DJ Eric B. and rapper Rakim formed on Long Island in 1986 and, with Paid in Full (1987), permanently raised the bar for what rap lyricism could be — Rakim's internal rhyme schemes and unhurried, jazz-influenced cadence replaced shouted party rhymes with something closer to poetry. Eric B.'s soul-sample production gave that voice room to breathe rather than compete for space. Almost every technically minded MC who followed owes Rakim's example a debt.

the sound in question

1987

Paid in FullEric B. & Rakim