The Seventh Seal (Rakim album)
Encyclopedia
The Seventh Seal is the third solo studio album
by American emcee Rakim
. Released November 17, 2009 after several delays on Rakim's own Ra Records, TVM, and SMC Recordings
and distributed through Fontana
and Universal Music Group
. Considered a comeback album after a ten-year gap between releases, the album features the 2 singles, Holy Are You which was released on July 14, 2009, and Walk These Streets which was released on October 7, 2009. It features production from several renowned hip hop artists, including Nottz
, Needlz
, Jake One
, and Nick Wiz
The album sold 12,000 copies in the United States by November 22, 2009, according to SoundScan. Upon its release, The Seventh Seal received generally mixed or average reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 59/100 from Metacritic
.
's Aftermath
record label, he eventually left. The official reason for his departure from Aftermath were creative differences and the different work habits of Dre and Rakim.
After leaving the label, Rakim
began recording new songs for the album and Dr. Dre allowed him to keep the songs that he originally produced.
Then in 2007, Rakim decided to record completely new songs for the album. In an interview with Billboard
on July 13, 2009, when asked about if this album contains any material from the unreleased album he did with Dr. Dre, he stated "No, that's locked down in the lab for now. This is me live from New York City, everything brand new." .
in 2007, when asked about story behind the title, Rakim
said,
In an interview in early 2009, when asked about the new generation of hip hop fans, Rakim
said,
In another interview with Billboard
in 2009, he stated,
, I.Q., and his own daughter Destiny Griffin.
Several songs on the album were produced by Bassi Maestro, by longtime Rakim collaborator Nick Wiz, and also featured beats from Nottz, Needlz, and Jake One
.
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 emcee 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...
. Released November 17, 2009 after several delays on Rakim's own Ra Records, TVM, and SMC Recordings
SMC Recordings
SMC Recordings is an independent hip hop record label established in 2005 in San Francisco, California by Ralph Tashjian, Will Bronson and George Nauful.The full-service independent record label SMC primarily signs and distributes established hip-hop artists....
and distributed through Fontana
Fontana Records
Fontana Records is a record label which was started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records; when Philips restructured its music operations it dropped Fontana in favor of Vertigo Records. In the seventies PolyGram acquired the dormant label....
and Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. Considered a comeback album after a ten-year gap between releases, the album features the 2 singles, Holy Are You which was released on July 14, 2009, and Walk These Streets which was released on October 7, 2009. It features production from several renowned hip hop artists, including Nottz
Nottz
Dominick Lamb better known by his stage name, Nottz is a music producer, writer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. He sometimes extends his executive name to Nottz Raw.-History:...
, Needlz
Needlz
Khari Cain, better known by his stage name Needlz, is an American record producer, Grammy Award Winning, engineer and composer.-Life and career:...
, Jake One
Jake One
Jacob Dutton, better known as Jake One, is an American hip hop record producer from Seattle, Washington.-Biography:Dutton grew up in Capitol Hill and moved to the North End of Seattle when he was 15. He started making music on a Casio keyboard in 1992. He attended the University of Washington and...
, and Nick Wiz
The album sold 12,000 copies in the United States by November 22, 2009, according to SoundScan. Upon its release, The Seventh Seal received generally mixed or average reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 59/100 from Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
Recording
The original title for the album was Oh, My God, with the original release date set for 2002, but after he signed with Dr. DreDr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's Aftermath
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
record label, he eventually left. The official reason for his departure from Aftermath were creative differences and the different work habits of Dre and Rakim.
After leaving the label, 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...
began recording new songs for the album and Dr. Dre allowed him to keep the songs that he originally produced.
Then in 2007, Rakim decided to record completely new songs for the album. In an interview with Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
on July 13, 2009, when asked about if this album contains any material from the unreleased album he did with Dr. Dre, he stated "No, that's locked down in the lab for now. This is me live from New York City, everything brand new." .
Concept
In an interview with BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
in 2007, when asked about story behind the title, 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...
said,
In an interview in early 2009, when asked about the new generation of hip hop fans, 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...
said,
In another interview with Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
in 2009, he stated,
Production and guests
Rakim has confirmed that The Seventh Seal will have 14 tracks, with the main guests being MainoMaino
Maino is an American rapper from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York.-Early life:...
, I.Q., and his own daughter Destiny Griffin.
Several songs on the album were produced by Bassi Maestro, by longtime Rakim collaborator Nick Wiz, and also featured beats from Nottz, Needlz, and Jake One
Jake One
Jacob Dutton, better known as Jake One, is an American hip hop record producer from Seattle, Washington.-Biography:Dutton grew up in Capitol Hill and moved to the North End of Seattle when he was 15. He started making music on a Casio keyboard in 1992. He attended the University of Washington and...
.
Track listing
The track listing was confirmed by Defsounds and Myspace.| # | Title | Producer(s) | Samples and notes | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "How To Emcee" | Slyce | Additional vocals by Tracey Horton | 4:13 |
| 2 | "Walk These Streets" (Feat. Maino Maino Maino is an American rapper from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York.-Early life:... ) |
Needlz Needlz Khari Cain, better known by his stage name Needlz, is an American record producer, Grammy Award Winning, engineer and composer.-Life and career:... |
Additional vocals by Tracey Horton | 4:04 |
| 3 | "Documentary Of A Gangsta" (Feat. IQ) | Y-Not | Additional vocals by Keith Alexander Jr. Fogah, Mark Ruglass
|
4:12 |
| 4 | "Man Above" (Feat. Tracey Horton) | Nottz Nottz Dominick Lamb better known by his stage name, Nottz is a music producer, writer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. He sometimes extends his executive name to Nottz Raw.-History:... |
4:26 | |
| 5 | "You And I" (Feat. Samuel Christian) | Samuel Christian and J Wells | 4:42 | |
| 6 | "Won’t Be Long" (Feat. Tracey Horton) | Jake One Jake One Jacob Dutton, better known as Jake One, is an American hip hop record producer from Seattle, Washington.-Biography:Dutton grew up in Capitol Hill and moved to the North End of Seattle when he was 15. He started making music on a Casio keyboard in 1992. He attended the University of Washington and... |
Bass, Keys and Guitar by G Koop |
4:49 |
| 7 | "Holy Are U" | Nick Wiz | Cuts by Slyce
Additional Writing by David Axelrod Song samples The Electric Prunes "Holy Are you" |
4:06 |
| 8 | "Satisfaction Guaranteed" | Neo Da Matrix Neo Da Matrix Neo Da Matrix is an American hip hop producer born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but attended Stone Mountain High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He has worked with Swizz Beatz as an in-house producer for Ruff Ryders Entertainment and has produced for the likes of Cassidy... |
4:26 | |
| 9 | "Working For You" | Bassi Maestro | Song samples Robert Cray Bands "I Forgot to be Your Lover" Original song written and performed by William Bell William Bell -Musicians:* William Bell * William Bell * William Henry Bell , composer -Politicians:* Dr. William Bell , founder of Manitou Springs, Colorado... |
4:18 |
| 10 | "Message In The Song" (Feat. Destiny Griffin) | Nick Wiz, Lofey | 3:52 | |
| 11 | "Put It All To Music" | Poppa Pill | 4:02 | |
| 12 | "Psychic Love" | Nick Wiz | 3:28 | |
| 13 | "Still In Love" | Nick Wiz | 2:42 | |
| 14 | "Dedicated" | Nick Wiz | "Don't Speak Don't Speak "Don't Speak" is a song by the American rock band No Doubt. It was released in 1996 as the third single from the band's third studio album, Tragic Kingdom... " by No Doubt No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact... |
3:35 |
| 15 | "Euphoria" (Feat. Styles P Styles P David Styles better known by his stage name, Styles P, is an American rapper, author, and entrepreneur. He is prominently known as a member of Hip Hop group The LOX and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop group, and in addition has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a solo... , Jadakiss Jadakiss Jason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle... & Busta Rhymes Busta Rhymes Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes... ) |
Ty Fyffe Ty Fyffe Tyrone "Ty" Fyffe, also known as Sugarless, is a Hip hop music producer from Queens, New York and currently president of Tybu Productions.... |
Exclusive bonus track via www.rakim.com only, announced to the buyers of the album | 4:46 |