"Eric B. Is President" is the debut single released by hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim. The bassline is an interpolation of Fonda Rae's "Over Like a Fat Rat". Marley Marl is often credited with handling production duties for the song, but Eric B. has disputed this in recent interviews.

"Eric B. Is President"
Single by Eric B. & Rakim
from the album Paid in Full
B-side"My Melody"
ReleasedJune 1986
GenreHip hop
Length5:00 (Original, single version)
6:20 (Remix, album version)
"My Melody":
6:15 or 6:30 (Original, single version)
6:46 (Remix, album version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Eric B. & Rakim singles chronology
"Eric B. Is President"
(1986)
"I Ain't No Joke"
(1987)
Audio sample

About this controversy, Eric B. told Allhiphop.com, "I took the records to Marley Marl's house in Queensbridge and paid Marley Marl to be the engineer. Marley got paid. That's why he's not a producer, that's why he is not getting publishing. I brought the music. I just couldn't work the equipment because that’s not what I did..."[2]

During an interview in 2008, Eric B. said,

I took Fonda Rae's 'Over Like A Fat Rat' and said 'This is the bass line I'm going to use for this record.' Rakim spit the beer all over the wall and thought it was the funniest shit in the world. I told Rakim, just like you laughing now you going to be laughing all the way to the bank and be a millionaire one day because of this record.[2]

Samples

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Charts

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Chart (1986) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot Black Singles[3] 48

References

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  1. ^ Quan, Jay (August 8, 2022). "Classic Albums: 'Down By Law' by MC Shan". RockTheBells.com.
  2. ^ a b Berrios, Martin A. (February 29, 2008). "Class of '88: Paid In Full". AllHipHop.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2008.
  3. ^ "Eric B. & Rakim - Billboard Hot Black Singles". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
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