Rakim Salutes Kendrick Lamar-Drake Rap Battle, Producing For Snoop Dogg, DMX on New Album

Rakim — the person, the parable, The 18th Letter — is again on the hip hop scene after a 15-year break from releasing albums!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the “Paid In Full” legend Friday simply hours faraway from the premiere of his new tune “Be Ill,” which finds the “God MC” taking pictures lyrical darts with Kurupt and Wu-Tang Clan‘s Masta Killa.

Rakim produced the observe, added the DJ scratches himself and tells us his upcoming album “God’s Network: Rebirth” is definitely a compilation showcase for rap stars he rocks with.

He humbly admits he nonetheless hears his affect and magnificence in hip hop to this very day. Keep in mind, Kurupt advised us Rakim was #1 in his book palms down … a sentiment shared by many!!!

The Lengthy Island native has been within the sport since 1985 making rap tunes — “I Ain’t No Joke,” “Don’t Sweat the Technique,” “Microphone Fiend” — his catalog has been goated a number of occasions over.

He recruited Snoop Dogg, Technique Man, Sizzling Boy B.G., Kool G. Rap, KNXG Crooked to beef up the tracklist … in addition to true faculty MCs Canibus, Planet Asia, Skyzoo, Hus Kingpin and plenty of extra.

Deceased hip hop icons DMX, Nipsey Hussle, Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Fred The Godson even have posthumous verses over Rakim’s beats … he says it was the utmost honor to maintain their legacies alive.

He credit veteran A&R Matt “M80” Markoff for organizing the album and guestlist that took a number of years to excellent.

DJ Premier and Pete Rock will not need to counter with bars simply but — Rakim says his old flame was deejaying and making beats — the decision of emceeing was simply too loud to disregard!!!

The venture drops on July 26 however Rakim says a extra solo-based album is coming subsequent. Psst … it simply might function his long-lost collaborator Dr. Dre!!!

Rakim and Dre’s Aftermath Information partnership by no means materialized within the early ’00s however Rakim says they’re nonetheless in touch and praised the strikes he is been seeing on the West Coast — specifically Kendrick Lamar‘s Pop Out live performance.

Rakim flat-out tells us he wished he was in Inglewood for the Pop Out and known as Kendrick’s command over the 2024 Rap Wars nice for the hip hop tradition total.