Rakim Talks Overcoming Bitterness, Being An “Old Head” Before He Was One & Unheard Dr. Dre Songs [Video]

Juan Ep Is Life sits down with the God MC for a long-form conversation that feels more like story time than a standard press run.

Peter Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds give Rakim room to walk through his legacy, from the “Paid in Full” days to his current perspective as one of the genre’s foundational voices. It’s billed as “nearly two hours of Rakim hanging and telling stories,” and that’s exactly what you get – no rush, no gimmicks, just an all-timer unpacking how he sees the game now.

One of the key threads is how he handled bitterness. Rakim talks about a stretch where industry politics, delays and broken promises had him tight – the kind of frustration that turns a lot of veterans into permanent critics. Instead of staying in that space, he explains how he made a conscious decision to let it go, focus on family and faith, and put the energy back into creating. That’s where the “old head before he was one” idea comes in: he’d already become a reference point for younger artists while he was still relatively young himself, and he’s honest about how easy it would’ve been to lean into that role as the bitter elder.

From there, the talk naturally moves to bridging eras instead of policing them. Rather than tearing down new waves, Rakim breaks down what longevity really looks like – staying sharp, staying curious and understanding that every generation has its own slang, tempo, and priorities. He frames respect as a two-way street: younger artists might not move like the ’80s and ’90s, but the foundation is still there, and he’s aware that his own style once scared older heads the same way.

The other big chunk of the interview is Rakim revisiting his early-2000s stint on Dr. Dre’s Aftermath and the unreleased music they cut together. He looks back on the shelved album that was tentatively titled “Oh, My God”, explaining again how creative differences over direction – Dre leaning toward a gangsta-rap formula, Rakim wanting to move in a more mature, conscious lane – eventually led to him leaving the label and the project being locked away. He hints at multiple unheard Dre-produced records still sitting in the vault, a reminder of one of hip hop’s great “what ifs”, and talks about how he’s made peace with that chapter rather than letting it define him.

For anyone who grew up studying his verses or has spent years wondering about that lost Dre album, this Juan Ep episode is essential viewing – not just for the nostalgia, but for the way Rakim breaks down aging in hip hop without ever sounding stuck in the past.