A History Of Violence: Sometimes The Music Industry x The Streets Really Do Go Hand-In-Hand.

As a quarter water kid growing up, I had the classic "Paid In Full" album in my crib for years before I was old enough to appreciate and understand the rare slice of Brooklyn underworld history that was pictured on the cover insert. When I came of age and hit the streets in search of my own name and a little change, the legends that filtered down to us naive adolescents from the O.G.'s started to make more and more sense and I rediscovered this picture.

Assembled here (in the video AND the insert) are, amongst others, Fort Greene hoodstars the original 50 Cent & Puerto Rican Supreme Magnetic of the Brooklyn "Supreme Team" (no relation to the Queens crew) ... real recognize real. It looks like they took this shit in front of the Jacob Javits Convention Center on the Westside of Manhattan. Anyway, stories of thoroughbreds like this exist in every hood across the country and, indeed, the entire world. If nothing else, this is just a great posse photo from the 80's and a powerful video courtesy of Eric B. & Rakim. Quality Friday night nostalgia right here boyeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Eric B. & Rakim - Follow The Leader
Uploaded by Eric-B-and-Rakim