Peter Bailey linked up with the God MC Rakim after a performance celebrating the 30th anniversary of Paid In Full in NYC. The resulting convo found Rakim explaining his thoughts on the game not as a bitter MC, but a wiseman who insights should never be taken for granted.
“In my era, when we was coming up, we was letting music imitate life. Now life is imitating music,” said the R when asked about today’s artist speaking down to their fans.
He added, “It made more sense what we took what value in real life and incorporated it in rhyme. That’s what gave us a little substance, that’s what gave us a little consciousness… I think now it’s kind of reversed where if somebody comes out and glorifies something, everybody wants that. If somebody comes out and says this is what it is, everybody wants to do that.
“So now life is imitating music man. So I think one of the ways where we can get back to enlightenment, consciousness, good music, substance…I think is by letting music imitate life again. Get things back in order where it makes a little more sense. Us as artists, we have to humble to the listener.”
The 18th Letter dropped plenty more jewels in this sit down. Watch Rakim’s full interview on NiteCap with Peter Bailey below.
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Photo: screen cap
