Eric B. and Rakim are a hip hop duo formed in Long Island, New York, in 1986, composed of DJ Eric B. (born Eric Barrier) and MC Rakim (born William Michael Griffin Jr.) . During raps golden age in the late 80s, Eric B. & Rakim were almost universally recognized as the premier DJ/MC team in all of hip-hop. They released four albums together before their partnership dissolved amid a business disagreement in 1992. After separating, Eric B. released one solo album in 1995 and primarily worked as a producer and executive for Street Life Records. Rakim embarked on a solo career in 1997 that resulted in three albums. In 2016, Eric B. announced via Twitter that he and Rakim reunited as a duo after 23 years and would tour in 2017. They have since performed regularly and are working on remastering their albums, but have indicated that they are not planning to release new music. Eric B. is also a serial restaurant entrepreneur, owning several restaurants throughout the US.