Rakim Clears the Air on “Summertime” Writing Rumors
For decades, hip-hop circles have speculated that Rakim wrote DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince’s Grammy-winning track “Summertime,” but The God MC debunked the rumors he wrote for Will Smith in a 2019 interview with The Breakfast Club. [1]
“Nah [I didn’t write that]. I used to play with people too. I used to say, ‘Will still owe me money.’ I remember the first day I heard it, it came on and it was a track that me and Eric had in the library ‘Summer Madness.’ I was like, ‘Ah, man. Somebody already got it.’ Then he started rhyming, and I was like [looks around]. I listened and right away I got the bittersweet thing where I was glad my style was resonating with people… then right away, it’s like, ‘Man, that’s my style.’ It was a bittersweet feeling,” he shared.
Eric B. and Rakim Almost Used The Same Sample
Though Rakim had nothing to do with writing the song, he revealed that he and his production partner Eric B almost used the same sample of Kool and the Gang’s “Summer Madness” for one of their own tracks.[2]
“It was something that we wanted to use, but we felt that the time wasn’t right because of the choice of all the records that we had on the first album. But that’s a joint that you can’t deny. You know, maybe it could’ve been hooked up a little more street-ready, and it was something that we thought was a hit record. But we didn’t want to come out and grasp on that first album. We was trying to ease back on that,” he told HipHopDX in 2019.[3]
Eric B also spoke about the unreleased track in a Combat Jack interview.[4]
“I remember I did a record… I did a record in the studio and [some guys] went behind my back and told Rakim, ‘Yo, yo, Ra. That record, man, is soft. You shouldn’t do it. The record turned out that Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince had turned out to be ‘Summertime.’”
Will Smith’s Acknowledgment of Rakim’s Influence
During the Grammy’s Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop in 2023, Will Smith admitted, “I was absolutely trying to sound like you on ‘Summertime’,” when he bumped into Rakim backstage.[5][6]
This acknowledgment not only underscores Ra’s undeniable impact on hip-hop, but also establishes “Summertime” as a tribute to The God MC’s impeccable style and enduring legacy.
[1]https://www.facebook.com/ambrosiaforheads/videos/rakim-says-he-didnt-write-summertime-but-will-smith-owes-him-money-for-his-flow/1142534552607613/
[2]https://hiphopdx.com/interviews/id.2937/title.rakim-tackles-paid-in-full-will-smith-mafioso-rap
[3] Ibid.
[4]https://youtu.be/BlNyAlRQQCM?si=QUikobm2U2_4JtQ7&t=3747
[5]https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/will-smith-copying-rakim-flow-summertime-1234831011/
[6]https://thesource.com/2023/12/13/watch-will-smith-tells-rakim-he-was-trying-to-sound-like-him-on-summertime/
