Eric B & Rakim

Eric B and Rakim recorded "I Ain't No Joke" at Power Play Studios in New York in 1987, their second single, following the real anticipation their debut "Eric B. Is President" had already built. Rakim was already being talked about for a distinctive slow, baritone flow and a vocabulary rap hadn't really heard before, and this track, built over a simply scratched loop of The J.B.'s "Pass the Peas," delivered lines that have been quoted and sampled across hip-hop history ever since. The flip hands the spotlight entirely to Eric B., no rapping at all, a real scratch showcase built on the same instinct that defined the duo's whole run: even just Rakim's scratched vocals carried weight. Paid in Full, the album this single introduced, is widely credited with redefining what a rapper and a DJ could do together.