Sweat the Technique - by Rakim (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

On the heels of Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer Prize, as the world begins to recognize the creative side of Hip-Hop, comes a writing guide from a musician and "The greatest MC of all time," Rakim.

The musician and Hip Hop legend--hailed as "the greatest MC of all time" and compared to Thelonious Monk--reimagines the writing handbook in this memoir and guide that incorporates the soulful genius, confidence, and creativity of a master artist.

When he exploded on the music scene, musical genius Rakim was hailed for his brilliant artistic style, adding layers, complexity, depth, musicality, and soul to rap. More than anyone, Rakim has changed the way MCs rhyme. Calm on the mic, his words combine in a frenzy of sound, using complicated patterns based on multisyllabic rhymes and internal rhythms. Rakim can tell a story about a down-on-his-luck man looking for a job and turn it into an epic tale and an unforgettable rhyme. He is not just a great songwriter--he's a great modern writer.

Part memoir, part writing guide, Sweat the Technique offers insight into how Rakim thinks about words, music, writing, and rhyming as it teaches writers of all levels how to hone their craft. It is also a rare glimpse into Rakim's private life, full of entertaining personal stories from his youth on Long Island growing up in a home and community filled with musiciansto the clubs of New York and the studios of Los Angeles during his rise to the top of popular music. Rakim celebrates the influences that shaped his development, including the jazz music of John Coltrane and the spirituality of the streets, and shares anecdotes spotlighting personalities such as L. L. Cool J. and Dr. Dre, among others.

Filled with valuable lessons for every writer, Sweat the Technique reveals the heart and mind of an artist and his love for great storytelling, and always, the words.

Review Quotes

"Rakim is the Coltrane of Hip-Hop-- a soulful lyrical genius who defies gravity with his breathless flow and embodies integrity with his spiritual self-emptying! This masterful memoir is a treasure that exemplifies what it is to be one of the greatest artists of our time!" - Dr. Cornel West, Harvard University Professor
"If the culture is to be loved and preserved, then it's icons and titans must speak on its history and their history within it while they are still here and able to receive the roses they deserve. Rakim's writing here, much like his writing throughout his career as an MC, is layered, rich with imagery, and sharply crafted. But beyond that, he offers a heartfelt look behind the curtain of his life. Greatness doesn't just arrive. It is built in empty rooms, on notepads, in studios when everyone else is sleeping. I first loved Rakim as an MC because it felt like he was doing the impossible at a time when there was no blueprint for possibility. How wonderful, to have this book as a reminder of the very human work that has gone into his history, his legacy, and the ways he's moved our beloved culture forward." - Hanif Abdurraquib, author of The Crown Ain't Worth Much, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill US, and Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest
"Rakim and music journalist Bakari Kitwana offer a road map guiding readers to the source of his inspiration and the reason behind his career longevity: his unmatched skills on the mic. . . Their work reflects hip-hop's role as an innovative conduit of Black experiences." - Literary Hub
"Sweat the Technique is the hip-hop version of Stephen King's On Writing." - Medium
"Reflections on a life of artistic commitment during hop-hop's golden age. . . insightful." - Kirkus Reviews
"[Sweat the Technique] joins the best of rap history and criticism and has the potential to inspire a new age of rap lyricism." - Booklist
“Reading Sweat the Technique is like listening to a classic Rakim track with the same codification, spirituality, and simple-complexity that will make the reader press rewind and start at page one several times over.” - East Bay Express