Description

2LP Vinyl

On Don’t Sweat the Technique, their majestic fourth album, Eric and Rakim expound further on the funky-fresh aesthetic. The title comes off like a warning to crews looking for mass-ass appeal. But they should also heed the words of “The Punisher,” a track that sends out a brutal manifesto to every rapper coming on. Rakim sounds scarier than a terrorist, and one just knows he’s talking reality when he promises that “you’ll never hold a mike again.” This former stickup kid may have traded in his life of crime for rhymes, but the brutality of his past life informs his loopy poetics and icy voice.