Short answers, pulled from the story.
Eric B. and Rakim formed in 1986 in a basement in Queens, New York, after Eric Barrier borrowed records from Rakim's brother Stevie Blass Griffin. The partnership began when Barrier used the bass line from Fonda Rae's Over Like A Fat Rat to create a new record while Rakim was present.
Eric B. and Rakim released their debut album Paid in Full in 1987, which climbed into the Top Ten on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and sold over a million copies. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the album platinum in 1995, and the duo became the first rap act to sign a million dollar record deal with MCA.
Rakim employed a relaxed, stoic delivery inspired by jazz musicians like John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, contrasting with the high-energy shouting style of contemporaries such as LL Cool J and Run-D.M.C. He utilized internal rhymes and multisyllabic rhymes to create a complex, layered sound that ignored standard bar lines.
The duo dissolved in 1992 after their contract with MCA expired and Eric B. refused to sign a label release contract due to fears that Rakim would abandon him. This decision led to a court case involving the two musicians and their former label, which resulted in the complete dissolution of the partnership.
Eric B. announced the reunion of Eric B. and Rakim on the 20th of October 2016 after 23 years, with the first reunion concert held at the Apollo Theater in New York City on the 7th of July 2017. The duo subsequently announced a 17-date American tour for the spring of 2018.
Rakim released The 18th Letter in 1997, followed by The Master in 1999, and later released The Seventh Seal in November 2009. He signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath label in 2000, but the expected album from that period never materialized.