Jonathan Hay, Benny Reid & Mike Smith
"Follow The Leader"
© Fat Beats Distribution
December 07 - 13, 2025
Year of Release: 2019
Rating:
Follow The Leader
Microphone Fiend
Lyrics Of Fury
Eric B. Never Scared
Just A Beat
Put Your Hands Together
To The Listeners
No Competition
The R
Musical Massacre
Beats For The Listeners
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From Billboard.com, 09/24/2019 - What Eric B. & Rakim Think About The 'Follow The Leader' Jazz Covers
Album
A year later, the Microphone Fiend would see his sophomore classic with Eric B., Follow The Leader, hit
No. 1 on a Billboard chart 31 years after its initial release.
One of the most revaltory moments on the Netflix
documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution (now streaming in its third season) transpires during the season 2 episode "The
New Guard." In a rare interview, legendary MC Rakin cites John Coltrane as the chief catalyst behind his own distinctive
flow as a rapper -- or a "microphone solist," as he's declared on wax with longtime DJ/producer Eric. B.
A year later, the Microphone Fiend would see his sophomore classic with Eric B., Follow The Leader, hit No. 1 on a
billboard chart 3 years later after its initial release. But it didn't top a hip-hop chart. Rather, an instrumental
reworking of the entire LP by Jonathan Hay, Mike Smike (who comprise the production duo Smith & Hay) and renowned New York
saxophonist/Concord recording artist Benny Reid topped the Jazz Albums chart. It's an incredible fusion of styles that
brings together everything pure and innovative about the spiritual knot between jazz and hip-hop over the last 30 years.
Click here for Billboard.com article
As mentioned, this hip-hop album would be translated to jazz, as Jonathan Hay (American publicist and record
producer), Benny Reid (saxophonist/musical composer) and Mike Smith (British artist and record producer) released
Follow The Leader in 2019, an album that was originally released by hip-hop artists Eric B. & Rakim in 1988.
Hay, Reid & Smith released their version as an instrumental reworking of the original hip-hop album, labeling it as
"Reminagined as Jazz."
The title track "Follow The Leader" combines jazz with an upbeat style that could easily fit hip-hop. It could
also fit as a theme song for a movie. "Microphone Fiend" continues the upbeat and jazz style. Combining both
Jazz and Rock gets the next track "Lyrics Of Fury." "Eric B. Never Scared" sounds more Electronic Jazz, as if the
band Kraftwerk could have recorded this track. Jazz at it's finest, and it has a much updated Jazz sound is the next
track, "Just A Beat." Classical music with it's piano has "Put Your Hands Together." For Rick Wakeman fans,
this one gets your attention, with it's incredible piano intro. Yet, it kicks into another great style of upbeat Jazz.
More of the beautiful piano, and the incredible jazz styled "To The Listeners." This track is definitely a great
sound "for the listeners." "No Competition" kicks into high-gear towards a hip-hop styled track. "The R"
blends Jazz with an updated sound, being originally from hip-hop. "Musical Massacre" continues the great mix of
updated Jazz. Ending the album is "Beats For The Listeners" - an incredible Jazz love-styled track, than Kenny G
could have easiy recorded. Only 1 minute and 29 seconds, it could have been much more.
It's interesting in how one album's style gets reworked into another. Hip-Hop's Eric B. & Rakim's Follow The
Leader gets the Jazz treatment, by Jonathan Hay, Benny Reid & Mike Smith. It's Jazz, updated to what can be used
for Hip-Hop music. No vocals, all instrumentals. Jazz. An incredible look on how one musical genre can be coverted to
another. For Jazz fans everywhere, this is a great listening experience. As for Eric B. & Rakim, they recorded a total
of four albums, as Follow The Leader was their second album. They are both still alive, as Eric B. is 62, and
Rakim is 58.
Wikipedia Pages: Jonathan Hay,
Benny Reid,
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