Eric B. & Rakim's 'The Complete Collection' 8-LP + 2-CD Deluxe Box Set Arrives July 13

Eric B. & Rakim's 'The Complete Collection' 8-LP + 2-CD Deluxe Box Set Arrives July 13 On Urban Legends / UMe

'The Complete Collection 1987-1992' is the first-ever comprehensive career overview of the legendary hip-hop duo, with four 2-LP studio albums, plus 2 CDs of rare remixes & B-Sides, and a 36-page 12" x 12" booklet

Thursday, July 26 will mark the 30th Anniversary of 'Follow The Leader'

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


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In the decades since they exploded on the scene in the mid-1980s, Eric B. & Rakim have been universally recognized as one of hip-hop's greatest creative units. Eric B.'s distinctive soundscapes, and cuts, and Rakim's philosophically deep and lyrically complex raps remain unequaled, and the duo's classic recordings remain a benchmark of the genre.

Although the duo's albums have remained immensely influential, all have been out of print on vinyl in the U.S. for many years, making the UMe release The Complete Collection 1987-1992 an especially timely package. Not only a monument to Eric B. & Rakim's larger-than-life catalog, this ten-piece vinyl / CD set is the first U.S. career-encompassing box set for any hip-hop artist.

The Complete Collection 1987-1992 incorporates 2-LP vinyl editions of each of Eric B. & Rakim's four original albums — 1987's Paid In Full, 1988's Follow the Leader, 1990's Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em and 1992's Don't Sweat the Technique — plus two bonus CDs of classic remixes, none of which have ever appeared on an album, and only a handful of which have previously been available digitally. All four LPs and both CDs are housed in a ridged slipcase that also boasts a 36-page book (with 29 vintage photos spanning the group's career together, as well as liner notes from writers Tom Terrell and Brian Coleman).

To order The Complete Collection 1987-1992 go to:

https://UrbanLegends.lnk.to/EricBRakimCollection

The bonus CDs include an impressive 26 vintage remixes, including such influential classics as Coldcut's "Seven Minutes of Madness" mix for "Paid In Full"; the "Six Minutes of Soul" reworking of "I Know You Got Soul" (by Double Trouble aka Norman "Fatboy Slim" and Danny D; Marley Marl and M.C. Shan's original 1986 mix of "My Melody"; and "Friends," Eric B & Rakim's 1989 Top Ten collaboration with Jody Watley.

Hailing from Queens, New York and Wyandanch, Long Island, respectively, forward-thinking DJ and producer Eric B (born Eric Barrier) and revered lyricist Rakim (born William Michael Griffin Jr.) are, according to AllMusic, "almost universally recognized as the premier DJ/MC team in all of hip-hop." After debuting with the independently released "Eric B Is President" single in 1986, they would go on to establish themselves as the hardest, most musically complex and most lyrically challenging rap act in the world. Rakim's rhymes boasted plain-spoken but complex imagery and thought, ambitious internal rhymes, and a smooth, deliberate and unmistakable flow, while Eric's innovative sonic experimentation was highlighted by his early manipulation of samples, including his pioneering mining of James Brown's catalogue.

The Complete Collection 1987-1992 is packed to the ceiling with hip-hop classics. The landmark debut Paid In Full, which many fans consider to be the greatest album in hip-hop history, includes the beloved classics "I Know You Got Soul" and "Eric B Is President," as well as the title track, which inspired no less than 30 remixes. The equally fierce follow-up Follow the Leader boasts such favorites as "Microphone Fiend" and the title track, and expanded the debut album's minimalistic sound into broader, darker sonic territory. Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em found the pair maintaining their stature on such tracks as "Step Back" and "In the Ghetto." And Don't Sweat the Technique brought the twosome's sound to a plateau with songs like "Pass the Hand Grenade" and "Casualties of War."

More than three decades after they hit on wax, Eric B. & Rakim have recently started touring together again, and remain one of hip-hop's seminal acts. The Complete Collection 1987-1992 presents their brilliant body of work the way it was meant to be heard!

For more information on the group, visit:

www.EricBandRakim.com

facebook.com/Eric-B-And-Rakim

twitter.com/ericbandrakim

ABOUT UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP'S "URBAN LEGENDS"

Urban Legends is a multi-platform website that honors the past 30 years of Universal Music Group's (UMG) urban catalog. The label imprint and platform, which came to fruition in late 2017, celebrates the artists and music at the heart and soul of hip-hop, with commentary by noted music writers and the artists themselves.

Nobody forgets the album that changed their life—that one song that defined the moment. Urban Legends remembers and reimagines what it means to be a fan, helping music lovers fall in love with their favorites all over again. We celebrate our icons, our culture, our style, our legacy, our music—and why it matters.

Source UMe

July 15, 2018 5:00pm ET by UMe  

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