Know the Ledge
| "Know the Ledge" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Eric B. & Rakim | ||||
| from the album Don't Sweat the Technique and Juice (soundtrack) | ||||
| Released | February 1992 | |||
| Recorded | 1991 | |||
| Studio | The Hit Factory (New York City) | |||
| Genre | Hardcore hip hop | |||
| Length | 4:00 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Rakim | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Eric B. & Rakim singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Know the Ledge" on YouTube | ||||
"Know the Ledge" – originally on the soundtrack of the film Juice as "Juice (Know the Ledge)" – is a 1992 single by hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim. The film's theme song, also released on the duo's 1992 album Don't Sweat the Technique, it features a distinctive sample from Nat Adderley's 1968 hit "Rise, Sally, Rise".
"Know the Ledge" showcases Rakim's storytelling ability, sharing a first-person narrative of a neighborhood thug and drug dealer forced to come to grips with his violent and reckless lifestyle. Among Eric B. & Rakim's final hits as a duo, it was one of the most successful singles from the Juice soundtrack.
50 Cent told NME that the song was the one that made him want to be a rapper: "They were painting a picture of where I lived and all the moves you needed to make in order to live on the streets there. It was the law of the jungle out there."[1]
Background
[edit]The rapper played a more active role in the song than usual:
"They let me go up in a little room and see the movie. It was funny: I was living in Manhattan, downtown on 19th street. So when I got to the crib, me and wifey, she knew I was zoning in the cab. When I got to the crib, I had my studio in a little room. I went straight up into the room and found the sample. The bass line. I took the bass line and put the regular drum sample underneath that shit. Half an hour later I had the lights off because I was in there zoning. Wifey came in; I was like, 'Turn the lights off and close the door back.' About an hour later, I came out of there with three verses, man. It was crazy."[2]
Rakim also played live drums on the track.[2]
Music video
[edit]The black-and-white video features Rakim rapping in the streets of Harlem, with scenes from Juice intercut.
Samples
[edit]- The main bass line is sampled from "Rise, Sally Rise" by Nat Adderley, from his 1968 release The Scavenger[3]
Sampling and other references
[edit]- The lyric "I guess I didn't know..." (from the last line of the last verse) is sampled in the 1997 song "Busy Child" by The Crystal Method.
- Promoe, a Swedish rapper, refers to the title in the chorus of Spanish rapper Zatu's song "Al Filo", released in his album Odisea en el Lodo (2001).
In popular media
[edit]The song has been featured in...
- ...the movie Fish Tank, when Mia is dancing in a deserted flat.
- ...the third season of Prison Break, in the episode "Dirt Nap", when Sammy is shadow boxing in his room to prepare for a fight.
- ...the American Dad! episode "Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth", during the SUV Dramatization.
- ...promos for the television series Archer.
- ...the video game EA Skate.
- ...the DC Shoes 2003 DC video.
- ...the film High Fidelity, during a fantasy confrontation between the characters played by John Cusack and Tim Robbins.
- ...the video game BMX XXX.
- ...the video game Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2.
- ...the video game NBA 2K18
Charts
[edit]Weekly charts
[edit]| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 96 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[5] | 38 |
| US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[6] | 7 |
| US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard)[7] | 51 |
References
[edit]- ^ Haynes, Gavin (October 1, 2015). "Soundtrack of my life". NME: 48.
- ^ a b Mann, Johnny (10 May 2006). "Hip Hop Icon Series: Rakim". Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
- ^ Eric B. & Rakim's Juice (Know the Ledge) sample of Nat Adderley's Rise, Sally Rise | WhoSampled
- ^ "Eric B. & Rakim Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- ^ "Eric B. & Rakim Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- ^ "Eric B. & Rakim Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- ^ "The Notorious B.I.G. Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2021.