Follow the Leader (Eric B. & Rakim album)
Encyclopedia
Follow the Leader is the second studio album
by American hip hop
duo Eric B. & Rakim
, released July 25, 1988 on MCA
-subsidiary label Uni Records
. It is the follow-up to their debut album Paid in Full
(1987). The album was recorded at Power Play Studios in New York City
and produced, arranged, and composed by the duo, with additional contributions from Eric B.'s brother Stevie Blass Griffin.
While its singles attained moderate success, the album performed better on music chart
s than Eric B. & Rakim's debut album and reached number 22 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Albums
chart. It has been certified gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States. Released during the hip hop's "golden age"
, Follow the Leader was well-received by critics and has since been recognized by music writers as one of the most groundbreaking and influential hip hop albums of all time.
(1987), Eric B. & Rakim left 4th & B'way Records and signed with Uni Records
, a subsidiary label of major label MCA Records
. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1987 to 1988 at Power Play Studios in New York City
. The duo produced, composed, and arranged the album with additional contributions from Eric B.'s brother Stevie Blass Griffin, who contributed with various instruments. Eric B. & Rakim worked with audio engineers Carlton Batts and Patrick Adams on the album.
and at number seven on Billboard
s Top Black Albums
chart. It achieved higher charting than Eric B. & Rakim's debut album and serves as their best-charting album in the United States. The album produced four singles, "Follow the Leader", "Microphone Fiend
", "The R", and "Lyrics of Fury". "Follow the Leader" peaked at number 16 on the Hot Black Singles
, at number 11 on the Hot Dance/Disco, and at number five on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
chart. "The R" reached number 79 on the Hot Black Singles, number 28 on the Hot Dance/Disco, number 41 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales, and number 14 on the Hot Rap Singles
chart. On September 27, 1988, the album was certified gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.
writer Jonathan Gold gave it 3½ out of 4 stars and viewed it as "far more consistent" than the duo's Paid in Full, calling Eric B. "a master of chill, understated beats" and complimenting Rakim for weaving "a laid-back web of words, his whiskey-smooth tenor less noisy but more intense than the machine-gun mutterings you hear booming from beat boxes, his keen rhymes all the more devastating for being near-whispered where lesser rappers would shout". In his consumer guide for The Village Voice
, critic Robert Christgau
gave Follow the Leader an A- rating, indicating "a very good record. If one of its sides doesn't provide intense and consistent satisfaction, then both include several cuts that do". Christgau found the duo's sampling
as an improvement from their previous work's "Brownian
motion" and complimented Rakim's "ever-increasing words-per-minute
ratio—the man loves language like a young Bob D
". Peter Watrous of The New York Times
commended Eric B.'s mixes and described him as "a minimalist virtuoso". Watrous called Rakim "one of the most distinctive rappers in the business" and elaborated on his lyricism, stating:
In a retrospective review, Allmusic writer Steve Huey gave the album 5 out of 5 stars and viewed it as an improvement over Paid in Full, commending Rakim's "agile, up-tempo lyrical showcases". In a dual review of both Paid in Full and Follow the Leaders reissues, Pitchfork Media
's Jess Harvell expressed that the high points of the latter album "are as high as any rap group has gotten" and wrote that both albums' music serve as "a reminder of a brief period where people thought they could become a millionaire on skills alone, where the reality of that was so far away that no one had to think about what being a millionaire would mean to the culture that nurtured those skills". In 1998, Follow the Leader was selected as one of The Source
s 100 Best Rap Albums, and in 2005, it was ranked number 12 on comedian Chris Rock
's list of the "Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums". The track "Lyrics of Fury" was ranked number five on About.com
's list of "Top 100 Rap Songs".
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
duo Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
, released July 25, 1988 on MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
-subsidiary label Uni Records
Uni Records
Uni Records was a record label owned by MCA Inc. The brand, which long featured a distinct UNi logo, was established in 1966 by MCA executive Ned Tanen and developed by music industry veteran Russ Regan...
. It is the follow-up to their debut album Paid in Full
Paid in Full (album)
Paid in Full is the debut album of American hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released July 7, 1987, on the Island-subsidiary label 4th & B'way Records. The duo recorded the album at hip hop producer Marley Marl's home studio and Power Play Studios in New York City, following Rakim's response to Eric...
(1987). The album was recorded at Power Play Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and produced, arranged, and composed by the duo, with additional contributions from Eric B.'s brother Stevie Blass Griffin.
While its singles attained moderate success, the album performed better on music chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
s than Eric B. & Rakim's debut album and reached number 22 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Albums
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart. It has been certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States. Released during the hip hop's "golden age"
Golden age hip hop
Hip hop's "golden age" is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop—usually cited as being a period varying in time frames during the 1980s and 1990s said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. There were strong themes of Afrocentricity and political...
, Follow the Leader was well-received by critics and has since been recognized by music writers as one of the most groundbreaking and influential hip hop albums of all time.
Background
Following the breakthrough success of their debut album Paid in FullPaid in Full (album)
Paid in Full is the debut album of American hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released July 7, 1987, on the Island-subsidiary label 4th & B'way Records. The duo recorded the album at hip hop producer Marley Marl's home studio and Power Play Studios in New York City, following Rakim's response to Eric...
(1987), Eric B. & Rakim left 4th & B'way Records and signed with Uni Records
Uni Records
Uni Records was a record label owned by MCA Inc. The brand, which long featured a distinct UNi logo, was established in 1966 by MCA executive Ned Tanen and developed by music industry veteran Russ Regan...
, a subsidiary label of major label MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1987 to 1988 at Power Play Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The duo produced, composed, and arranged the album with additional contributions from Eric B.'s brother Stevie Blass Griffin, who contributed with various instruments. Eric B. & Rakim worked with audio engineers Carlton Batts and Patrick Adams on the album.
Commercial performance
The album peaked at number 22 on the U.S. Billboard Top Pop AlbumsBillboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and at number seven on Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
s Top Black Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart. It achieved higher charting than Eric B. & Rakim's debut album and serves as their best-charting album in the United States. The album produced four singles, "Follow the Leader", "Microphone Fiend
Microphone Fiend
"Microphone Fiend" was the second single released from the hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim's second album Follow the Leader. The song became something of a signature song for rapper Rakim, and Allmusic.com's Steve Huey says the song "weaves references to substance addiction throughout in explaining why...
", "The R", and "Lyrics of Fury". "Follow the Leader" peaked at number 16 on the Hot Black Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, at number 11 on the Hot Dance/Disco, and at number five on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes...
chart. "The R" reached number 79 on the Hot Black Singles, number 28 on the Hot Dance/Disco, number 41 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales, and number 14 on the Hot Rap Singles
Hot Rap Songs
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
chart. On September 27, 1988, the album was certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.
Critical response
Upon its release, Follow the Leader received positive reviews from most music critics. Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer Jonathan Gold gave it 3½ out of 4 stars and viewed it as "far more consistent" than the duo's Paid in Full, calling Eric B. "a master of chill, understated beats" and complimenting Rakim for weaving "a laid-back web of words, his whiskey-smooth tenor less noisy but more intense than the machine-gun mutterings you hear booming from beat boxes, his keen rhymes all the more devastating for being near-whispered where lesser rappers would shout". In his consumer guide for The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
, critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave Follow the Leader an A- rating, indicating "a very good record. If one of its sides doesn't provide intense and consistent satisfaction, then both include several cuts that do". Christgau found the duo's sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
as an improvement from their previous work's "Brownian
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
motion" and complimented Rakim's "ever-increasing words-per-minute
Words per minute
Words per minute, commonly abbreviated wpm, is a measure of input or output speed.For the purposes of WPM measurement a word is standardized to five characters or keystrokes. For instance, "I run" counts as one word, but "rhinoceros" counts as two...
ratio—the man loves language like a young Bob D
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
". Peter Watrous of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
commended Eric B.'s mixes and described him as "a minimalist virtuoso". Watrous called Rakim "one of the most distinctive rappers in the business" and elaborated on his lyricism, stating:
In a retrospective review, Allmusic writer Steve Huey gave the album 5 out of 5 stars and viewed it as an improvement over Paid in Full, commending Rakim's "agile, up-tempo lyrical showcases". In a dual review of both Paid in Full and Follow the Leaders reissues, Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Jess Harvell expressed that the high points of the latter album "are as high as any rap group has gotten" and wrote that both albums' music serve as "a reminder of a brief period where people thought they could become a millionaire on skills alone, where the reality of that was so far away that no one had to think about what being a millionaire would mean to the culture that nurtured those skills". In 1998, Follow the Leader was selected as one of The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
s 100 Best Rap Albums, and in 2005, it was ranked number 12 on comedian Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
's list of the "Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums". The track "Lyrics of Fury" was ranked number five on About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's list of "Top 100 Rap Songs".
Track listing
| # | Title | Samples | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Follow the Leader Follow the Leader (Eric B. & Rakim song) "Follow the Leader" was the first single and title track from the hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim's second album. The song, with its pulsing bass line and almost-ambient use of samples, signaled a departure from the minimalism of the duo's first album, Paid in Full. Rakim's lyrics showcase the rapper's... " |
|
5:36 |
| 2 | "Microphone Fiend Microphone Fiend "Microphone Fiend" was the second single released from the hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim's second album Follow the Leader. The song became something of a signature song for rapper Rakim, and Allmusic.com's Steve Huey says the song "weaves references to substance addiction throughout in explaining why... " |
The Average White Band Average White Band is a Scottish funk and R&B band, who had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They are best known for their million selling song, "Pick Up the Pieces". The band name was initially proposed by Bonnie Bramlett... Fab Five Freddy Fred Brathwaite , more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American Hip hop historian, Hip hop pioneer and former graffiti artist... |
5:17 |
| 3 | "Lyrics of Fury" |
Funky drummer "Funky Drummer" is a funk song recorded by James Brown and his band. The recording's drum break, performed by drummer Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled rhythmic breaks in hip hop and popular music; indeed, it lays a strong claim to being the most sampled recording ever,... " by James Brown James Brown James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr... Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:... |
4:15 |
| 4 | "Eric B. Never Scared" |
Bob Marley & The Wailers Bob Marley & The Wailers were a Jamaican reggae, ska and rocksteady band formed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963. Additional members were Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Cherry Smith and Aston and Carlton Barrett... |
5:21 |
| 5 | "Just a Beat" |
|
2:07 |
| 6 | "Put Your Hands Together" |
Mountain (band) Mountain is an American hard rock band that formed in Long Island, New York in 1969. Originally comprising vocalist and guitarist Leslie West, bassist Felix Pappalardi and drummer N. D. Smart, the band broke up in 1972 before reuniting in 1974 and remaining active until today... The Meters The Meters are an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Meters performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977... |
5:15 |
| 7 | "To the Listeners" |
The Headhunters The Headhunters are an American jazz-funk fusion band, best known for their albums they recorded as a backing band of jazz keyboard player Herbie Hancock during the 1970s. Hancock's debut album with the group, Head Hunters, is one of the best-selling jazz/fusion records of all time.-History:Herbie... |
4:32 |
| 8 | "No Competition" |
|
3:52 |
| 9 | "The R" |
The Blackbyrds The Blackbyrds were an American rhythm and blues and jazz-funk fusion group, formed in Washington, D.C. in 1973.-History:The group was inspired by trumpeter Donald Byrd and featured some of his Howard University students: Kevin Toney , Keith Killgo , Joe Hall , Allan C. Barnes , and Barney Perry... |
3:55 |
| 10 | "Musical Massacre" |
Jimmy Castor Jimmy Castor is an American pop and funk musician. He is best known as a fun disco/funk saxophonist, with his biggest hit single being 1972's million seller, "Troglodyte ".-Career:... Fab Five Freddy Fred Brathwaite , more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American Hip hop historian, Hip hop pioneer and former graffiti artist... |
4:29 |
| 11 | "Beats for the Listeners" |
The Headhunters The Headhunters are an American jazz-funk fusion band, best known for their albums they recorded as a backing band of jazz keyboard player Herbie Hancock during the 1970s. Hancock's debut album with the group, Head Hunters, is one of the best-selling jazz/fusion records of all time.-History:Herbie... |
4:08 |
Personnel
Credits for Follow the Leader adapted from Allmusic.- Patrick Adams – engineer
- Carlton Batts – engineer
- Eric B. & Rakim – vocals, producer
- Eric B. – performer
- Stevie Blass Griffin – composer, performer
- Rakim – arranger, producer
Chart history
| Charts (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Top Pop Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
22 |
| U.S. Top Black Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
7 |
External links
- Follow the Leader at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...