A few weeks ago there was hints of Rakim dropping a new project entitled, The Re-Up. Well now today we got confirmation on a release date for it of, Aug. 29th and the release of the first single, Not To Be Defined, which features Detroit-based, global hip-hop artist Lazarus and is produced by Aftermath Entertainment production team, Dem Jointz.
The new single a bridging of multiple generations and cultures that shows the lyrical mastery between two emcees over Dem Jointz cinematic production. As Rakim with such standout bars as, “Still one of the illest you might hear. Gangsters love me (Uh), cause my story’s true like theirs. Keep it gully, jeans, tees, and new Nike Airs (Uh). People on the block holler, ‘That’s my dude right there.’ Black Jesus, Mike Fina, Mike Genius, I’m a lion (Uh-huh). Plus I got a pack of hyenas. It’s a jungle in the jungle with trouble getting trouble (Right). Murderers getting murdered and hustlers getting hustled (Uh-huh). If you know how to grind, you know how to shine. Some use the life for crime, then they get out of line. The price is right, they put it all in jeopardy.” Showing why Rakim is still one of the illest emcees and lyricist’s of all-time. Lazarus with such standout bars as, “I make a predator retreat, get a president impeached. Surrounded by rappers who got impediment of speech (Uh-huh). Can’t level to my peak, even if you raise your eyes to the rays in the sky. You never ever get a peak (Never). I’m embedded with mystique, molded and cold and gritty. From that ice cream truck pops drove into Motor City (Yeah). Since Wayne County let big bro home from a bitty. Motive is focused steady, flow like I poke machetes. But foes are rows of many (Many). Execs, they got a problem with the fact I went to college with a presidential scholarship (Right). Kept me to be an apologist, but I’m a Rakim-mologist (Ra). Pac and Nas rhyming knowledge is how I acknowledged it.” Showing he could hold his own on the mic with “The God MC” Rakim and how this lyrically bar-heavy anthem could continue to help both defy trends through the true essence of Hip-Hop’s timeless essence of great lyricism, a dope beat and delivering a message that defies odds to “Not to be defined.”
Rakim and Lazarus also debuting a brand new Matt Alonzo-directed accompanying video for the track. That is very cinematically shot on top off a roof in Los Angeles and over a white backdrop of a room. As both Rakim and Lazarus spit their stellar bars that a focus is put on through the crisply shot cinematic new visual.
