Rakim recently completed his European tour, his first since 1997. When in Germany, Splash!Mag TV caught up with the God MC and discussed why it’s been so long since he toured Europe, his last album and keeping his style in the modern game.
Speaking on how the tour is going and why it’s been so long since his last European visit ;
Gotta lotta love out there man and gonna make sure it ain’t fifteen years before I come back again. I don’t fly and for the last what, fifteen, lil’ more than fifteen years, I think my trip over here was my last time flying. We took the Queen Mary over here this time you know’mean, nice relaxed boat ride, six days but am it definitely doable so I def be back.
Rakim’s last album, The Seventh Seal dropped in 2009 and took some criticism for it’s concept and content. It didn’t do too well in the sales or charts department despite it being a decent Hip-Hop album from one of the greats, only reaching No.61 on the Billboard 200 and moving only 12,000 units in its first week. He said he didn’t let the fans’ reactions to the album affect him and that he will never change his style to go with the times.
You care about it, but you don’t let it do nothing to you. It’s rap, it’s an album, some people will like it, some people won’t. Hip Hop is so diverse and mixed right now, you have a lot of fans who like radio-friendly Hip Hop. I don’t do that. You have a lot of fans who like pop Hip Hop. I don’t do that. You got a lot of fans that like different styles. I’m from my era, I’m known for doing a certain kind of music. I don’t want to switch off and do what Lil Wayne is doing. That ain’t Rakim. I can’t switch off and do what Wiz Khalifa’s doing. That’s not Rakim. It’s hard trying to keep up with what’s going on and still keep your integrity and keep your logo and your brand of who you are with these times. I made a statement. Definitely wanted to bring about that awareness with a conscious album.
Explaining more on the album concept and how there’s been a long break since he last dropped, The Fiend of the Microphone stated how HipHop has changed and the streets have changed and that he had to drop a conscious album to make a statement and get it off his chest and clear the way for the move forward.
I wanted to do a conscious album. There’s zero conscious in the hood right now, zero conscious in Hip Hop right now. But as far as Rakim, I had to do what I felt people expected from me, made a big statement. It’s good that I got that off my chest. Now, I can get back in the studio and have a little fun and not worry about having so many responsibilities and weight on my back.
Rakim also mentions his next album that he’s working on with DJ Premier, whom delivered the classic When I Be On The Mic. Premier’s production style is a perfect match for Ra’s crazy rhyming skills and puts us in line for some more classic material from probably the greatest lyricist of all time.
