In the history of the Hip-Hop, few artists have had as great an impact on the development and progression of the art form and lyrical style as Rakim. Universally referenced as one of the Masters of the Microphone and an influence and inspiration to his peers and followers alike, Rakim first exploded onto the scene with the release of iconic Eric B. is President in 1986 with long time collaborator Eric B. The single marked a turning point in the Rap world – raising the bar for future emcees and revolutionizing the way rhymes are delivered to this day. No serious discussion of hip-hop’s greatest performers is held without a deferential accounting of Rakim’s achievements, and no serious rap artist grips a microphone without channeling some of his legend. Rakim’s intricately, intellectual lyrics draw their force from his worldly experience, inner faith and progressive contemplation; his liquid and seemingly effortless delivery – often imitated but still unrivaled – from a fire fueled by a deep understanding of not just Hip-Hop, but also the Jazz and R&B influences that have surrounded his family since his youth. Rakim’s recordings – including the all-time classics, Paid In Full, Follow the Leader and The 18th Letter - have sold in the multi-millions worldwide. Billboard, Rolling Stone, MTV and a host of others consistently refer to Paid in Full as “the greatest Hip-Hop album of all time” – a claim often repeated in audience polls. Now nearing twenty years at the top of Hip-Hop’s greatest list, the Long Island, NY native is focusing on the highly anticipated release of his latest project, The Seventh Seal. The project marks the first under his own imprint, allowing a true freedom in creative control unparalleled since his monumental first recordings. With recent tributes such as NAS’s U.B.R., collaborations including Alicia Key’s New York State of Mind, a Platinum Edition of Paid In Full and his newest LIVE album “The aRchives: Live Lost and Found” keeping the world’s eye on the one many call GOD, Rakim Allah prepares to reset the standard again.