Hip-Hop Legend Rakim Officially Drops New Single Walk These Streets and Tour Dates

Hip-Hop Legend RAKIM Drops New Single “Walk These Streets” On October 27, 2009
Long Awaited Album < In Stores November 17, 2009
(Ra Records / Tuscan Villa / SMC Recordings/ Fontana/UMG)

October 8, 2009 (New York, NY) – On October 27, 2009, the man many call The God MC, Rakim Allah, will release “Walk These Streets,” the new single off of his much anticipated new album The Seventh Seal. Produced by Needlz for Dry Rain Entertainment, “Walk These Streets” features Maino and Tracey Horton. Additional guest artists featured on The Seventh Seal, which drops November 17, 2009, include Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, IQ, Styles P, and others, including Destiny Griffin, Rakim’s own daughter. The artist’s Ra Records shares the imprint in a joint venture with Tuscan Villa and SMC Recordings and is distributed through Fontana/Universal Music Group. Rakim is currently on the road previewing the album and testing out new material at intimate venues across the United States.

Since its release, the album’s set-up single “Holy Are You” has won praise from critics and fans alike. USA Today states, “The God MC previews his long-awaited The Seventh Seal with a lyrically adept reminder of how he earned the name,” with Billboard proclaiming “Rakim is in top form, richly merging self-mythologizing reflections on his legacy with religious imagery.”

His first full album of new material in almost a decade, The Seventh Seal is Rakim’s contemporary observation of the Hip-Hop culture he helped define. While staying loyal to his New York roots, Rakim has created a body of work that encompasses the very best of regional, underground and mainstream styles that are reformed and delivered through his intricate lyricism and the seemingly effortless flow for which he is revered. He has enlisted a slew of production talent including Needlz, Nottz, Jake One, Nick Wiz, Ty Fiffe and more on the album’s well-rounded tracks.

The artist states, “The Seventh Seal is my own revelation…my way of taking the best of what Hip-Hop has to offer, what we as a culture and a community have to offer, putting my stamp on it and leading us forward while constantly respecting what we’ve already accomplished. When you’ve been blessed with a career like mine, you develop a deep relationship with the music, and that love is recognized by the true heads that share it with you. You’ll see us keep building as we break through each Seal…showing the best of what I can do in many forms, bringing the energy and having fun, but first I’m laying that foundation and give my longtime fans the conscious fire they expect.”

For up-to-date news on the release of The Seventh Seal, check out

US TOUR 2009:
October 28 El Rey Los Angeles, CA
October 29 Canes San Diego, CA
October 30 Venue of Scotts Scottsdale, AZ
November 3 House of Blues Houston, TX
November 4 Emos Austin, TX
November 6 House of Blues New Orleans, LA
November 9 Amo’s Charlotte, NC
November 11 Music Farm Charleston, SC
November 12 Lincoln Theater Raleigh, NC
November 13 Hat Factory Richmond, VA
November 14 Dragonfly Harrisburg, PA
November 15 Black Cat Washington, DC
November 17 Toad’s Place New Haven, CT
November 18 Lupos Providence, RI
November 19 BB Kings New York, NY
November 21 Asylum Portland, ME
November 22 Paradise Boston, MA

ABOUT RAKIM ALLAH:
Universally referenced as one of the Masters of the Microphone and an influence and inspiration to his peers and followers alike, Rakim first exploded onto the scene with the release of iconic Eric B. is President in 1986 with long time collaborator Eric B. The single marked a turning point in the Rap world – raising the bar for future emcees and revolutionizing the way rhymes are delivered. Rakim’s intricately, intellectual lyrics draw their force from his worldly experience, inner faith and progressive contemplation, fueled by a deep understanding of not just Hip-Hop, but also the Jazz and R&B influences that have surrounded his family since his youth. Rakim’s recordings – including the all-time classics, Paid In Full, Follow the Leader and The 18th Letter – have sold in the multi-millions worldwide. Billboard, Rolling Stone, MTV and a host of others consistently refer to Paid in Full as “the greatest Hip-Hop album of all time” – a claim often repeated in audience polls. The Seventh Seal marks the first album under his own imprint, Ra Records, allowing a true freedom in creative control unparalleled since his monumental first recordings.

ABOUT SMC RECORDINGS:
Established in March of 2005, SMC Recordings is home to independent music and artists. Based in San Francisco, CA, the company’s prized accomplishment is its unique philosophy of artist development, where artists are encouraged to participate with the label from inception through maintenance of their career. This innovative structure has garnered industry veterans to join the company and aid in its growth. SMC’s range of artist owned label partners includes national heavyweights like Rakim and Killer Mike along with a staple of regional acts constantly being developed such as Messy Marv, The Jacka, and the Town Thizzness brand…SMC is distributed by Fontana, the indie subsidiary of Universal. It is SMC’s humble regional beginnings and loyalty to their artists and their careers that will guarantee the company to always be on the precipice of creativity and expansion in the music game.