Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full

What this video is

Released in 1987 as the fifth and final single from Eric B. & Rakim's landmark debut album, 'Paid in Full' arrived at the precise moment hip-hop was transitioning from a regional New York street phenomenon into a nationally recognized art form. The album, recorded at Marley Marl's home studio and Manhattan's Power Play Studios, introduced internal rhyme schemes and a measured, jazz-inflected lyrical flow that…

Why it matters

Paid in Full is foundational to the canon of golden age hip-hop. Rolling Stone ranked it the tenth greatest hip-hop song of all time, and VH1 placed it at number 24 on their '100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs' list. Rakim's pioneering use of internal rhymes and his calm, authoritative delivery set a new…

The director

Bruno Tilley served as in-house art director and later creative director at Island Records, the parent company of 4th & B'way Records, the label that released Eric B. & Rakim's debut album. His role placed him at the center of the label's visual identity…