The 18th Letter

The 18th Letter
The 18th Letter
Studio album by Rakim
Released	November 4, 1997
Genre	Hip hop
Length	54:10
Label	Universal Records
Producer	DJ Clark Kent, Pete Rock, Father Shaheed, Nick Wiz, DJ Premier
Rakim chronology

The 18th Letter is the debut solo album of American emcee Rakim, released November 4, 1997, on Universal Records in the United States. The album features production by DJ Clark Kent, Pete Rock, Father Shaheed, Nick Wiz and DJ Premier.^[1] It contains lyrical themes that concern hip hop's golden age, Rakim's rapping prowess, and the state of hip hop.^[2]

Background

It is his first release of new material, following a five-year hiatus after Don't Sweat the Technique (1992) as duo Eric B. & Rakim.^[3]^[4] The album's title refers to the letter "R" being the eighteenth letter of the English alphabet.

Deluxe version

A deluxe version of The 18th Letter was sold with the compilation disc The Book of Life (UD2-53111),^[5] an Eric B. & Rakim greatest hits collection.^[6] The Book of Life was also issued separately as a double vinyl LP.

Commercial performance

The 18th Letter debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart^[7] and was certified Gold in the United States.^[8]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[9]
Chicago Tribune	^[10]
Robert Christgau	^[11]
The New York Times	(favorable)^[12]
Pitchfork Media	(8.0/10)^[13]
Rolling Stone	^[14]
The Source	^[15]
Spin	(7/10)^[16]
USA Today	^[17]
Yahoo! Music	(favorable)^[18]

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"		0:13
2.	"The 18th Letter (Always and Forever)"	Father Shaheed	3:01
3.	"Skit"		0:24
4.	"It's Been a Long Time"	DJ Premier	3:58
5.	"Remember That"	DJ Clark Kent	4:40
6.	"The Saga Begins"	Pete Rock	4:22
7.	"Skit"		0:19
8.	"Guess Who's Back"	DJ Clark Kent	4:11
9.	"Stay a While"	DJ Clark Kent	4:25
10.	"New York (Ya Out There)"	DJ Premier	4:04
11.	"Show Me Love"	Nick Wiz	4:19
12.	"Skit"		0:19
13.	"The Mystery (Who Is God?)"	Naughty Shorts Kid Nyce Bill Blass^[a]	5:21
14.	"When I'm Flowin'"	Pete Rock	5:04
15.	"It's Been a Long Time (Suave House Mix)"	Mo-Suave-A	3:59
16.	"Guess Who's Back (Alternative Mix)"	DJ Clark Kent	4:11
17.	"Outro"		1:20
Total length:			54:10

Notes

^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer.
"The Mystery (Who Is God?)" contains scratches by DJ Sond

The Book of Life

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"I Know You Got Soul" (from Paid In Full)	William Griffin Louis Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	4:43
2.	"Follow the Leader" (from Follow the Leader)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B.	5:32
3.	"Eric B. Is President" (from Paid In Full)	Griffin	Eric B. Marley Marl (uncredited)	6:15
4.	"Microphone Fiend" (from Follow the Leader)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B.	5:13
5.	"I Ain't No Joke" (from Paid In Full)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	3:52
6.	"Lyrics of Fury" (from Follow the Leader)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	4:11
7.	"My Melody" (from Paid In Full)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	6:47
8.	"Know the Ledge" (from Don't Sweat the Technique)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	3:58
9.	"Move the Crowd" (from Paid In Full)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	3:36
10.	"Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em" (from Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em)	Griffin Barrier William Mitchell	Eric B. Rakim Paul C Large Professor	5:24
11.	"Mahogany" (from Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em)	Griffin Barrier Paul McKasty Mitchell	Eric B. Rakim Paul C Large Professor	4:27
12.	"In the Ghetto" (from Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em)	Griffin	Eric B. Rakim Paul C Large Professor	5:26
13.	"Casualties of War" (from Don't Sweat the Technique)	Griffin	Eric B.	4:02
14.	"The Punisher" (from Don't Sweat the Technique)	Griffin	Eric B.	4:06
15.	"Paid in Full" (from Paid In Full)	Griffin Barrier	Eric B. Rakim	3:49
Total length:				1:11:21