What Happened to Eric B and Rakim? The Full Story of Hip-Hop’s Greatest Breakup

What happened to Eric B and Rakim is one of hip-hop’s most enduring mysteries — and the answer comes down to money, trust, and a contract dispute that neither man saw coming. After four albums that redefined MCing and DJing between 1987 and 1992, the duo that changed rap forever went their separate ways. The breakup wasn’t dramatic. There was no public feud, no diss tracks, no tabloid headlines. Instead, it was a quiet unraveling over business that left fans wondering for decades.

Here’s the full story of the Eric B. & Rakim split — what caused it, where both men ended up, and whether the greatest hip-hop duo of the golden age will ever truly reunite.

Years Active Together	1986–1992
Albums as a Duo	4 (Paid in Full, Follow the Leader, Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em, Don’t Sweat the Technique)
Reason for Split	MCA Records contract dispute over solo album rights
Year of Split	1992–1993
First Reunion	2017 (Apollo Theater, 30th anniversary of Paid in Full)
New Music Together?	No new studio album since 1992

The Golden Era: Eric B. & Rakim’s Rise (1987–1992)

Before understanding what happened to Eric B and Rakim, you need to understand how dominant they were. Between 1987 and 1992, the duo released four studio albums that fundamentally rewrote hip-hop’s playbook. Eric B. built sonic landscapes from James Brown samples and jazz loops. Rakim introduced internal rhyme schemes, multi-syllabic flows, and a calm intensity that made every other MC sound like they were shouting into the void.

Paid in Full (1987) went Gold and peaked at #8 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Follow the Leader (1988) climbed to #22 on the Billboard 200. Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em (1990) earned The Source magazine’s rare 5-mic rating. And Don’t Sweat the Technique (1992) earned an A− from Robert Christgau. For a deeper look at their catalog, check out our guide to Eric B. and Rakim songs and our complete Rakim albums breakdown.

The Split: A Business Problem, Not a Personal One

The breakup wasn’t about creative differences or personal drama. According to Rakim himself, it was a straightforward business disagreement that spiraled out of control. In a 2018 interview with NPR’s Stretch & Bobbito, Rakim laid out the details for the first time.

The duo still had albums remaining on their MCA Records contract when Eric B. proposed an idea: both artists would record solo albums in between group projects. Eric B. would go first, keep all the profits from his solo work, and then Rakim would do the same. Afterward, they’d reunite for another duo album. Rakim agreed and signed off on Eric B.’s solo deal.

But when it was Rakim’s turn, Eric B. refused to sign off.

Long story short, Eric B. did his, I signed off and when it was time for me to do mine, he didn’t want to sign off. So that caused a lot of problems…he felt that if he would have signed, for some reason I wasn’t going to sign back to the last album. He felt I was going to cut him out for some reason. That was the misunderstanding.

— Rakim, NPR (2018)

Eric B. saw it differently. In a Chicago Tribune interview, he framed it as family fatigue rather than a betrayal: “It’s like any relationship. Before we’re musicians and a group, we’re family. Sometimes family just gets tired of each other and you just need a mental break.”

Rakim later told Ambrosia for Heads: “Me and Eric B. didn’t have a problem. We had a business problem. The business, it went bad and that’s why the group broke up. We never had a fight before. I never swung at him; he never swung at me.”

Where Did They Go? Eric B. and Rakim’s Solo Paths

Eric B.’s Post-Split Career

Eric B. released a self-titled solo album in 1995, but it failed to gain traction. He stepped away from music and pivoted to business, opening a chain of restaurant franchises that he distributed to family members. “I got a bunch of ’em,” Eric B. told Unkut in 2009. “What I do is, actually I set ’em up and I gave ’em to the kids. So I give ’em to my kids, my brother’s kids, a friend’s kids, and they actually run it.”

He also worked as an advisor for the Source Awards and, in 2019, landed a recurring role as Officer Mike Gee on CBS’s Blue Bloods. That same year, he was arrested on a decades-old bench warrant from a 2001 traffic incident — a reminder of how far his life had drifted from the spotlight.

Rakim’s Solo Career

Rakim had the more high-profile solo run. The 18th Letter (1997) debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 and hit #1 on the R&B chart, going Gold. The Master (1999) followed on Aftermath Entertainment, and The Seventh Seal arrived in 2009 after a decade-long gap. For a full breakdown of every project, see our guide to Rakim songs.

In 2024, Rakim released G.O.D.’s Network (REB7RTH) — his first album as a producer. In a revealing 2024 SPIN interview, he admitted that he’d actually produced much of Paid in Full and Follow the Leader but stayed quiet about his role “to make it look good for the group.” This detail reframes the entire power dynamic of the duo — and helps explain why the business dispute cut so deep.

The Album That Never Was: Rakim Turns Down Dr. Dre

One of hip-hop’s great “what ifs” happened between The Master and The Seventh Seal. After signing with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment, Rakim recorded a largely complete album — but the two legends clashed over creative direction.

Dre wanted gangsta rap. Rakim wanted something his grandmother could listen to. In a 2024 interview, Rakim described the studio dynamic: “Dre would put on a beat and sit next to me like ‘Yo, I want you to talk that sh*t on this one.’ I’m like ‘Dre, that’s what you say on every track you play, bruh. When you gonna let me rhyme on something?'”

The disagreement was fundamental. Rakim’s 1987 debut Paid in Full had virtually no cursing — asking him to do gangsta rap was asking him to become someone else entirely. Eventually, Rakim told Dre directly: “Yo, I appreciate the opportunity and everything, but I’m going back to New York, bruh.” He took a bus back east (Rakim doesn’t fly), built his own studio, and took his career into his own hands.

The Reunion Tours: 2017 to Present

After 25 years apart, what happened to Eric B and Rakim took a surprising turn. In July 2017, the duo reunited at the Apollo Theater in Harlem to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Paid in Full. They performed the album in its entirety and announced their first tour together in a quarter century.

The 17-date tour kicked off in April 2018 at Boston’s House of Blues. In 2023, they performed at New Jersey’s Stone Pony for hip-hop’s 50th-anniversary celebration — becoming the first hip-hop act to play the legendary venue. Video footage from 2024 shows them still performing together in St. Paul, Minnesota.

But a full reconciliation remains elusive. When asked about Eric B. in that 2024 SPIN interview, Rakim offered only a cryptic response: “Let’s hope that he comes around and does the right thing.” Whatever tension remains, it hasn’t stopped them from sharing a stage — just from sharing a studio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Eric B. and Rakim break up?

Eric B. and Rakim split over a contract dispute with MCA Records. Eric B. proposed that both do solo albums between group projects, but after completing his own solo work, he refused to sign off on Rakim’s. Rakim has said the disagreement was purely business — they never had a physical fight or personal falling out.

Are Eric B. and Rakim still friends?

Their relationship is complicated. They’ve reunited for live performances since 2017 and have spoken about the split without animosity. However, Rakim’s 2024 comment — “Let’s hope he comes around and does the right thing” — suggests unresolved issues remain behind the scenes.

Will Eric B. and Rakim make a new album together?

As of 2025, there are no confirmed plans for a new Eric B. & Rakim studio album. They continue to perform live together occasionally, but Rakim has been focused on his solo work, including 2024’s G.O.D.’s Network (REB7RTH) and 2025’s The Re-Up with Big Ghost Ltd.

What is Eric B. doing now?

Eric B. owns multiple restaurant franchises, has appeared as Officer Mike Gee on CBS’s Blue Bloods, and continues to perform live with Rakim for select concerts and festival appearances.

What is Rakim doing now?

Rakim released G.O.D.’s Network (REB7RTH) in 2024 and The Re-Up with Big Ghost Ltd in 2025. He tours regularly and continues to be recognized as one of the greatest MCs in hip-hop history.

What happened to Rakim’s album with Dr. Dre?

Rakim recorded a largely complete album for Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment around 2000–2003, but they clashed over creative direction. Dre wanted gangsta rap; Rakim wanted a more mature, accessible sound. Rakim left the label and the album was never released. Some tracks have leaked online.

The story of what happened to Eric B and Rakim isn’t a story of hatred or betrayal. It’s a story of two artists whose business relationship couldn’t survive the pressures of the music industry, even though their creative partnership produced some of the most important music in hip-hop history. They’ve found their way back to the stage, if not the studio — and for fans who grew up on Paid in Full and Follow the Leader, that’s at least something to celebrate.