friendly pop star. Both men achieved massive success in the 1980s and 90s, but never really crossed paths. That …

After teasing it for years, Rakim is officially back with new music.The legendary rapper has released a new single today called ‘Be Ill’ which features his contemporaries Kurupt and Masta Killa. Listen to the boom bap influenced track below before the music video comes out Friday morning. In addition, Rakim has also announced G.O.D.s’ Network (Reb7rth), his first album in …