CASSETTE. Re-imagined instrumentals of the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed Follow the Leader album from Eric B. & Rakim. Endorsed and fully supported by Eric B. & Rakim. Jonathan Hay Benny Reid and Mike Smith had numerous discussions on how to respectfully faithfully and creatively re-imagine Eric B. & Rakim s classic 1988 album Follow the Leader. The difficulty was twofold. One Follow the Leader is a revered and iconic hip-hop album and had to reflect it s adoration. Two how can it be translated to a jazz style especially omitting the centerpiece Rakim s voice? Reid (lead instrumentalist - tenor saxophone alto saxophone bari saxophone flute) and Hay s (producer) initial strategy of replaying Rakim s extended rhythmically intricate rap verses organically morphed into a more improvised classic jazz style. The emcee vocal style and flow along with Eric B. s through-composed instrumentals served as a model for Hay Reid Smith and musician Mani Ajami to draw inspiration.