Rakim – The Seventh Seal [2010]

Written By Headcase

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that too much anticipation can ruin anything. In the music world, it’s always an event when a big name artist releases new material after an extended leave of absence. However, when that artist takes more than just a few years to release the new material, he or she runs the risk of losing the fans’ interest – especially if there is controversy behind the album’s release. Take Guns N Roses for example: their album “Chinese Democracy” was their first new release since 1993 (and their first release with original material since ’91); due to a constant change in band members, constant re-recordings, and constant delays, the album’s creation was completed over a span of 14 years. By the time it was finally released in November 2008, fan anticipation had considerably dwindled down to only the band’s hardcore fans, and even they took the release with minimal fanfare. And therein lies the issue: after so much hype had been built up over that long course of time, “Chinese Democracy” had standards that it could never conceivably live up to, no matter how good the album actually is. In the Hip-Hop world, one could say the same for “The Seventh Seal“, the long-awaited third solo album from Rakim.

Most people who are into Hip-Hop should already know who Rakim is. He’s a living legend, an established veteran whose legacy is traced back to the Golden Age of the 80′s. His early discography with Eric B. is untouchable, as Rakim revolutionized the music with complex rhyme patterns, ingenious metaphors, and a dynamic flow. These concepts became the building blocks of modern rap, and almost no emcee can come out without paying homage to him in one way or another. In short, Rakim is the greatest emcee of all time. Unfortunately, his music output had been all but halted for the longest time, due to various label issues and constant push-backs. Rakim had originally announced the release date for “The Seventh Seal” as July 7th, 2007 (get it? 07/07/07?), but the album didn’t see the light of day for another two years – releasing it a full decade after release of his last album, 1999′s “The Master“). But after such a long wait, one can’t help but think the stagnation might have effected the quality of the music. Sadly enough that is exactly what has happened, and “The Seventh Seal” turns out to be merely average.

The first thing to note is the lack of strong production. It’s public knowledge that when Rakim first started working on this album in 2002 (back when it was titled “Oh My God“), he had signed to Aftermath Records and started working with legendary producer Dr. Dre. But when they started disagreeing on the musical direction, they parted ways. Unfortunately, nothing from those sessions shows up on this album. But even without Dre, he can still get something from other established producers that he’s worked with in the past, like DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Clark Kent, right? Nope! Due to conflicting schedules – or maybe a lack of budget – they aren’t found here either. Instead, we are forced to settle for the likes of Nick Wiz, Nottz, Needlz, Jake One, and a whole bunch of no-name producers like Slyce, Lofey, and Poppa Pill. That’s not to say anything against any of these guys, but it’s quite obvious some of these beats just don’t work. For example, Ra’s uplifting spiritual ruminations on “Man Above” are let down by Nottz’ tedious beat. Elsewhere, the overused cliché of sped-up soul samples set “Message in the Song” and “Put it All to Music” up for failure, with the former sounding even more awkward due to his choice to rap in double time. And then there’s the album closer “Dedicated“, where Ra’s sincere dedication to his deceased mother is stilted due to the incredibly odd sample choice: No Doubt‘s “Don’t Speak“. Needless to say, the on production doesn’t match up well with the God MC.

But the blame can’t be solely on the beatmakers, the artist himself has to shoulder some of it. I mean, it’s not as if Rakim has fallen off lyrically; the incredible lead single “Holy Are U” is proof of that. On this cut, Rakim reclaims his God MC title over a live Electric Prunes sample. It’s easily the best song on the album, and quite possibly the best song Ra has put out since his early days with Eric B. But that’s the thing: most of the album attempts to follow this format, and fails to do so. While many of his golden era contemporaries have expanded their craft in one way or another, Rakim stubbornly sticks to his guns, dedicating much of the material to braggadocio raps. Out of all of them, the rock-influenced album opener “How to Emcee” is the only one that matches up: he’s part braggart, part teacher, as he attempts to educate the youngsters on what makes a dope emcee. On the lower end of the totem pole is “Satisfaction Guaranteed“, an incredibly generic brag rap where Ra tries to flip the theme of his classic “Microphone Fiend“, painting the fans as drug addicts who feverishly fiend for his music. When he’s not bragging, we find the veteran penning love songs for his lady, though most of them turn out to be extremely formulaic (with the exception of the slick “Working for You”). But he’s not just focused on women; there’s few love letters to Hip-Hop, but most of them miss their mark. In particular, “Won’t Be Long” is embarrassing, as he comes off sounding like a bitter old man, complaining about the current state of Hip-Hop with no real creativity involved (see modern day KRS-One).

In an interview with Billboard prior to the album’s release, Rakim stated that he was “hoping to kill the old state of hip-hop and start with the new“. Unfortunately, he doesn’t accomplish that here; “The Seventh Seal” sounds like an album that has been made a hundred times already, with it’s lack of versatility and questionable production choices. The sad part about it is this truly isn’t a BAD album, it’s just noticeably average – but coming from an emcee of Rakim’s stature, it’s much more of a disappointment. In addition to “Holy are U”, “How to Emcee”, and “Working for You”, there’s the tailor-made-for-radio second single “Walk These Streets” and the grizzly hood tale “Documentary of a Gangsta” rounding out the standout moments. I’m sorry, but five good songs, with maybe two or three decent songs to pick up the slack, just aren’t enough to warrant a recommendation from me. I’m sure some of Rakim’s hardcore fans might find something more to their enjoyment here, but I’ll be putting this in the category of failed comeback albums by Hip-Hop legends, right next to Big Daddy Kane‘s “Daddy’s Home” and the last six KRS-One albums (maybe seven, I lost count). To sum it up, “The Seventh Seal” might have been a decade in the making, but its gonna take more effort than this if Rakim wants to keep his title of ‘the Greatest Emcee of all time.’

FINAL RATING: 3 Stars