Rakim, popularly known as the God MC, is credited with pioneering the use of multisyllabic rhyming methods. Generations of rappers, including the Wu-Tang Clan, 2Pac, Nas, Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., and Eminem, have been inspired and impacted by the hip-hop legacy. The experienced MC is married to Felicia, with whom he has three children. He has a son with Nicole Smith, in addition to the family, he has with his wife. Despite being a family guy, he was jailed numerous times for failing to pay child support for his kid with Nicole.
Rakim was arrested in connection with a child-support dispute with Nicole Smith.
While Rakim’s connection with Nicole does not seem to have caused problems for his family with his current wife, it did cause him problems in other ways. He was arrested in 2004 for allegedly failing to pay child support. Smith stated on Hot 97’s Morning Show (via MTV) that Rakim was $25,000 late on child support payments and that he hadn’t seen their kid in five years. The MC said that he was not aware of the warrant and that this was not the first time he had been wrongly detained for failure to pay child support. Rakim stated that when he was detained for the same crimes in the past, he discovered he had a son.
Rakim’s High School Sweetheart Is Now His Wife
The ‘Eric B for President’ artist met his wife, Felicia, in high school, and the couple is still married. Rakim and his wife have three children: two boys, Tahmell Griffin and Jabar Griffin, and a girl, Destiny Griffin. Rakim has also discussed how his parents modeled excellent behavior for him and educated him about life and marriage. When the rapper appeared on The Breakfast Club, he has questioned whether his parents’ divorce had any impact on his marriage.
He said that it did and that he was grateful that his parents had raised him correctly. Without a question. They instilled in me a lot of wonderful principles. I still act as though my parents are judging me to this day. They’re both gone. They did a terrific job of bringing me up.
Rakim Is One of the Greatest Hip Hop Artists of All Time
Rakim, the actual name William Michael Griffin Jr., is one of the most influential and accomplished emcees of all time, as well as one of the finest lyricists of all time. He transformed the hip-hop scene by introducing outstanding poetry and intricate rhyming techniques. In 2012, The Source voted him first among the “Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.” Rakim began rapping at the age of seven and rose to prominence with the song ‘Eric B for President’ as part of the hip-hop duo Erin B. and Rakim. Paid in Full, their first album debuted at #58 on the Billboard 200 list.
After the band split up in 1993, Rakim launched his solo career with the release of his first album, The 18th Letter, in 1996. It reached number four on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. Even at his age, the hip-hop superstar is constantly traveling. Rakim’s book Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius was released on September 24, 2019, to contribute to his legacy. It provides us a glimpse into his life and is intended to inspire artists of all genres.
