| "Know the Ledge" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Eric B. & Rakim | ||||
| from the album Don't Sweat the Technique and Juice (soundtrack) | ||||
| Released | February 1992 | |||
| Recorded | 1991 | |||
| Studio | The Hit Factory (New York City) | |||
| Genre | Hardcore hip hop | |||
| Length | 4:00 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Rakim | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Eric B. & Rakim singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Know the Ledge" on YouTube | ||||
"Know the Ledge" – originally on the soundtrack of the film Juice as "Juice (Know the Ledge)" – is a 1992 single by hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim. The film's theme song, also released on the duo's 1992 album Don't Sweat the Technique, it features a distinctive sample from Nat Adderley's 1968 hit "Rise, Sally, Rise".
"Know the Ledge" showcases Rakim's storytelling ability, sharing a first-person narrative of a neighborhood thug and drug dealer forced to come to grips with his violent and reckless lifestyle. Among Eric B. & Rakim's final hits as a duo, it was one of the most successful singles from the Juice soundtrack.
50 Cent told NME that the song was the one that made him want to be a rapper: "They were painting a picture of where I lived and all the moves you needed to make in order to live on the streets there. It was the law of the jungle out there."[1]