Microphone Fiend

"Microphone Fiend"
Single by Eric B. & Rakim
from the album Follow the Leader
B-side	"Beats For the Listeners"
Released	1988
Format	12"
Genre	Hip hop
Length	5:16
Label	MCA
Writer(s)	Eric Barrier Rakim Allah
Producer	Eric B.

"Microphone Fiend" was the second single released from the hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim's second album Follow the Leader. The song became something of a signature song for rapper Rakim, and Allmusic.com's Steve Huey says the song "weaves references to substance addiction throughout in explaining why Rakim can't keep away from the mic."^[1] Featuring a prominent sample of Average White Band's 1975 hit "School Boy Crush," the song was further evidence of Eric B.'s fondness for soul samples and became one of most quoted songs in hip hop.

Covers

• The song has been covered multiple times, most notably by Rage Against the Machine for their album Renegades.
• It was also covered by Fun Lovin' Criminals and Marc & Mike Allica.
• Muse have covered the song multiple times during live shows.
• Dirtball (rapper) did a cover on the Subnoize Souljaz album Blast From The Past.
• It was heavily sampled in the G-Mix for Snoop Doggs single I Wanna Rock from the Album Malice n Wonderland. It samples during Snoop's first verse.
• School Boy Crush by Average White Band is sampled heavily in the song, and is also sampled in Halftime from Nas's debut album, Illmatic.

References

1. ^ Allmusic - Follow the Leader

Notes