Subject: Eric B. of Eric B. & Rakim Killed


Man killed in barber shop shooting
28 August 2005


One man died and another was seriously injured during a shooting at a
barber's shop, police said.


Two men, aged 24 and 39, were taken to hospital following the incident
in Long Island on Saturday afternoon.


The 39-year-old, Eric Barrier also known as Eric B. who lived locally,
died from his injuries. The 24-year-old, also from Long Island, is said
to be in a serious but stable condition in hospital.


West Camden Police were called to reports of several shots being fired
in and around the barber's shop at the junction of Lozells Road and
Wheeler Street. A force spokeswoman said no arrests had been made and
appealed to anyone who witnessed the incident or had any information
about it to contact police.


One of rap's most influential acts during the 1980s, Eric B & Rakim made
the sampling of James Brown records the main source for hip-hop's sound
during the late '80s and early '90s, beginning with their stellar debut,
Paid in Full. While Eric B dazzled listeners with his turntable
techniques, Rakim pointed the way toward the easy-rollin' style of the
'90s with his laidback raps, though forceful in content. Each of the
duo's first three albums achieved gold status, and they even managed the
Top Five R&B hit "Friends" in 1989. While working as a mobile DJ for
New York's WBLS during 1985, Eric Barrier met William Griffin, a top MC
who had grown up on Long Island. The two began recording together and
emerged with "Eric B Is President." The single appeared in 1986 on
Harlem's Zakia label, and became a street sensation. Signed to 4th &
Broadway the following year, Eric B & Rakim released their debut album,
Paid in Full.


The LP's success led to a contract with Uni/MCA in 1988, and their
second album, Follow the Leader, was released that year. Two more albums
followed, Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990) and Don't Sweat the Technique
(1992), after which the duo broke up. By the mid-'90s, Eric B. had
emerged as a solo act on his own 95th Street label.

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Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.

John F Kennedy

Now I'm depressed....

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Look for my internet radio broadcast! http://vodkanting.podzone.org:8000/listen.m3u

Don't be. It isn't true. Eric B is alive and well,

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"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." - Matthew 5 v11 KJV

Very waggish indeed.