When God speaks, you listen. Hip-hop pioneer Rakim — called “the God MC” long before Jay-Z — said it best when describing the significance of his current Hip Hop Live! tour with the Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah and indie star Brother Ali. “It’s more like we’re making a statement,” Rakim said. “We all kind of climbed the same tree. We love that raw, sampled sound of hip-hop.

So it was a smart setup taking these brothers on the road.” For Rakim, the message is simple: The style of hip-hop he helped pioneer in the 1980s — a gritty New York sound with intricate, streetwise lyrics — still matters. Hip Hop Live! is a rare chance for fans to see three like-minded MCs from three different eras on the same bill, rocking a style that’s almost extinct on commercial radio. For Minneapolis’ Brother Ali, it’s a dream come true. “I’m excited as hell,” Ali said.

“Rakim is one of the greatest MCs of all time. It’s weird, man, to have an icon growing up and then [to] become friends with him. That’s incredible. I’ll never get over it.” For many purists, Rakim is the greatest of all time (Ali says he’s tied for No. 1 with Melle Mel and KRS-One, in case you’re keeping tabs). Ali sees the tour as a chance for his young fans to finally see the man who influenced so many. Before Rakim, rap was simple. Hip-hop was mostly party music rhymed in standard couplets.

In 1987, Rakim and his producer, Eric B., released their debut “Paid in Full,” showcasing complex rhyme structures such as internal and multisyllable rhymes. Rakim recorded into the late ’90s, but has been quiet since a dream deal with Dr. Dre went sour a few years ago. Now Rakim, 39, plans to release his first album in eight years in early 2008. “He did things over the course of his first few albums that changed rap forever,” Ali said.