The 18th Letter is the debut solo album of American emcee Rakim, released November 4, 1997, on Universal Records in the United States. The album features production by DJ Clark Kent, Pete Rock, Father Shaheed, Nick Wiz and DJ Premier. It contains lyrical themes that concern hip hop's golden age, Rakim's rapping prowess, and the state of hip hop. Background It is his first release of new material, following a five-year hiatus after Don't Sweat the Technique (1992) as duo Eric B. & Rakim. The album's title refers to the letter "R" being the eighteenth letter of the English alphabet. Deluxe version A deluxe version of The 18th Letter was sold with the compilation disc The Book of Life (UD2-53111), an Eric B. & Rakim greatest hits collection. The Book of Life was also issued separately as a double vinyl LP. Commercial performance The 18th Letter debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and was certified Gold in the United States. Track listing Notes signifies a co-producer. "The Mystery (Who Is God?)" contains scratches by DJ Sond The Book of Life Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications The 18th Letter & The Book of Life See also List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 (U.S.) References External links The 18th Letter at Discogs The Microphone God — By Vibe Rakim albums 1997 debut albums Albums produced by DJ Premier Albums produced by Pete Rock Albums produced by Eric B. Universal Records albums Hip hop albums by American artists