The 18th Letter - Composition - music.wikisort.org

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The 18th Letter is the debut solo album of American emcee Rakim, released November 4, 1997, on Universal Records in the United States. The album features production by DJ Clark Kent, Pete Rock, Father Shaheed, Nick Wiz and DJ Premier.[1] It contains lyrical themes that concern hip hop's golden age, Rakim's rapping prowess, and the state of hip hop.[2]

The 18th Letter

Studio album by

Rakim

Released

November 4, 1997

Genre

Hip hop

Length

54:10

Label

Universal Records

Producer

DJ Clark Kent, Pete Rock, Father Shaheed, Nick Wiz, DJ Premier

Rakim chronology

The 18th Letter
(1997)

The Master
(1999)

Background

It is his first release of new material, following a five-year hiatus after Don't Sweat the Technique (1992) as duo Eric B. & Rakim.[3][4] The album's title refers to the letter "R" being the eighteenth letter of the English alphabet.

Deluxe version

A deluxe version of The 18th Letter was sold with the compilation disc The Book of Life (UD2-53111),[5] an Eric B. & Rakim greatest hits collection.[6] The Book of Life was also issued separately as a double vinyl LP.

Commercial performance

The 18th Letter debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart[7] and was certified Gold in the United States.[8]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[9]
Chicago Tribune	[10]
Robert Christgau	[11]
The New York Times	(favorable)[12]
Pitchfork Media	(8.0/10)[13]
Rolling Stone	[14]
The Source	[15]
Spin	(7/10)[16]
USA Today	[17]
Yahoo! Music	(favorable)[18]

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"		0:13
2.	"The 18th Letter (Always and Forever)"	Father Shaheed	3:01
3.	"Skit"		0:24
4.	"It's Been a Long Time"	DJ Premier	3:58
5.	"Remember That"	DJ Clark Kent	4:40
6.	"The Saga Begins"	Pete Rock	4:22
7.	"Skit"		0:19
8.	"Guess Who's Back"	DJ Clark Kent	4:11
9.	"Stay a While"	DJ Clark Kent	4:25
10.	"New York (Ya Out There)"	DJ Premier	4:04
11.	"Show Me Love"	Nick Wiz	4:19
12.	"Skit"		0:19
13.	"The Mystery (Who Is God?)"	Naughty Shorts Kid Nyce Bill Blass^[a]	5:21
14.	"When I'm Flowin'"	Pete Rock	5:04
15.	"It's Been a Long Time (Suave House Mix)"	Mo-Suave-A	3:59
16.	"Guess Who's Back (Alternative Mix)"	DJ Clark Kent	4:11
17.	"Outro"		1:20
Total length:			54:10

Notes

^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer.
"The Mystery (Who Is God?)" contains scratches by DJ Sond

The Book of Life

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"I Know You Got Soul" (from Paid In Full)	William Griffin Louis Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	4:43
2.	"Follow the Leader" (from Follow the Leader)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B.	5:32
3.	"Eric B. Is President" (from Paid In Full)	Griffin	Eric B. Marley Marl (uncredited)	6:15
4.	"Microphone Fiend" (from Follow the Leader)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B.	5:13
5.	"I Ain't No Joke" (from Paid In Full)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	3:52
6.	"Lyrics of Fury" (from Follow the Leader)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	4:11
7.	"My Melody" (from Paid In Full)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	6:47
8.	"Know the Ledge" (from Don't Sweat the Technique)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	3:58
9.	"Move the Crowd" (from Paid In Full)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	3:36
10.	"Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em" (from Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em)	Griffin Barrier William Mitchell	Eric B. Rakim Paul C Large Professor	5:24
11.	"Mahogany" (from Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em)	Griffin Barrier Paul McKasty Mitchell	Eric B. Rakim Paul C Large Professor	4:27
12.	"In the Ghetto" (from Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em)	Griffin	Eric B. Rakim Paul C Large Professor	5:26
13.	"Casualties of War" (from Don't Sweat the Technique)	Griffin	Eric B.	4:02
14.	"The Punisher" (from Don't Sweat the Technique)	Griffin	Eric B.	4:06
15.	"Paid in Full" (from Paid In Full)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	3:49
Total length:				1:11:21

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1997)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[19]	4
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[20]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)	Position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[21]	80
Chart (1998)	Position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[22]	70

Certifications

Certifications for *The 18th Letter*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[23]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

The 18th Letter & The Book of Life

Certifications for *The 18th Letter & The Book of Life*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[24]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

Gaillard, Mazi (December 1, 1997). "CD Review 36 - Juice Magazine". Juice Magazine.
Diers, James (December 24, 1997). "Rakim: The 18th Letter, page 1 - Music - City Pages". City Pages. Archived from the original on August 1, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
Coleman, Brian (January 1998). "Review: The 18th Letter / The Book of Life". CMJ New Music Monthly.
Wilson, Ken (December 11, 1997). "RAKIM, "THE 18TH LETTER/THE BOOK OF LIFE, UNIVERSAL"". The Cincinnati Post. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
Jacobs, Qa'id. "The 18th Letter/The Book of Life - Rakim". AllMusic. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
Chandler, Justin (April 1, 2008). "Rakim :: The 18th Letter :: MCA/Universal Records". RapReviews. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
"Rappers Mase, Jay-Z, Rakim Lead Pack". Los Angeles Times. November 13, 1997. Retrieved January 22, 2010.
"Gold & Platinum: Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 22, 2010.
Stanley, Leo. "The 18th Letter - Rakim". Allmusic. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
Baker, Soren (November 14, 1997). "Review: The 18th Letter / The Book of Life". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 21, 2009. Alt URL
Christgau, Robert (April 21, 1998). "Consumer Guide: The 18th Letter". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
Ehrlich, Dimitri (December 7, 1997). "RECORDINGS VIEW ; A Rap Pioneer Defies the Odds - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
Schreiber, Ryan. "Rakim: The 18th Letter/The Book of Life: Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on June 19, 2002. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
Morales, Ed (November 10, 1997). "Rakim: The 18th Letter/The Book of Life : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
Columnist (December 1997). "Music:The 18th Letter/The Book of Life (CD) by Rakim (Artist)". The Source. Archived from the original on November 19, 2009. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
Gonzales, Michael A. (January 1998). "Review: The 18th Letter / The Book of Life". Spin.
Jones, Steve (November 4, 1997). "Review: The 18th Letter / The Book of Life". USA Today.
Reynolds, J.R. "Review: The 18th Letter / The Book of Life". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
"Rakim Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
"Rakim Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
"Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
"Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
"American album certifications – Rakim – The 18th Letter". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
"American album certifications – Rakim – The 18th Letter & The Book of Life". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 2, 2020.

External links

The 18th Letter at Discogs
Farber, Jim. "Rapper Keeps His Cool". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
The Microphone God — By Vibe

v t e Rakim
Solo albums	The 18th Letter (1997) The Master (1999) The Archive: Live, Lost & Found (2008) The Seventh Seal (2009)
Eric B. & Rakim	Paid in Full (1987) Follow the Leader (1988) Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990) Don't Sweat the Technique (1992)
Featured singles	"Guilty All the Same"
Related articles	Discography

На других языках

- [en] The 18th Letter

[ru] The 18th Letter

The 18th Letter (с англ. — «18-я буква») — дебютный студийный альбом американского рэпера Rakim, выпущенный 4 ноября 1997 года на лейбле Universal Records. Это его первый релиз нового материала по прошествии пяти лет после выхода альбома Don’t Sweat the Technique (1992) в составе дуэта Eric B. & Rakim[1][2].

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