"Microphone Fiend" was the second single released from the 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...

's second album Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader (Eric B. & Rakim album)

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...

. The song became something of a signature song for rapper Rakim

Rakim

William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...

, and Allmusic.com's Steve Huey says the song "weaves references to substance addiction throughout in explaining why Rakim can't keep away from the mic." Featuring a prominent sample of Average White Band's 1975 hit "School Boy Crush," the song was further evidence of Eric B.'s fondness for soul samples and became one of most quoted songs in hip hop.

Covers

• The song has been covered multiple times, most notably by Rage Against the Machine
  Rage Against the Machine
  Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
  
   for their album Renegades.
• It was also covered by Fun Lovin' Criminals
  Fun Lovin' Criminals
  The Fun Lovin' Criminals is an American alternative hip hop / alternative rock group from New York City. Their musical style is primarily eclectic, covering styles such as hip hop, rock, funk, blues and jazz. Their songs often deal with life in New York City, as well as urban life in general...
  
   and Marc & Mike Allica.
• Muse
  Muse (band)
  Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
  
   have covered the song multiple times during live shows.
• Dirtball (rapper) did a cover on the Subnoize Souljaz
  Subnoize Souljaz
  Subnoize Souljaz is an American hip hop super group consisting of many current Artists under the Suburban Noize Records record label.*Brother J*Chucky Styles*Daddy X*The Dirtball*D-Loc*Jared Gomes*John E...
  
   album Blast From The Past.
• It was heavily sampled in the G-Mix for Snoop Dogg
  Snoop Dogg
  Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
  
  s single I Wanna Rock
  I Wanna Rock
  "I Wanna Rock" is a song from the album Stay Hungry by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister. In 2009 it was named the 17th VH1 Greatest Hard Rock Songs by VH1...
  
   from the Album Malice n Wonderland. It samples during Snoop's first verse.
• School Boy Crush
  School Boy Crush
  "School Boy Crush" is a song from Average White Band's 1975 album, Cut The Cake. The song is not to be confused with "Schoolboy Crush", which was recorded by American pop singer Bobby Helms, and also UK rocker Cliff Richard as the b-side to his hit "Move It"....
  
   by Average White Band is sampled heavily in the song, and is also sampled in Halftime from Nas
  Nas
  Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
  
  's debut album, Illmatic
  Illmatic
  Illmatic is the debut album of American rapper Nas, released April 19, 1994, on Columbia Records. Following his signing to Columbia with the help of MC Serch, recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording...
  
  .