Up in hip-hop heaven, once Lateef and Lyrics Born got finished kicking Puff Daddy's ass, they'd send him to Rakim's cloud, where Rakim would have him write, "I am very sorry for impersonating a rapper" 1 billion times on the chalkboard. In a rap scene where it's hard enough to stick around and nearly impossible to come back, hip-hop's most legendary MC has returned 11 years after his brilliant debut (and five years since he split from partner Eric B.). Amazingly, he's lost none of his skill and even gained wisdom with maturity. Even more amazing, 1997's The 18th Letter looks like a measured commercial success. The deluxe, double-CD version contains a retrospective of Rakim's career; also worth checking out is the reissue of Eric B. & Rakim's seminal Paid in Full. --Roni Sarig