Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full

One of the most influential rap albums of all time, Eric B. & Rakim's Paid In Full only continues to grow in stature as the record that ushered in hip-hop's modern era. The stripped-down production might seem a little bare to modern ears, but Rakim's technique on the mic still sounds utterly contemporary, even state-of-the-art -- and that from a record released in 1987, just one year after Run-d.m.c. hit the mainstream. Rakim basically invents modern lyrical technique over the course of Paid In Full, with his complex internal rhymes, literate imagery, velvet-smooth flow, and unpredictable, off-the-beat rhythms. Read More