Rakim

Born on January 28, 1968, in Wyandanch, New York, William Michael Griffin Jr., better known by his stage name Rakim, is an American rapper and record producer. Rakim wrote his first rhyme at 7-years-old.  Originally, Rakim aspired to play professional football but after being introduced to DJ Eric B., he began writing lyrics to fit Eric's instrumentals and chose to focus on a career in music instead. Then known as Kid Wizard, he made his first recordings live at Wyandanch High School in the year 1985. After being introduced to the Nation of Islam in 1986, Rakim later joined The Nation of Gods and Earths (also known as the 5 Percent Nation) and adopted the Arabic name Rakim Allah. In 1992, after releasing release four studio albums together, Eric B. and Rakim went their separate ways. In 1996, Rakim secured a deal with Universal Records and began recording his solo debut album "The 18th Letter," which was released in November 1997. In November 1999, Rakim released "The Master." After briefly signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label in 2000, Rakim retreated to his Connecticut estate to work leisurely on music. "The Seventh Seal" was released on November 17, 2009. In 2011, Rakim performed "Paid in Full" at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. On September 24, 2013, he released a collaborative single with DMX entitled "Don't Call Me." In 2014, Rakim was featured on a collaborative single with American rock band Linkin Park, titled "Guilty All the Same." On October 20, 2016, it was announced via Twitter that Rakim had reunited with Eric B. after 23 years.