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Raekwon

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Raekwon The Chef (born Corey Woods, January 12, 1970, Brooklyn, New York) is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Raekwon may not have achieved the solo stardom of his fellow Wu-Tang Clan mates Method Man,Ol' Dirty Bastard or RZA but along with Genius/GZA and frequent partner Ghostface Killah, he's done some of the most inventive, critically acclaimed work outside the confines of the group. His 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is widely considered to be one of the best Wu-Tang solo albums, and one of the finest and most influential hip hop albums of the 1990s.

Contents

Biography

Raekwon joined the Wu-Tang Clan in time to participate on , the group's massively successful debut. He later signed a solo deal with Loud Records and, working with Ghostface Killah, released his first solo LP, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (originally to be titled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Niggaz) in 1995 to rave reviews, though the album's sales were sluggish. It's a serious contender for the title of best Wu-Tang solo album. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is also perhaps the most influential, thanks to Raekwon's cinematic imagination. If the Genius is arguably the Wu's best overall lyricist then perhaps Raekwon is their best storyteller, and here he translates the epic themes and narratives of a Mafia movie into a startlingly accomplished hip-hop album.

Although Raekwon wasn't the first to make the connection between gangsta rap and the Cosa Nostra, his storytelling abilities on tracks such as Spot Rusherz led to many a comparison with Kool G Rap (who pioneered that idea), and the album as a whole is often credited for popularizing the trend of using Mafia and gangster movie motifs in rap music. Raekwon participated on Wu-Tang Forever with the rest of the group, and then released Immobilarity in 1999, to somewhat more mixed reviews than Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Many fans disliked his decision to use inexperienced, up-and-coming producers rather than the Wu-Tang's in-house producers, though the album went gold. Raekwon is also featured heavily on Ghostface Killah's albums Ironman, Supreme Clientele and Bulletproof Wallets, as well as featuring on high-profile singles from Fat Joe (John Blaze) and Outkast {Skew It On The Bar-B).

His most recent album, The Lex Diamond Story, was released on December 13, 2003, on the Universal Records label, to mixed reviews (generally lukewarm critical reviews and wildly varying public reviews) and moderate success. Raekwon's success has given him the chance to branch into business, become a Creative Officer of a major label and begin the creation of his own hip-hop team, Ice Water Inc. He plans to release the long-delayed sequel to his debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, in 2006 under Wu-Tang; it will be executive produced by Busta Rhymes (informally) and the RZA, with RZA handling most of the production--including the first single--as well as tracks from Dr. Dre, among others.

Rap Style

Raekwon uses heavy New York slang, especially slang surrounding the 5 Percent religion. His worldplay might come off incomprehensible to those not familiar with his culture (not just hip hop culture, but specifically the New York scene). Like his Wu brethren Ghostface Killah, he paints many vivid and emotional narratives, pictures, or vibes within each line, at times overwhelming the listener. He also infuses his verses with words like "Aiyyo" or "Yo"; these inclusions do not add much literary value to his verses, but instead are used to assist in the cadence or flow of the beat. They also make his raps sound like he is talking to the listener, because people from the hip hop scene use these words often, despite their lack of any real meaning.

Like the other eight members of the Wu-Tang Clan, he raps "darts": aggressive and threatening lines that have the qualities of either metaphor, punchline, or sharpness in cadence and delivery. For example:

"Yeah, Aiyyo, once again, all blunts again/ the real remain silent, any type of violence I'm in/

Infrared guard yo' Beem/ so seek nuff respect/ Rude bwoy you bet/ keep it movin par shallah/ Pro black like tar"

Aliases

Discography

Albums

Album Name Release Date Status
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx August 1, 1995 Platinum U.S.
Immobilarity November 16, 1999 Gold U.S.
The Lex Diamond Story December 16, 2003 Gold U.S.
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II 2006

Singles and EPs

Appears On

External links

Wu-Tang Clan ([http://encycl.opentopia.com/ edit])
9 core members
Ghostface Killah - GZA - Inspectah Deck - Masta Killa - Method Man - Ol' Dirty Bastard - Raekwon - RZA - U-God
Albums
Affiliated artists and groups
Cappadonna - Gravediggaz - Killah Priest - Killarmy - Mathematics - others

 

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