The 18th Letter 1997 Album

Rakim

Rakim's first solo album starts off awesomely, with his flow, voice, rhymes and nice beats all mixing together for some great tunes. Particularly 'The 18th Letter (Always and Forever)' which I can never get enough of and would cite as one of my favourite songs of all time! Up until 'Guess Who's Back' at track eight, most of the songs are all quality also, but then the remaining five tracks are all nice but lack something extra in the beats. They take a few listens to grow on you. And then you have the two remixes of two of the better songs on the album that fail to add much to the better originals. Overall, the album feels a lil' inconsistent and uneven but if you love Rakim you should get something out of all the songs and a lot out of a few. And there are no features! Such a rarity. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★★ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: The 18th Letter (Always and Forever), It's Been a Long Time, Remember That, The Saga Begins & Guess Who's Back.