Legendary NY hip hop lyricist Rakim, aka William Michael Griffin Jr., is almost universally acknowledged as one of the greatest MCs of all time within the hip-hop community. His flow is smooth and liquid, inflected with jazz rhythms and carried off with an effortless cool that makes it sound as though he’s not even breaking a sweat.

Legendary hip hop artist Rakim is set to release a brand new album titled Live, Lost & Found on March 4th, 2008. Live, Lost & Found features four previously unreleased tracks, including the new single “It’s Nothing,” as well as an additional 17 tracks of classic Rakim material performed live.

After teaming up with Queens DJ Eric B. in 1986, Rakim recorded a string of classic material like “Eric B. Is President,” “I Ain''t No Joke” and “Paid in Full.” The duo’s first two full-length albums, 1987’s Paid in Full and 1988’s Follow the Leader, are still regarded as all-time hip-hop classics; Rakim’s work set out a blueprint for other, similarly progressive-minded MCs to follow, and helped ensure that even after the rise of other fertile scenes around the country, East Coast rap would maintain a reputation as the center of innovative lyrical technique.

Watch for Rakim‘s Live, Lost & Found on March 4th, 2008.