The 18th Letter

This article is about the 1997 hip hop album by Rakim. For the 18th letter of the English alphabet, see R.

The 18th Letter is the debut solo album by American emcee Rakim, It was released on November 4, 1997, through 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]

The 18th Letter
Studio album by Rakim
Released	November 4, 1997 (1997-11-04)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	54:10
Label	Universal
Producer	DJ Clark Kent Pete Rock Father Shaheed Nick Wiz DJ Premier
Rakim chronology
The 18th Letter (1997) The Master (1999)

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]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

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

The New York Times wrote that the album "features gripping, richly textured backing tracks and kinetic wordplay filled with references to the Koran; his masterly command of rhyming has only deepened with time."^[18]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"			0:13
2.	"The 18th Letter (Always and Forever)"	William Griffin Scott Phillips	Father Shaheed	3:01
3.	"Skit"			0:24
4.	"It's Been a Long Time"	Griffin Christopher Martin Eric Barrier James Brown Charles Bobbit Bobby Byrd	DJ Premier	3:58
5.	"Remember That"	Griffin Rodolfo Franklin	DJ Clark Kent	4:40
6.	"The Saga Begins"	Griffin Peter Phillips	Pete Rock	4:22
7.	"Skit"			0:19
8.	"Guess Who's Back"	Griffin Franklin Hank Shocklee Carlton Ridenhour Eric Sadler Barrier	DJ Clark Kent	4:11
9.	"Stay a While"	Griffin Franklin Steve Nichol Carl McIntosh Jane Sendall-Peters	DJ Clark Kent	4:25
10.	"New York (Ya Out There)"	Griffin Martin Bodie Chandler Barry De Vorzon	DJ Premier	4:04
11.	"Show Me Love"	Griffin Nick Loizides Jack Knight	Nick Wiz	4:19
12.	"Skit"			0:19
13.	"The Mystery (Who Is God?)"	Griffin Joe Davis	Naughty Shorts Bill Blass[a]	5:21
14.	"When I'm Flowin'"	Griffin Phillips	Pete Rock	5:04
15.	"It's Been a Long Time (Suave House Mix)"	Griffin Triston Jones	Mo-Suave-A	3:59
16.	"Guess Who's Back (Alternative Mix)"	Griffin Franklin Shocklee Ridenhour Sadler Barrier	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)	Griffin 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:				71:21

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1997) Peak position US Billboard 200[19] 4 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[20] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[21] 80 Chart (1998) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[22] 70

Certifications

Certifications for The 18th Letter

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[23]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

The 18th Letter & The Book of Life

Certifications for The 18th Letter & The Book of Life

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[24]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 (U.S.)