Know the Ledge
Encyclopedia
"Know the Ledge", originally released on the soundtrack for the film Juice
under the title "Juice (Know the Ledge)", is a 1992 single released from hip hop
duo Eric B. & Rakim
. It was the theme song for the film and a single released from the duo's 1992 album Don't Sweat the Technique
. The song became one of Eric B. & Rakim's final hits together and featured a distinctive sample from Nat Adderley's 1968 hit "Rise, Sally, Rise." The song was one of the most successful singles released from the Juice Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. It is one of the most well-known showcases of Rakim's storytelling ability, as he shares a first-person narrative
of a neighborhood thug and drug dealer who is forced to come to grips with his violent and reckless lifestyle. Rakim also played live drums on the track. The rapper played a more active role in the song than usual. He revealed this years later:
" by The Crystal Method
.
The song is used in the movie Fish Tank, when Mia is dancing in the deserted flat.
The song is also used during the third season of Prison Break, in the episode Dirt Nap, when Sammy is shadow boxing in his room in preparation for an upcoming fight.
Promoe
, a Swedish rapper, makes a reference to the title in the chorus of Spanish rapper Zatu's song "Al Filo", released in his album "Odisea en el Lodo (2001)".
The song is used in American Dad, in the episode Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth
, during the SUV Dramatization.
Juice (film)
Juice is a 1992 American crime drama film that stars rapper Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps. Additional cast members include Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L. Jackson, and features cameo appearances by Queen Latifah, EPMD, Special Ed, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Flex Alexander, Fab Five...
under the title "Juice (Know the Ledge)", is a 1992 single released from hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
duo Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
. It was the theme song for the film and a single released from the duo's 1992 album Don't Sweat the Technique
Don't Sweat The Technique
Don't Sweat the Technique is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released June 23, 1992, on MCA Records. Their final album as a duo, it was recorded and produced by Eric B. & Rakim at The Hit Factory in New York City...
. The song became one of Eric B. & Rakim's final hits together and featured a distinctive sample from Nat Adderley's 1968 hit "Rise, Sally, Rise." The song was one of the most successful singles released from the Juice Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. It is one of the most well-known showcases of Rakim's storytelling ability, as he shares a first-person narrative
First-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
of a neighborhood thug and drug dealer who is forced to come to grips with his violent and reckless lifestyle. Rakim also played live drums on the track. The rapper played a more active role in the song than usual. He revealed this years later:
"They let me go up in a little room and see the movie. It was funny I was living in Manhattan downtown on 19th street. So when I got to the crib, me and wifey, she knew I was zoning in the cab. When I got to the crib I had my studio in a little room. I went straight up into the room and found the sample. The bass line. I took the bass line and put the regular drum sample underneath that shit. Half an hour later I had the lights off because I was in there zoning. Wifey came in I was like turn the lights off and close the door back. About an hour later I came out of there with three verses man. It was crazy."
Cultural references
The lyric "I guess I didn't know..." is sampled in the 1997 song "Busy ChildBusy Child
"Busy Child" is a breakbeat single by The Crystal Method from the album Vegas. It is one of the group's most recognizable works, reaching #17 on Hot Dance Club Play charts, and remaining on even ten years later...
" by The Crystal Method
The Crystal Method
The Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...
.
The song is used in the movie Fish Tank, when Mia is dancing in the deserted flat.
The song is also used during the third season of Prison Break, in the episode Dirt Nap, when Sammy is shadow boxing in his room in preparation for an upcoming fight.
Promoe
Promoe
Promoe is a Swedish rapper, and member of Swedish hip hop group Looptroop Rockers, formed in Västerås, Sweden, 1992. He released his fourth album in 2009 entitled Kråksången, and later the same year followed up with the mixtape Bondfångeri...
, a Swedish rapper, makes a reference to the title in the chorus of Spanish rapper Zatu's song "Al Filo", released in his album "Odisea en el Lodo (2001)".
The song is used in American Dad, in the episode Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth
Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth
"Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth" is the tenth episode of the fifth season of American Dad!. It aired on January 3, 2010 on Fox and was the first American Dad episode to air in 720p high-definition.- Plot :...
, during the SUV Dramatization.