18)Eric B & Rakim – Know The Ledge

Song: Know The Ledge

Album: Juice Soundtrack

Year: 1991

Rakim was revered for having one of the most lethal, razor sharp voices on the mic but he was commonly associated with positivity and righteousness as one of the golden era’s premier Five Percenter representatives. But for the theme to the movie Juice he was commissioned to take on the role of a street tough who’s ready to kill at a whim, and he put on one hell of a performance despite it being worlds apart from what he was known for rapping about. It’s a cautionary tale about the ills of power (juice), kind of like a harder version of BDP’s “Love’s Gonna Get Cha”. At the time this was one of the toughest songs out.