The 18th Letter / The Book Of Life [2 CD]

Back in hip-hop heaven, once Lateef and Lyrics Born got finished kicking Puff Daddy's ass they'd send him to Rakim's cloud, where Rakim would have him write, "I am very sorry for impersonating a rapper" one billion times on the chalkboard. In a rap scene where it's hard enough to stick around and nearly impossible to comeback, hip-hop's most legendary MC has returned eleven years since his brilliant debut (and five years he split from partner Eric B.). Amazingly, he's lost none of his skill and even gained wisdom with maturity. Even more amazing, 1997's 18th Letter, a double CD that's half new and half retrospective, looks like a measured commercial success. --Roni Sarig