25 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time
10. Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full
Paid in Full is the definition of influential. A hard, intense record from rappers Eric B. and Rakim, the album is one of the best albums of the 80s, paving the way for future hip-hop artists for years to come.
Excellent in its execution of simple but effective beats and classic tunes such as "Eric B is President" and "I Know You Got Soul", Paid in Full is perhaps best known for Rakim's use of internal rap. In a time where rhymes hit at the end of a line, Rakim switched-up the formula and starting rhyming words within each line, creating a more complex and intense flow.
Rakim is often cited as a front-runner to the title of greatest rapper of all time, and Paid in Full shows there's a lot of truth to the theory. The record is poetic, personal, laidback but affecting, and remains one of hip-hop's greats.