The 18th Letter by Rakim

The 18th Letter is the debut solo album of American emcee Rakim, released November 4, 1997 on Universal Records in the United States. It is his first release of new material, following a five-year hiatus after Don't Sweat the Technique (1992) as duo Eric B. & Rakim. The album features production by DJ Clark Kent, Pete Rock, Father Shaheed, Nick Wiz and DJ Premier. It contains lyrical themes that concern the hip hop's golden age, Rakim's rapping prowess, and the state of hip hop. The album's title refers to the letter "R" being the eighteenth letter of the english alphabet. The album debuted at number 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and sold 500,000 copies in the United States. A deluxe version of The 18th Letter was sold with the compilation disc The Book of Life (UD2-53111), an Eric B. & Rakim greatest hits collection. The Book of Life was also issued separately as a double vinyl LP in 1997.