Eric B. & Rakim – Paid In Full

Great dynamics for a hip hop album. Soundstage is nice. Packaging is perfect. Vinyl is flat and quiet. If you love this album, definitely consider it or your collection.

Played on:
Rega P6 with Apheta 2 and Aria Mk3 phono
Rega Elex Mk4
Sonus Faber Amator Lumina II’s
Rel T7x

I am giving 5 stars because the sound quality sounds good to me and that is the most important thing. The 2LP variant in my opinion is unnecessary, I mean the B and D sides have only two tracks lol, it gets annoying going through both discs over and over again to listen to the album that has 10 songs.

I got this one, purchaced in NYC 2011 still love it. I think there has been an update release with extra accapella's and the long rmx version of paid in full by coldcut. Epic album. At the time I thought there where too few tracks on there and I compared that to other hip hop albums offcourse. But I always loved all the tracks on this debute album. Very cool thing is that the CD booklet includes lyrics of all tracks!! Big pre. Peace

I’ve got a bootleg version of this with the same label. The vinyl is a muddy green splatter colour. Can’t find that version on Discogs…

What should, what else could you write about this stonecold milestone than a highscore review? Rakim is a ridiculously penetrating god MC, his emphasis, his punchlines, his flow, it's all on point, as are the fantastic instrumentals, which match like a custommade glove, full of cuts, slick sampling and crazy funky loops and beats. The funny "Chinese Arithmetic" gives you a little time to breathe, before the finale comes along to get you once more. It's always unbelievable how often Rakims vocals were sampled. "My Melody" alone is a cornucopia of classics in that regard, that bass still blows your mind, but this record literally offers masterpieces in a row. "I Ain't No Joke" still is hot as hell, so effective, this untouchable combination of dry beat and flawless poetry. "Take 7 emcees put em in a line
And add 7 more brothers who think they can rhyme
It'll take 7 more before I go for mine
And that's 21 emcees ate up at the same time." is pure slick gold. "I Know You Got Soul" rolls along like an avalanche, man, the whole work is actually perfection down to the last pore! Beautiful is this one Edition here, with a few remixes, such as the longer Coldcut mix of "Paid in Full". It's nice that I had the chance to grab a copy of it at a reasonable amount. My third edition of this milestone. It's hard to make out the best release from this tag team, who broke up way too early, but their debut comes super close.

"pump up the volume"! An unstoppable must have classic. Pressing sounds really good.

Classic...classic...classic...if you have it in this tape formatt it means that you were ahead of the game. Waiting to get a copy of this OP on wax as it by far is the best Hip Hop early album ever.....!

The white box on the right (on the label) has PAID printed in it on mine.

True legends and hiphop game changer's, great beats, lyrics and flow! 🔥

This is one of the Holy Testaments of hip-hop. Rakim practically invented the concept of flow. If you like rap at all, this has to be in your collection in some form. 'Nuff said.
Sonically, the only thing I have to compare it to is the CD, and this blows that out of the water. This was never a high fidelity recording, so adjust your expectations accordingly. But be careful with the bass, 'cause you might break a window.