Various – Eric B. & Rakim’s Follow the Leader (Re-Imagined)
- Label:
- Hay, Reid & Smith
- Art.No.:
- 09544211
- Cat.No.:
- SAH001
- Released:
- 13.12.2019
- Cover:
- Picture
- Format:
- LP
- Pressing:
- US - Original
- Genre:
- Black Grooves + Jazz
Eric B. & Rakim’s Follow the Leader re-imagined as Jazz!
Re-imagined instrumentals of the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed Follow the Leader album from Eric B. & Rakim. Endorsed and fully supported by Eric B. & Rakim.
Jonathan Hay, Benny Reid, and Mike Smith had numerous discussions on how to respectfully, faithfully, and creatively re-imagine Eric B. & Rakim’s classic 1988 album, Follow the Leader. The difficulty was twofold. One, Follow the Leader is a revered and iconic hip-hop album and had to reflect its adoration. Two, how can it be translated to a jazz style, especially omitting the centerpiece, Rakim’s voice? Reid (lead instrumentalist – tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, bari saxophone, flute) and Hay’s (producer) initial strategy of replaying Rakim’s extended, rhythmically intricate rap verses organically morphed into a more improvised, classic jazz style. The emcee vocal style and flow along with Eric B.’s through-composed instrumentals, served as a model for Hay, Reid, Smith and musician Mani Ajami to draw inspiration.
Title | Featuring | Producing | Time | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A1. | Follow the Leader | 02:32 | |||
A2. | Microphone Fiend | 03:19 | |||
A3. | Lyrics of Fury | 02:38 | |||
A4. | Eric B. Never Scared | 03:11 | |||
A5. | Just a Beat | 02:19 | |||
A6. | Put Your Hands Together | 04:07 | |||
B1. | To the Listeners | 03:10 | |||
B2. | No Competition | 02:33 | |||
B3. | The R | 03:10 | |||
B4. | Musical Massacre | 02:58 | |||
B5. | Beats for the Listeners | 01:29 |