BY JORDAN COMMANDEUR • NOVEMBER 10, 2018

3rd Bass released two gold albums between 1989 and 1991. Twenty-nine years ago this month, Def Jam Records released The Cactus Album, a full-length debut from the New York City collective of MC Serch, Prime Minister Pete Nice, and DJ Richie Rich (aka DJ Daddy Rich). The first single from that would-be gold LP was “Steppin’ To The A.M.” (embedded below). Along with 3rd Bass, the song was produced by The Bomb Squad at a time when they were expanding, following tremendous acclaim with Public Enemy.

In an interview with VladTV, Serch reveals that the song (which reached the Top 5 on the Rap charts), began as a verse written for Rakim. He even spits his verse in the way that it was referenced for the microphone deity. “It was meant for Rakim, correct,” Serch says to DJ Vlad. ” At 1:30, he continues, “So first of all, we were writing the lyrics for Rakim. I got a call from Lyor [Cohen]; he was managing us. He was basically like, ‘Look, Rakim is in a bit of a [rut]—he got a bit of writer’s block. I know you’re cool with Eric B. Could you write some lyrics and maybe get him jump-started?'” Cohen was working at Russell Simmons’ management company, who was also handling the careers of Eric B. & Rakim. The New York City duo had released Paid In Full and was at the time slowly working on 1988’s Follow The Leader.

“So, Rakim—even to this day—to me, is the greatest MC of all time. Like, period. So, it was a tremendous honor to be asked to write anything for Rakim—to write a word for Rakim, let alone a song. So it was easy for me to get into his mind-frame and think about, okay, how would I want him to [sound] and how do I see him? I saw him in my head with [the Paid In Full Posse members] Supreme and his crew, and them steppin’ to the a.m. I was like, ‘Oh sh*t, yeah, steppin’ to the a.m., that’s dope.” At 2:30, the Far Rockaway, Queens MC spits the song as it was first written for Rakim.

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