Eric B. & Rakim were an American hip hop duo, composed of DJ Eric B. (born Eric Barrier, November 8, 1965) and MC Rakim (born William Michael Griffin Jr., January 28, 1968). Hailing from Long Island, New York, the duo were referred to by the journalist Tom Terrell of NPR as "the most influential DJ/MC combo in contemporary pop music period," while the editors of About.com ranked them as No. 3 on their list of the 10 Greatest Hip-Hop Duos of All-Time. They were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, although they did not make the final selection.