Key Tracks: Rakim on “In The Ghetto”

“It ain’t where you from, it’s where you at.” These words had been spoken by Rakim before, but they never meant more when he said them on “In the Ghetto” from 1990’s Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em. In this edited and condensed excerpt from his lecture at the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy, the vaunted MC talks about the tragic circumstances behind the tune.

I was going through a lot at that time, man. Pops passed away, and I was at the point where I ain’t know if rap made sense at that time, you know what I mean? Pops had a lot to do with me being the type of person I am, and he was young when he passed away too. So, going through that, and trying to make sense out of hip hop, I kind of stopped listening to music for a couple of months.

When I finally put a beat on and picked up the pen, I wrote “In the Ghetto.” It was kinda therapeutic, but I guess, after that happening, it made sense to me to make a conscious record. It didn’t deal too much with my father, but it made sense to me. I mentioned I was glad I listened when my father was rappin’ to me, and that was the phrase that let you know that, you know what I mean? That was for my pops, man. I was going through a crazy time, and nothing made sense at that point. This helped me get back into writing and loving writing rhymes again.

At that point I was taking a trip through my feelings on life, some of the things that was bothering me, some of the things that was good with me. Just putting things in perspective, I guess, trying to make sense out of what I was doing as an artist. I was supposed to go to Africa just before my pops passed. To make a long story short, I cancelled the tour, and, just kinda sat in the house for about two months, staring at the walls, and trying to figure out what I want to do.

But again, Paul C came through. It was crazy ‘cause he knew somebody that I knew, and he told him, “Yo, tell Rakim I’m trying to get some beats out to him.” I really didn’t pay too much attention to it, but somebody else that I seen told me that the same dude was trying to get some beats out to me. So I called him up, and he told me, “Yo Ra, I’m a producer, such and such, I got some joints for you.” So I was like, “Where you at?” He said, “I’m in Queens.” Went out to his crib, and this is one of the songs he played. So, it made sense to me, it kinda sparked a fire. It was therapeutic.

“It ain’t where you from, it’s where you at” was a phrase from another song. But it was just one of those things that I felt I had to elaborate on. Point at it a little more, get people to absorb it a little more. If you look at it today, it’s more relevant now than it was then. You gotta lot of New York artists doing Down South rap now, but it ain’t where you from, it’s where you at. And if you in a good place, man, make music from your heart and it won’t have no boundaries. New York, I love it. Down South, I love it. Cali, I love it, you know what I mean? You being you, people will appreciate that. Speak from the heart, do what you do, don’t let nobody tell you how to do it. I think you’ll appreciate what you’re doing and I think the listener will too.

I went on tour in ‘86, and it opened me up not only to reality, but it opened me up to hip hop too. How people in other places looked at hip hop, or perceived it. Getting on stage, doin’ different songs, seeing how different states appreciated different types of songs. You get a little smarter and you start catering to what they told you they like, but the main thing is – being in all these different places – that’s when you realize, it’s ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you at. You could be from the baddest city in the world, but if you ain’t handling your business or acting accordingly... You gotta respect what you doin’ and where you at and what the moment is about, you know what I mean? Word up!