The Master (Rakim album)

{{Infobox album

| name = The Master

| type = Album

| artist = Rakim

| cover = Rakim - The Master Cover.jpg

| alt =

| released = November 30, 1999

| recorded = 1998–1999

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = {{hlist|Hip hop}}

| length = {{duration|h=1|m=2|s=7}}

| label = Universal
542 082

| producer = {{hlist|Rakim (also exec.)|The 45 King|Amen-Ra|DJ Clark Kent|DJ Premier|Jaz-O|Naughty Shorts|Nick Wiz|Punch|TR Love|V.I.C.}}

| prev_title = The 18th Letter

| prev_year = 1997

| next_title = The Archive: Live, Lost & Found

| next_year = 2008

| misc = {{Singles

| name = The Master

| type = studio

| single1 = When I B On Tha Mic

| single1date = December 14, 1999

}}

The Master is the second solo album by American rapper Rakim, released November 30, 1999, on Universal Records. It serves as the follow-up to Rakim's debut solo album, The 18th Letter (1997), and would be Rakim's last studio album for nearly a decade, until 2009's The Seventh Seal.

Critical reception

{{Album ratings

| noprose = yes

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|last=Bush|first=John|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-master-mw0000256027|title=The Master - Rakim|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=21 August 2009}}

| rev2 = The Independent

| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/pop-album-reviews-1129064.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/pop-album-reviews-1129064.html |archive-date=2022-06-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Pop: ALBUM REVIEWS|work=The Independent|last=Perry|first=Tim|date=27 November 1999|access-date=21 August 2009}}

| rev3 = Los Angeles Daily News

| rev3Score = {{Rating|3|4}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/SOUND+CHECK-a083630866|date=3 December 1999|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022034004/https://thefreelibrary.com/SOUND+CHECK-a083630866|title=SOUND CHECK. - Free Online Library|work=Los Angeles Daily News|archive-date=22 October 2012|access-date=1 February 2020}}

| rev4 = Los Angeles Times

| rev4Score = {{Rating|2|4}}{{cite web|last=Baker|first=Soren|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-dec-25-ca-47289-story.html|title=DMX Delivers Harsh Reality on 'Then' - Los Angeles Times|work=Los Angeles Times|date=25 December 1999|access-date=21 August 2009}}

| rev5 = NME

| rev5Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|author=Columnist|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/rakim/1675|title=The Master - NME|publisher=NME|date=12 September 2005|access-date=21 August 2009}}

| rev6 = Rolling Stone

| rev6Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Hoard|first=Christian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lRgtYCC6OUwC&pg=PA674|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide - Google Books|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=2 November 2004|isbn=9780743201698}}

| rev7 = The Source

| rev7Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Parker|first=Erik "Mr Parker"|date=January 2000|issue=124|title=Record Report: Rakim – Rakim|magazine=The Source|page=191|location=New York}}

| rev8 = USA Today

| rev8Score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}Jones, Steve. "[https://www.google.com/archivesearch?as_q=rakim&num=10&hl=en&btnG=Search+Archives&as_epq=the+master&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_user_ldate=1999&as_user_hdate=2000&lr=&as_src=USA+Today&as_price=p0&as_scoring=a Review: The Master]". USA Today: 04.D. November 30, 1999. Archived from [https://archive.today/20130104223944/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/46749137.html?dids=46749137:46749137&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+30,+1999&author=&pub=USA+TODAY&desc=Experimental+Metallica,+quirky+Q-Tip,+grand+Grimaud&pqatl=google the original] on 2009-08-21.

| rev9 = Vibe

| rev9Score = (mixed){{cite web|last=Mao|first=Chairman|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5CcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA167|title=Vibe - Google Books|work=Vibe|date=February 2000}}

| rev10 = The Village Voice

| rev10Score = (unfavorable){{cite web|last=Lewis|first=Miles Marshall|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2000-01-18/music/the-passing-of-the-mic/|title=The Passing of the Mic - Village Voice|publisher=The Village Voice|date=18 January 2000|access-date=21 August 2009}}

}}

The Master received generally positive to mixed reviews from music critics.

Track listing

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length = {{duration|h=1|m=2|s=7}}

| title1 = Intro (The Master)

| note1 =

| writer1 = {{hlist|William Griffin}}

| extra1 = {{hlist|Rakim}}

| length1 = {{duration|m=1|s=22}}

| title2 = Flow Forever

| note2 =

| writer2 = {{hlist|Griffin|Rodolfo Franklin|Robert Davis}}

| extra2 = {{hlist|DJ Clark Kent}}

| length2 = {{duration|m=4|s=11}}

| title3 = When I B on tha Mic

| note3 = feat. DJ Premier

| writer3 = {{hlist|Griffin|Christopher Martin}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|DJ Premier}}

| length3 = {{duration|m=3|s=42}}

| title4 = Finest Ones

| note4 = feat. Clark Kent

| writer4 = {{hlist|Griffin|Franklin|Yvette Davis}}

| extra4 = {{hlist|DJ Clark Kent}}

| length4 = {{duration|m=4|s=24}}

| title5 = All Night Long

| note5 =

| writer5 = {{hlist|Griffin|Michael Harper}}

| extra5 = {{hlist|Punch}}

| length5 = {{duration|m=4|s=27}}

| title6 = State of Hip-Hop

| note6 = interlude

| writer6 = {{hlist|Griffin}}

| extra6 = {{hlist|Rakim}}

| length6 = {{duration|m=0|s=39}}

| title7 = Uplift

| note7 =

| writer7 = {{hlist|Griffin|Ronald Lawrence|Victor Padilla}}

| extra7 = {{hlist|Amen-Ra|V.I.C.}}

| length7 = {{duration|m=3|s=9}}

| title8 = I Know

| note8 =

| writer8 = {{hlist|Griffin|Trevor Randolph|Benjamin Latimore|David Hinds}}

| extra8 = {{hlist|TR Love}}

| length8 = {{duration|m=4|s=7}}

| title9 = It's the R

| note9 =

| writer9 = {{hlist|Griffin|Franklin|Robert Byrd|Charles Bobbit|Louis Barrier|James Brown|Curtis Mayfield|James Hunter|Peter Phillips|Ricardo Brown}}

| extra9 = {{hlist|DJ Clark Kent}}

| length9 = {{duration|m=4|s=15}}

| title10 = I'll Be There

| note10 = feat. Nneka Morton

| writer10 = {{hlist|Griffin|Joseph Davis|Cynthia Biggs|Dexter Wansel|Grover Washington, Jr.}}

| extra10 = {{hlist|Naughty Shorts}}

| length10 = {{duration|m=5|s=10}}

| title11 = It's a Must

| note11 = feat. Rahzel

| writer11 = {{hlist|Griffin|Jonathan Burks|Rozell Brown}}

| extra11 = {{hlist|Jaz-O}}

| length11 = {{duration|m=4|s=24}}

| title12 = Real Shit

| note12 =

| writer12 = {{hlist|Griffin|Lawrence|Padilla}}

| extra12 = {{hlist|Amen-Ra|V.I.C.}}

| length12 = {{duration|m=4|s=21}}

| title13 = How I Get Down

| note13 =

| writer13 = {{hlist|Griffin|Mark James|Byron Olsen}}

| extra13 = {{hlist|The 45 King}}

| length13 = {{duration|m=4|s=5}}

| title14 = L.I.

| note14 = interlude

| writer14 = {{hlist|Griffin}}

| extra14 = {{hlist|Rakim}}

| length14 = {{duration|m=0|s=53}}

| title15 = Strong Island

| note15 =

| writer15 = {{hlist|Griffin|Barrier}}

| extra15 = {{hlist|Rakim}}

| length15 = {{duration|m=4|s=34}}

| title16 = Waiting for the World to End

| note16 = feat. DJ Premier

| writer16 = {{hlist|Griffin|Martin|Barrier}}

| extra16 = {{hlist|DJ Premier}}

| length16 = {{duration|m=4|s=5}}

| title17 = We'll Never Stop

| note17 = feat. Connie McKendrick

| writer17 = {{hlist|Griffin|Nicholas Loizides|Sylvia Robinson}}

| extra17 = {{hlist|Nick Wiz}}

| length17 = {{duration|m=4|s=19}}

}}

;Samples

"Flow Forever" samples "Since We Said Goodbye" by The Counts
"When I B on Tha Mic" samples "What the World Needs Now Is Love" by The Artistics, "The Saga Begins" by Rakim, "How About Some Hardcore" and "World Famous" by M.O.P., "Peter Piper" by Run-DMC, "Blind Alley" by The Emotions and "Metal Thangz" by Street Smartz feat. O.C. and Pharoahe Monch
"Finest Ones" samples "We Belong Together" by The Spinners and "High Power Rap" by Crash Crew
"I Know" samples "Let's Straighten It Out" by Latimore and "Steppin' Out" by Steel Pulse
"It's the R" samples "Mother's Son" by Curtis Mayfield, "Tru Master" by Pete Rock feat. Inspectah Deck and Kurupt and "As the Rhyme Goes On", "Follow the Leader", "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B. & Rakim
"I'll Be There" samples "I'll Be With You" by Grover Washington, Jr.
"Real Shit" samples "Survival of the Fittest" by Mobb Deep
"How I Get Down" samples "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
"Waiting for the World to End" samples "Brooks' 50c Tour (Main Title Collage)" by Quincy Jones, "Save Me" by Bloodstone, "All Night" by Xperadó and "Microphone Fiend" by Eric B. & Rakim
"We'll Never Stop" samples "The New Rap Language" by Spoonie Gee and The Treacherous Three

Charts

=Album=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"\| Chart (1999) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
{{album chart\|Billboard200\|72\|artist=Rakim\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=February 1, 2020}}
{{album chart\|BillboardRandBHipHop\|7\|artist=Rakim\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=February 1, 2020}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col"| Chart (1999)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{album chart|Billboard200|72|artist=Rakim|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 1, 2020}}

{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|7|artist=Rakim|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 1, 2020}}

=Singles=

class="wikitable"
rowspan="2"\| Year !rowspan="2"\| Song !colspan="3"\| Chart positions
Billboard Hot 100 ! Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks ! Hot Rap Singles
2000 \|"When I B On Tha Mic" \| style="text-align:center;"\| - \| style="text-align:center;"\| 53{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/rakim/chart-history/bss/\|title=Rakim When I B On Tha Mic Chart History - Billboard\|magazine=Billboard\|access-date=1 February 2020}} \| style="text-align:center;"\| 20{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/rakim/chart-history/rap/\|title=Rakim When I B On Tha Mic Chart History - Billboard\|magazine=Billboard\|access-date=1 February 2020}}

class="wikitable"

rowspan="2"| Year

!rowspan="2"| Song

!colspan="3"| Chart positions

Billboard Hot 100

! Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks

! Hot Rap Singles

2000

|"When I B On Tha Mic"

| style="text-align:center;"| -

| style="text-align:center;"| 53{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/rakim/chart-history/bss/|title=Rakim When I B On Tha Mic Chart History - Billboard|magazine=Billboard|access-date=1 February 2020}}

| style="text-align:center;"| 20{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/rakim/chart-history/rap/|title=Rakim When I B On Tha Mic Chart History - Billboard|magazine=Billboard|access-date=1 February 2020}}

Notes

{{cite book| author = Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard | title = The New Rolling Stone Album Guide | others = Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition| publisher = Simon and Schuster| year = 2004| isbn = 0-7432-0169-8}}

References

External links

{{MusicBrainz release-group|id=b7ccbc4f-774e-3224-9862-3eac986e2512|name=The Master}}
[http://www.discogs.com/Rakim-The-Master/master/45780 The Master] at Discogs
[https://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=99045 Album Review] at The Harvard Crimson
[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/pop-this-weeks-album-releases-1128745.html Album Review] at The Independent
[http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2000_01_themaster.html Album Review] at RapReviews

Category:1999 albums

Category:Albums produced by Clark Kent (producer)

Category:Albums produced by DJ Premier

Category:Albums produced by the 45 King

Category:Rakim albums

Category:Universal Records albums