145-578: Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon ( / r eɪ ˈ k w ɒ n / ray- KWON ), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan , which achieved mainstream success following the release of their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , in 1993. Raekwon would subsequently pursue a solo career, releasing his first solo album, entitled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... , in 1995. The album received critical acclaim, and
290-637: A Xerox . Then again, I might use it as a Xerox if I find rare beats that nobody had in their crates yet". He played much of the piano himself, with Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk as major influences; for instance, he created the piano part to "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" after watching the Thelonious Monk documentary, Straight, No Chaser . RZA's production technique, specifically the manner of chopping up and/or speeding or slowing soul samples, has been picked up by producers including Kanye West and Just Blaze . West's own take on RZA's style briefly flooded
435-462: A felony , and possession of cocaine , and he missed multiple court dates. In April 2001, he was sentenced to two to four years in prison. Once released from prison, he signed a million-dollar contract with Roc-A-Fella Records . On November 13, 2004, Ol' Dirty Bastard collapsed at Wu-Tang's recording studio in New York City, and was pronounced dead later that night. Wu-Tang Clan paid him homage
580-437: A " closing credits " type of song. In regard to this track and Popa Wu 's inclusion, RZA later remarked "The idea is Rae did everything he had to do. Everything is over now. The job is over. Mission is over, it's a perfect closing to the album. Popa Wu was a very smart mentor in the younger days to me and ODB . Everybody had dibs and dabs of knowledge of self, I brought him in to be a mentor to these men like, 'I love them and you
725-760: A Wu-Tang Clan project, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang was released in March 2011, serving as Raekwon's fifth solo LP. As originally planned, RZA did not participate on the project, however, several other Wu-Tang members made appearances, as well as Black Thought , Nas and Rick Ross , among others. Raekwon revealed that he intends on eventually releasing a third installment to the Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... albums. In 2012, Raekwon launched his own record label, Ice H20 Records. Raekwon announced on November 30, 2012, that he would soon release an EP entitled Lost Jewlry . On December 20, he released "Never Can Say Goodbye", which did not end up on
870-426: A collaboration between GZA and producer DJ Muggs , entitled Grandmasters were also released. On March 28, 2006, Ghostface Killah released Fishscale , to much critical acclaim and some commercial success. The entire group, including Cappadonna and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, appeared on the track "9 Milli Bros". The same year, Ghostface Killah released More Fish . On June 25, 2006, Inspectah Deck released
1015-517: A countless number of albums with many of the adopted principles that it set in place. The year following its release, in 1996, Jay-Z released his debut album Reasonable Doubt , which describes a lavish, Cristal-drinking mobster persona and deals with the subjects of street crime and getting out of drug-dealing and into the rap game, much like the topics covered on OB4CL . Jay-Z would later reference Cuban Linx in his 2009 song " A Star Is Born " by stating "Wu-Tang gangbanged it, Meth ate / Rae took on
1160-461: A crime mafia story." Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah rapped in over half of the album's tracks, and the two wrote some lyrics in Barbados and Miami. It also follows a cinematic narrative, inspired by mob and kung-fu movies and a plethora of references and samples in which the main rapping lines with an on-going story of struggle and success. Raekwon explained the lyrics' context as "trying to get out
1305-508: A date with the Purple Tape / passed it on to Ason, then Ghostface / they had a hell of a run, stand and ovate ." Raekwon later commented in an interview "Jay was a student of our shit and what we accomplished in those days. He'll tell you that himself." The same year, highly acclaimed rapper Nas released It Was Written , revising his image to incorporate the Mafia posturing of Raekwon; adopting
1450-421: A double album consisting of 31 tracks, was not given a conventional commercial release and only one copy has been produced; the copy toured in museums, art galleries and music festivals before being sold at a high price to a single individual. In August 2014, a reporter from Forbes traveled to Marrakech to meet Cilvaringz and hear a 51-second snippet of a song from the album, which featured Cher . The snippet
1595-477: A duo, as the two would further establish this alliance on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... . Much of the content on the album deals with real life topics and situations that both Raekwon and Ghostface Killah commonly encountered and experienced while growing up in Staten Island , New York . In an interview with Wax Poetics , Raekwon explained "I grew up in the street, so I talked about the shit I knew and saw. We did
SECTION 10
#17328987594451740-459: A grab bag. If I came in and heard a beat that someone already claimed, then I just had to fall back. We almost never fought over beats or nothing. I'd tell RZA if I liked a certain beat, and he'd see if it would fit me or not." Throughout the album, producer RZA sampled dialogue from various scenes in the John Woo film The Killer . RZA later recollected "I met John Woo that same year. He sent me
1885-609: A gun-toting, big-money making, mob-commanding kingpin, most notably on the songs "Niggas Bleed", "What's Beef", "My Downfall", and "I Love the Dough" featuring Jay-Z (previously mentioned); Nas, then with The Firm , put out a similarly minded album that year in The Firm: The Album . The influence of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... continued through into the 2000s with other albums, such as Rick Ross ' Deeper Than Rap and Jay-Z's American Gangster , continuing to find success following
2030-406: A letter. He was honored that we did it. I felt confident we could settle anything that came up. You can usually settle that shit. It's part of the budget, man. But John Woo didn't want nothing, never no money for that. We actually became friends. He took me and Ghost to lunch and dinner many times. He gave me a lot of mentoring in film." The song "Wu-Gambinos" was one of the first songs recorded for
2175-436: A lot of it was lived or experienced in one form or another. It's so natural, it don't feel like songs. It was a chance to show the world not only how New York lived, but also how Shaolin preserved New York. An older generation was leaving and getting older. We're from the crack generation - that real gritty, rough project shit. We was on corners at 15, 16, doing shit you couldn't imagine. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... features
2320-403: A lot." As a young man, his mother kicked him out of their Park Hill home when Raekwon got into an argument with her boyfriend and his mother sided with the boyfriend. During this time, he spiraled into a pattern of hopelessness and violent behavior. He became addicted to cocaine and crack cocaine until he became aware of how the crack epidemic was affecting those around him, at which point "it
2465-602: A major label, but caught the attention of the New York City rap scene and was recognized by rapper Biz Markie . By 1991, The Genius and Prince Rakeem were signed to separate record labels. The Genius released Words from the Genius (1991) on Cold Chillin' Records and Prince Rakeem released Ooh I Love You Rakeem (1991) on Tommy Boy Records . Both were soon dropped by their labels. They then adopted new monikers; The Genius became GZA (pronounced "jizza"), and Prince Rakeem became RZA (pronounced "rizza"). The Specialist also took on
2610-412: A militaristic, dictatorial theme. In regard to Raekwon's innovation of the gambinos, Method Man later affirmed "Raekwon started that. Rae always had that mobster mentality, always liked to watch gangster movies and read mob books and stuff like that, you know? So he pretty much knew the names of the cats and what they was about. He polished his whole style like that." Ghostface Killah also touched base on
2755-563: A new name and became known as Ol' Dirty Bastard. RZA began collaborating with Dennis Coles, later known as Ghostface Killah, another rapper from the Stapleton Houses in Staten Island . The duo decided to create a hip hop group whose ethos would be a blend of " Eastern philosophy picked up from kung fu movies , Five-Percent Nation teachings picked up on the New York streets, and comic books". Wu-Tang Clan assembled in late 1992, with RZA as
2900-562: A number of times: in August 2006, one of his sons came out at a Wu-Tang concert at Webster Hall and rapped " Brooklyn Zoo ", along with his mother, and during a concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom the Clan brought his mother out on stage for a sing-along to "Shimmy Shimmy Ya". In 2005, RZA released a book titled The Wu-Tang Manual . In the same year, U-God's second album, Mr. Xcitement and
3045-414: A polished sound, slower and more layered than that of Wu-Tang's previous efforts, using strings, piano loops and vocal samples from Kung Fu movies , and Mafia films . Due to Raekwon's storytelling, mobster-minded approach, the producer set up Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... to play like scenes in a crime movie. RZA has cited soul musician Isaac Hayes as an influence on his orchestral approach to several of
SECTION 20
#17328987594453190-449: A release month of September 2013. Following the release of the first single "All About You", Raekwon intimated that the album would be released in January 2014; it finally saw release on April 28, 2015. In November 2016, Raekwon announced that a new album was complete. On March 24, 2017, Raekwon released a studio album, The Wild , his first not to feature collaborations with fellow members of
3335-431: A revelation that also brought on the manager's subsequent firing. Cappadonna continued collaborating and touring with the group in the following years. In early 2004, U-God allegedly left the group. A DVD titled Rise of a Fallen Soldier was released detailing his problems, which were mostly with his treatment by RZA, who he claimed had hindered his success as a solo artist. U-God formed a group of young protegés called
3480-453: A short trio album designed to showcase unity within the group. Following this release, Raekwon resurrected talk of Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang , a project announced in 2007, originally planned as a Wu-Tang album, minus RZA, due to his response to the previous group album 8 Diagrams . Raekwon forwarded his projects continuously through his growing label Icewater. He both worked on his own project while signing other underground artists. Although not
3625-454: A solid partner that understands our audience and is committed to doing all they can to help us reach the fans. I'm definitely looking forward to working with them to see what else we all come up with. There's much more to come". In 2009, U-God released his third solo album, Dopium , which features guest appearances from several Wu-Tang Clan members, and affiliates, among others, and was met with mostly lukewarm reviews. Wu-Tang Chamber Music
3770-688: A street album entitled The Resident Patient , a prelude to his upcoming album, titled The Rebellion , which is said to be his final solo album. Also released in 2006 were Masta Killa 's second studio album, Made in Brooklyn , to lukewarm reviews, and Method Man 's 4:21... the Day After . Ghostface Killah released his seventh full-length album, The Big Doe Rehab , in December 2007. In 2007, Wu-Tang Clan released their fifth album, 8 Diagrams , on Steve Rifkind's new label SRC Records . This album marked
3915-488: A wide array of Wu-Tang members, as well as Wu-Tang affiliates Cappadonna , and Blue Raspberry . It also features a guest appearance from rapper Nas , making this the first collaboration with a non-affiliated artist on a Wu-Tang related album. Regarding this event, Nas later recalled "Rae would come out to Queensbridge , I would go to Staten Island . We'd just ride and hang out all night. We didn't call each other to work. We called each other to hang out. Somehow we wound up in
4060-528: Is a Gambino track. Wu-Gambinos. I would call Masta Killa "Noodles," call GZA "Maximillian." Inside the movie ( Once Upon a Time in America ), Noodles and Max was partners. I felt like GZA was like Maximillian because he was like the brains of the crew. He would say something real intellectual and smart. I called Deck "Rollie Fingers" cause of the way he roll blunts . So names just started fitting niggas." A lushly impenetrable jungle of sonic allusions transforms
4205-411: Is a full-blown album where the big picture is just as moving as the compositional stylistic elements." In Vibe magazine, Dream Hampton was impressed by Raekwon and Ghostface Killah's use of cultural appropriation (as a type of "sweet vindication") in their lyrics and said they "bring the best in each other." Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... has since been ranked by critics and publications as one of
4350-403: Is a separate album, while the rapper stated that he himself had petitioned to have Wu-Massacre ' s release date postponed in order to yield more studio time. On February 25, 2011, Wu Tang Live At The Palladium NYC was released through the group's official Facebook page as a collectors digital download. This included exclusive, unreleased freestyles. It was limited to 100 downloads before
4495-617: Is also commonly referred to as " The Purple Tape " because the original cassette's plastic was entirely purple; Raekwon marked the tape distinctively as a reference to drug dealers' method of tagging their product, to distinguish it from that of others. "I wanted to portray an image that if I was selling crack or dimes in the street, you would recognize these dimes from other niggas' dimes." Recording sessions began in late 1994, and proceeded midway through 1995 in RZA's basement studio in Staten Island,
Raekwon - Misplaced Pages Continue
4640-533: Is also credited with reviving the mafioso rap subgenre. GZA's debut album, Liquid Swords , was released in November 1995. Liquid Swords features guest appearances from every Wu-Tang Clan member, and is linked together by excerpts from the 1980 movie Shogun Assassin . Ghostface Killah released his first solo album, Ironman , in October 1996. Ironman was critically acclaimed and is widely considered to be one of
4785-415: Is an American hip hop musical collective formed in Staten Island , New York City , in 1992. Its members include RZA , GZA , Method Man , Raekwon , Ghostface Killah , Inspectah Deck , U-God , Masta Killa , and, until his death in 2004, Ol' Dirty Bastard . Close affiliate Cappadonna later became an official member. They are credited for revitalizing East Coast hip hop and are considered one of
4930-522: Is often commemorated for its introduction to a distinctive slang individual to Raekwon and Ghostface; heavy use of the Supreme Alphabet and Supreme Mathematics , as often used by the Wu-Tang Clan, blended with terms picked up on the inner-city streets of New York, as well as several songs based around detailed, loosely-connected stories. In an article for XXL , RZA later illustrated "The theme of
5075-470: Is ranked among leading rappers. Meanwhile, he founded the record label ICE H20 Records. Raekwon was born Corey Woods in Brownsville, Brooklyn , where he was raised by his mother during his early childhood. His father was an addict. Raekwon only met his father once when he was six years old. On that occasion, his father brought him to meet his paternal grandmother (also for the first time) and then snuck out of
5220-529: Is regarded as being RZA's most experimental work to date. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah were unhappy with the album, and proposed recording a group album titled Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tan without RZA production. That album would eventually become Raekwon's fifth solo album Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang . In 2008, RZA released Digi Snacks , under the name Bobby Digital. The album included lesser-known Wu-Tang Clan affiliates such as Freemurder, Killa Sin, Black Knights, and others. In
5365-514: Is regarded by many critics as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, as well as a staple of 1990s rap. Whereas his next two albums, Immobilarity in 1999 and then The Lex Diamond Story in 2003, drew mixed reviews, his fourth album, long delayed, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II , released in September 2009, was likened to The Godfather 2 . Recognized for his "street epics" that are "straightforward yet linguistically rich," Raekwon
5510-622: The Purple Tape ) is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon , released on August 1, 1995, by Loud Records and RCA Records . The album was loosely composed to play like a film with Raekwon as the "star", fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah as the "guest-star", and producer RZA as the "director". It features appearances from every member of the Wu-Tang Clan. The album also features debut appearances from affiliates Cappadonna and Blue Raspberry , and an acclaimed guest appearance from rapper Nas , which marked
5655-399: The 1995 Grammy Awards . Ol' Dirty Bastard 's debut album, Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version , was released in March 1995, and is considered a hip hop classic. Raekwon's debut studio album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... , was released in August 1995. It featured all but one member of the Wu-Tang Clan, and featured the debut of Cappadonna , who later joined the group. The album
5800-510: The Billboard rap chart. Wu-Tang Forever , a double album, followed in 1997, and was certified 4x multi-platinum . Amid other solo albums by its members, the group released The W in 2000, Iron Flag in 2001, and 8 Diagrams in 2007. In 1994, Raekwon signed a solo deal with Loud Records and released his debut solo single " Heaven & Hell " for the soundtrack to the film Fresh . His first solo album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... ,
5945-528: The Chamber Music title is very fitting. This music is totally in the chamber, or in the mind-frame of Wu-Tang like in the [ Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) ] days. But it's not a Wu-Tang album. The whole Clan's not on this album. But it couldn't be in any other category but Wu-Tang". Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II was released in September 2009, which features guest appearances from several big-name artists, and Clan members, with Ghostface being
Raekwon - Misplaced Pages Continue
6090-503: The Cristal brand of champagne) which Nas , Mobb Deep , Notorious B.I.G. , Jay-Z , and other popular artists all borrowed and/or expanded upon these themes at points in their respective careers. The Wu-Tang Clan's slang has long been a staple of their music, wherein members would blend Five Percenter terms, Kung Fu /oriental words, and comic book and street terms to create their own nicknames for actions, people, places and things (such as
6235-635: The Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart. One year later, it re-entered the Hot Rap Singles chart, peaking at number 21. With "Glaciers of Ice" as its B-Side , the album's second single " Criminology " was released June 26, 1995, almost one year after "Heaven and Hell." It had notable chart success, as it peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 , and number 5 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. Producer RZA later illustrated "That
6380-682: The Rock the Bells festival in California. The concert was released on CD under the name Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1 . On October 26, 2004, the group released a greatest hits album, Legend of the Wu-Tang: Wu-Tang Clan's Greatest Hits . Ol' Dirty Bastard's career was tumultuous. His run-ins with the law were well publicized—he was arrested several times for offenses including assault, shoplifting , wearing body armor after being convicted of
6525-456: The de facto leader and the group's producer. RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard adopted the name for the group after the film Shaolin and Wu Tang . The group developed backronyms for the name (as hip hop pioneers such as KRS-One and Big Daddy Kane did with their names), including "We Usually Take All Niggas' Garments", "Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game", and "Wisdom of the Universe, and
6670-408: The east coast . While this style was originated by Kool G Rap in the late 1980s, it didn't completely permeate the hip hop world until the release of OB4CL in 1995. References to Cuban Linx could be heard heavily in following years with several notable changes in hip hop culture. For instance, the album refers to "Wu-Gambinos" in various occurrences; the term being a name for the 'alter-egos' of
6815-482: The "best Wu-Tang solo album", along with GZA's Liquid Swords , and wrote that like that album, " Only Built 4 Cuban Linx takes a few listens to reveal the full scope of its lyrical complexities, but it's immensely rewarding in the end." Spin magazine labeled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx as the 83rd-best album of the 1990s, describing it as an "epic, cinema-scale crime drama" that was "far ahead of hip-hop's conceptual curve". In 2012, Rolling Stone magazine ranked
6960-519: The 2006 game Saints Row . Afro Samurai , based on the TV series, was released in January 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 . Its soundtrack, like the show, was produced by RZA. Oliver "Power" Grant was one of the first to move from music to clothes. The Clan's executive producer, Grant began making clothes in the early 1990s, with little success. But in 1995, after the platinum success of Enter
7105-508: The 2020 reboot of the list. Raekwon released Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... as his first solo album, and the third seen from the Wu after the release of their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , with Method Man 's Tical and Ol' Dirty Bastard 's Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version released prior. The song " Can It Be All So Simple ", from 36 Chambers , marked the first recorded exhibition of Raekwon and Ghostface Killah as
7250-534: The Clan except Raekwon and GZA had put in work on the A Better Tomorrow album and that recording was being done at the Wu-Mansion, and the Wu-Mansion West. Unreleased verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard will also be featured on the album. He also stated he was hoping to release the album in November 2013. In July 2013 Cappadonna indicated the album was half way finished. Once November 2013 arrived, RZA gave an update on
7395-550: The Def Jam series Def Jam Vendetta , Def Jam Fight For NY , and Def Jam: Icon . Method Man is an avid fan of video games himself and has publicly stated that he loves playing SOCOM online with other PlayStation 2 users, and is part of an online clan ("KMA/Kiss My Ass"). His SOCOM II name is "ICU". He has a fellow SOCOM player featured on a skit on his album 4:21... The Day After . In Army of Two , main character Salem talks about Wu-Tang asking his teammate Rios who
SECTION 50
#17328987594457540-456: The EP. Lost Jewlry was released on January 15, 2013. It featured guest appearances from Maino and Freddie Gibbs , as well as production from Scram Jones , among others. On January 1, 2013, Raekwon announced that the title of his next album would be F.I.L.A. , an acronym for Fly International Luxurious Art , and that it would be released during the second quarter of 2013. He would later specify
7685-496: The Hillside Scramblers with whom he released the album U-Godzilla Presents the Hillside Scramblers in March 2004. The dispute culminated in a heated phone conversation between RZA and U-God on live radio, which ultimately saw the two reconcile. He has since returned to the group. In 2004, the group embarked on a short European tour before coming together as a complete group for the first time in several years to headline
7830-588: The Mafioso moniker "Nas Escobar" bestowed upon him by his guest appearance on Cuban Linx . 1996 also saw the releases of Ghostface Killah's debut album Ironman , which loosely covers some of the topics on Cuban Linx , and also Mobb Deep 's second major-label album, Hell on Earth , which showcased the duo's interpretation of the Cuban Linx demeanor, and featured contributions from Raekwon, Method Man, and Nas. In 1997, The Notorious B.I.G. revamped his image into that of
7975-591: The Truth of Allah for the Nation of the Gods ". Wu-Tang Clan became known in 1993 following the release of the independent single " Protect Ya Neck ", which helped gain the group a sizable underground following. Though there was some difficulty in finding a record label that would sign the Wu-Tang Clan while still allowing each member to record solo albums with other labels, Loud / RCA finally agreed, releasing their debut album, Enter
8120-541: The United States alone as of 2009. Although it failed to acquire the same initial sales success as previous Wu-Tang solo albums, Cuban Linx achieved greater critical praise, with many complimenting its cinematic lyricism and production. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... has received acclaim from music critics and writers over the years, with many lauding it as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. With its emphasis on American Mafia insinuations and organized crime ,
8265-489: The Wu cipher: he sprays out lyrics like gunfire, forming vivid tales. What truly sets Cuban Linx apart is the sheer abundance of well-written, complex lyrics." Poluhoff also praised RZA's production, viewing it as his best yet: "The tracks are suited to the distinct flow of the Chef, who weaves in and out between beats." Cheo H. Coker from Spin magazine found Raekwon to be as vivid a lyricist as Kool G Rap , "so vivid you smell
8410-611: The Wu mansion in New Jersey. RZA has also said he had talked to Adrian Younge about working on a song for the album. On April 11, 2013, it was announced via a press release that their upcoming sixth studio album would be titled, A Better Tomorrow and was set to be released in July 2013. During late April 2013, the Clan performed at the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival . On May 17, an unreleased Wu-Tang song titled "Execution in Autumn"
8555-451: The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , in November 1993. The album loosely adopted a Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang theme, dividing the album into Shaolin and Wu-Tang sections. The album received critical acclaim, and to date is regarded as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. The success of their debut album established the group as a creative and influential force in the 1990s, allowing individual members to negotiate solo contracts. RZA spoke on
8700-457: The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , manufacturers who earlier wouldn't extend Power credit saw the potential. He opened four Wu Wear stores, in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Norfolk, Virginia. The line was carried in Macy's, Rich's, and d.e.m.o, among others. Power says he earned $ 10 million in 1998. Method Man was unhappy with the decision to bring Wu-Tang into the fashion world with Wu Wear, despite
8845-456: The Wu-Tang Clan's unorthodox business model: We reinvented the way hip hop was structured, and what I mean is, you have a group signed to a label, yet the infrastructure of our deal was like anyone else's [...] We still could negotiate with any label we wanted, like Meth went with Def Jam , Rae stayed with Loud , Ghost went with Sony , GZA went with Geffen Records , feel me? [...] And all these labels still put " Razor Sharp Records " on
SECTION 60
#17328987594458990-446: The Wu-Tang Clan, an originally nine-member rap group drawing mainly from the Staten Island but also from the Brooklyn boroughs of New York City. He rapped as Raekwon The Chef , and also used the aliases Lex Diamonds, Shallah Raekwon, and Louis Rich. As recording artists, the Wu-Tang Clan debuted with the November 1993 album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , which was later certified platinum . Its single " C.R.E.A.M. " reached #8 on
9135-442: The Wu-Tang Clan. Critical reception was positive, with Pitchfork saying the album was stronger than Fly , which it alleged had a "bloated roster". Consequence of Sound agreed, saying The Wild was largely understood as a return to form by Raekwon, with fewer guest appearances by other artists than usual and more focus on Raekwon's long-established style, albeit with the "maximalist modern production" he had employed on Fly . Raekwon
9280-448: The album Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang re-surfaced in July 2009; originally planned as a Wu-Tang album without RZA's input. The project evolved to include RZA only vocally, with no contribution to production. Raekwon stated "[It'll] be alter egos challenging each other, really allowing RZA to fall back on the production and allowing us to give him a flashback memory to the things we know we need from the abbot [RZA]. We want him to be involved [with
9425-444: The album as an MC], but the concept was for him not to be involved production-wise". Speaking to MTV.com, Method Man revealed his, Ghostface Killah's and Raekwon's plans to record a separate album as a trio: "I don't want to say it's written in stone, but it's in discussion. I want some feedback from the fans to see how they would take that. RZA produced tracks, some other outside producers, of course, and we gonna have Wu-Tang members on
9570-512: The album is two guys that had enough of the negative life and was ready to move on, but had one more sting to pull off. They're tired of doing what they doing, but they're trying to make this last quarter million. That's a lot of money in the streets. We gonna retire and see our grandbabies and get our lives together." In keeping with this loose storyline, the album opens with the introduction track "Striving for Perfection", in which Raekwon and "co-star" Ghostface converse about visions and goals. On
9715-551: The album is widely regarded as a pioneer of the mafioso rap subgenre. It is considered to have been highly influential on hip hop music over the next decade, being heavily referenced and influential on acclaimed albums such as Jay-Z 's Reasonable Doubt (1996) and The Notorious B.I.G. 's Life After Death (1997). Along with GZA 's Liquid Swords , Cuban Linx is the most acclaimed solo Wu-Tang work. Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 480 on their The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2012, and at number 219 in
9860-424: The album number 480 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time , saying that "the best Wu-Tang solo joint is a study in understated cool and densely woven verses" and that "Raekwon crafts breathtaking drug-rap narratives; it's a rap album that rivals the mob movies hip-hop celebrates. In the 2020 reboot of the list, the album's rank shot up to number 219. OB4CL popularized street-related, Mafioso rap on
10005-402: The album was approximately six weeks from completion. In January 2014, the group posted a message on their Facebook page, saying: "The new Wu album 'A Better Tomorrow' coming soon." After several disputes between Raekwon and RZA about the direction of the group and album, they reconciled, with the latter agreeing to record verses for A Better Tomorrow . On October 3, 2014, it was announced that
10150-405: The album will arrive December 2, 2014, courtesy of a new deal with Warner Bros. Records . The album was released late 2014. In March 2014 it was reported that in addition to work on A Better Tomorrow , a Wu-Tang Clan compilation album entitled The Wu – Once Upon A Time In Shaolin had been recorded, with Wu-Tang-affiliated producer Cilvaringz as the primary producer instead of RZA. The album,
10295-504: The album's most radio-friendly track, " Ice Cream " was released September 25, 1995, with "Incarcerated Scarfaces" as its B-side. This proved to be the most successful single off the album, as it reached the 37th spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and the fifth spot on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The song uses different flavor variants of ice cream as a metaphor for different races of women. Raekwon later commented "we wanted to reach out and let
10440-427: The album's overall structure and premise. Though Cuban Linx would prove to be highly influential, Raekwon later revealed that he had no intentions for this impact, stating "Really, I was just trying to make something worth purchasing and worth respecting." After two solo projects that were both critically and commercially unsuccessful, Raekwon announced a sequel to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in late 2005. The sequel
10585-539: The album's tracks. He also later revealed that several of the album's beats, such as "Incarcerated Scarfaces", were originally intended for Wu-Tang member GZA's Liquid Swords album, but because of Raekwon's timely writing approach, were used last minute for Cuban Linx . In regard to this, Raekwon clarified "RZA's house was more or less like a candy store. You come in and have all kinds of shit to choose from. I would take stuff that I felt would suit my album correctly; others would take their own beats too. The beats were like
10730-477: The album, and marked the beginning of the Gambino aliases used for the members who appeared on the album, and would eventually become highly influential on hip hop. Raekwon later explained "The Wu-Gambinos aliases come from how I used to like that movie Once Upon a Time in America , with Robert De Niro and James Woods. I liked how these young little niggas grew up, from the ground up, not having nothing to start. And
10875-425: The album, but it'll be a Rae, Ghost and Meth album". Soon after, Ghostface Killah cemented the details: the record, featuring other Wu-Tang Clan members, was to consist primarily of him, Method Man, and Raekwon. The title, as announced in three separate trailers (directed by Rik Cordero ) promoting the upcoming release, is Wu-Massacre . Speaking on their willingness to complete the album, Ghostface Killah estimated
11020-431: The album, saying that not every member had been significantly working on the album. He gave credit to Method Man, Cappadonna, U-God and Masta Killa for working hard on the album, while saying he needed more effort from Ghostface, Raekwon and GZA. Shortly after Method Man stated that Raekwon had not worked on the album at all, and Ghostface had only recorded two songs for the album so far. In late November, RZA suggested that
11165-413: The album. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... features dialogue-driven interludes in the beginning of several tracks with Raekwon and Ghostface Killah conversing about money, life, crime, and hip hop, among other things. The introduction to "Glaciers of Ice", for instance, involves Ghostface addressing his plans and methods of dyeing Wallabee-styled Clarks . In a 2005 interview, Ghostface Killah explained "We
11310-555: The apartment. Raekwon moved with his mother to Staten Island after his mother was robbed. They were living in Park Hill by the time Raekwon was adolescent. Raekwon attributes the name Raekwon to the Five-Percent Nation , an offshoot of the Nation of Islam , when he was a "young kid." He converted to Islam in 2009. Growing up, he witnessed his mother being hit and abused by different men, an experience which he said "affected [him]
11455-514: The best member is. Salem says it's RZA but he says Ghostface Killah is pretty good himself. In the ending cut scene, a reference is made when Salem says "Survey says?" and Rios replies "You're dead". The exchange referenced the lyric, "And the survey says? / You're dead!" from "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' Ta F' Wit", from the album Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) . Several tracks by Clan members and affiliates such as Method Man, Ghostface, Cappadonna, Trife, DJ Mathematics and others were featured in
11600-523: The best of Wu-Tang solo albums. Wu-Tang Clan re-assembled and released their second studio album, Wu-Tang Forever , in June 1997; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 . The album's lead single, " Triumph ", is over five minutes long, features nine verses (one from each member plus Cappadonna and excluding Ol' Dirty Bastard who appeared on the intro and bridge), and no hook or a repeated phrase. The album
11745-445: The board when I leave. Everything was just how I wanted it." Regarding the recording atmosphere, Raekwon stated "The way RZA had it poppin' back then, we would come into his spot. It was like dudes would come in on their own time and create stuff. I remember I just came in, and the beats was just pumpin'." Seeking to musically express Raekwon's blend of Five Percenter creed and inner-city experience, producer RZA worked intensively on
11890-418: The brand being a major money-maker for the group. "When Wu-Wear started making shoes and sneakers and pants, it was shoddy material. I never rocked that shit." "I'm going to bring out Dirty Wear," declared ODB. "A set of ready-worn clothes: 'Dirty Wear, for the girl who likes to wear her panties three days in a row.'" Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (commonly referred to as
12035-655: The careers of a number of affiliated artists and groups , collectively known as the Wu-Tang Killa Bees. In the late 1980s, cousins Robert Diggs, Gary Grice, and Russell Jones formed a group named Force of the Imperial Master, also known as the All in Together Now Crew. Each member recorded under an alias: Diggs as Prince Rakeem or The Scientist, Grice as The Genius, and Jones as The Specialist. The group never signed to
12180-581: The catalog he laid down 15 years ago. On top of that, Rae (along with Ghostface) was a go-to for numerous rappers making albums, ranging from the Playaz Circle to Jadakiss to BK One. That's beyond real, as was a year filled with performing in arenas, clubs and even churches. When it came to mastering the ceremony, Rae had 'em all following the leader. After the critical and relative commercial success of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II , Raekwon collaborated with Method Man and Ghostface Killah for Wu-Massacre ,
12325-702: The christening of Staten Island as "Shaolin Land" and money as "C.R.E.A.M."). RZA noted in The Wu-Tang Manual , that Raekwon was the resident "slang-master" of a great deal of the slang used by the group. All nine original members of the group were featured in the game Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style , released for the PlayStation on October 31, 1999, as well as a special collector's edition controller. Ghostface Killah and Yung Dirty Doucette, as well as collaborators, Redman and Keith Murray , also play themselves in all three games in
12470-411: The credits [...] Wu Tang was a financial movement. So what do you wanna diversify...? [...] Your assets? In 1994, RZA founded the group Gravediggaz with Prince Paul , Frukwan (both of Stetsasonic ) and Poetic . In August of the same year, the group released 6 Feet Deep , which became one of the best known works to emerge from the horrorcore subgenre. RZA held the role of primary producer for
12615-401: The duo's congruency: Rae and Ghost together, those two right there were notorious kids from two different projects . Cuban Linx was an opportunity for Rae and Ghost to give us the street side. When we did it, I said, "yo, it's gonna be a very dangerous album; it's gonna change the game. We gonna invite those demons, every negative stereotype, and deal with them." It's like the shit was lived;
12760-813: The executive producer Busta Rhymes with restoring his " Cuban Linx mindset," while most tracks were produced by RZA , who likened collaboration with Dr. Dre to "yin and yang" styles. Amid many delays, as for sample clearance, the Only Built For Cuban Linx... Pt. II track "Surgical Gloves" had been leaked already when the album was released by Raekwon's label, Ice H20, under major label EMI 's distribution on September 8, 2009. The album features Wu-Tang members and affiliates as well as Slick Rick , Jadakiss , Busta Rhymes , Beanie Sigel , and others. Also in September 2009, MTV ranked Raekwon tenth among "hottest" rappers. In December, HipHopDx 's 2009 awards named Only Built For Cuban Linx... Pt. II album of
12905-635: The first collaboration with a non-affiliated artist on a Wu-Tang related album. Upon its release, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart, and number two on the Top R&;B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while selling 130,000 copies in its opening week. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 2, 1995, and later platinum on February 24, 2020. According to Nielsen Soundscan , it has sold 1.1 million copies in
13050-402: The first wave of the group members' solo albums, producing out of his basement studio in Staten Island. In November 1994, Method Man's debut album, Tical , was released. RZA's hands-on approach to Tical extended beyond his merely creating the beats to devising song concepts and structures. The track " All I Need " from Tical was the winner of the "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" at
13195-597: The five members who had already released albums, as well as debuts from all the remaining members, with the exception of Masta Killa. In the space of two years, RZA's Bobby Digital In Stereo , Method Man's Tical 2000: Judgement Day and Blackout! (with Redman ), GZA's Beneath the Surface , Ol' Dirty Bastard's Nigga Please , U-God's Golden Arms Redemption , Raekwon's Immobilarity , Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele and Inspectah Deck's Uncontrolled Substance were all released (seven of them being released in
13340-418: The gambino influence stating "We done took that to the highest peak. We bonded as a tight family, so niggas is starting to try and do that right now. Everybody thinking they have a strong family. We opened up the door for a lot of niggas. The shit was just crazy on how it came together." Another exemplification of Cuban Linx' s influence is in the spike in popularity of Cristal , an expensive champagne, which
13485-402: The greatest hip hop albums of all time. The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) called it essential listening for anyone interested in the Wu-Tang Clan, while Steve Huey from AllMusic said Raekwon is "arguably the Wu's best storyteller", crediting him for "translating epic themes and narratives of a mafia movie into a startlingly accomplished hip-hop album". Huey argued the record was possibly
13630-438: The greatest hip hop groups of all time. After signing to Steve Rifkind's label Loud Records in 1992, Wu-Tang Clan released their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993; initially receiving positive reviews, it has since garnered widespread critical acclaim and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Members of the group released solo albums between 1994 and 1996. In 1997,
13775-487: The group as a whole, U-God, Wu-Syndicate, Killarmy, Shyheim, West Coast Killa Beez , Black Knights and others, and would be available online beginning September 23. RZA said: "The time is right to bring some older Wu material to the masses digitally. Our fans have been dedicated and patient and they're hungry to hear the music that has set us apart from so many others. Hip-hop is alive in Wu Music, and with The Orchard, we've got
13920-415: The group members themselves. The Swarm sold well and was certified gold . There was also a long line of releases from secondary affiliates such as Popa Wu , Shyheim , GP Wu , and Wu-Syndicate . Second albums from Gravediggaz and Killarmy, as well as a greatest hits album and a b-sides compilation, were also released. The second round of solo albums from Wu-Tang Clan members included second albums from
14065-618: The group released their second album, Wu-Tang Forever . It debuted atop the Billboard 200 and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards . The group later released the albums The W (2000), Iron Flag (2001), 8 Diagrams (2007), and A Better Tomorrow (2014), to less popularity. The only copy of their seventh album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin (2015), was purchased for $ 2 million by former hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli . Wu-Tang Clan has introduced and launched
14210-462: The group's 20th anniversary, though Raekwon doubted it. On January 9, 2013, work on the sixth Wu-Tang Clan album was announced via the group's official Facebook page. In early March 2013 Method Man announced that the Clan was working on a sixth studio album and it would be released during 2013 in celebration of their 20-year anniversary since 36 Chambers . Cappadonna has said the album is in recording process taking place in New York, Los Angeles and
14355-435: The gunpowder and wipe the blood on your shirt", while crediting RZA for "taking the art form of production to new heights". Los Angeles Times said the songs with other Wu-Tang Clan members are as good as anything on Enter the 36 Chambers and wrote of the music: "RZA's production sensibilities, sometimes minimal, other times symphonic, pull the listener in despite the chaos. In a genre characterized by singles , Cuban Linx
14500-429: The hood. We wanted to buy the most expensive cars and jewelry and different things like that." The album, he perceived, "was only built for a certain lifestyle or people that understood that language. But eventually, it would break off to people looking at it as a movie and respecting it saying, 'Yo, wow! This is authentic. This is something that never been done before' " Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... debuted at No. 4 on
14645-465: The hustlin' thing, we did the crime thing; we did all the things that made us feel like mobsters or Mafiosos in some way." In a different article, Ghostface Killah recollected "Back then I was punchin' a lot of rap niggas in their face, and niggas was getting beat up in the clubs. We were banned from everything. They wouldn't even let me in the Tunnel . Niggas was scared to death when I was out there wilding. I
14790-475: The inclusion of Cappadonna as an official member of the group. In an interview with MTV.com , Ghostface Killah stated that he was upset with RZA for starting the 8 Diagrams project while he was in the middle of writing and recording The Big Doe Rehab , as well as giving 8 Diagrams the same release date as The Big Doe Rehab , for which RZA rescheduled a release date one week later. The outcome of 8 Diagrams received mixed views from both fans and critics, and
14935-545: The loss by interrupting Shawn Colvin 's acceptance speech for Song of the Year . Killah Priest , a close associate of the group, released Heavy Mental in March 1998. That same month, Cappadonna released his debut album The Pillage . Affiliated groups Sunz of Man and Killarmy also released well-received albums, followed by Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm —a compilation album released in 1998, showcasing these and more Wu-affiliated artists, and including new solo tracks from
15080-554: The most prominent, and also production from RZA, Dr. Dre , Pete Rock , and J Dilla , among others. The album was initially intended to be released on Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records . The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and at number 2 on the Top R&;B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and has been praised by most music critics. Several weeks later, Ghostface Killah released Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City . Talk of
15225-417: The names came. You know, "Tony Starks" came from Iron Man . "Lou Diamond" came from Louis Roederer who made Cristal , and from me being infatuated with the diamond world. Back then I was wearing a lot of ice , was calling shit ice. But then I started giving some of my niggas in the crew names. Being that it's my album, I wanted niggas to know, you gotta have a certain a.k.a. when you're on this track. This
15370-501: The next best thing, Steve?" And Steve's like 'Give 'em the next best thing.' They came out with Cristal. Me and Ghost liked the bottle, and the name on the bottle was Louie Roederer. I was like, I'm Lou Diamond, Louie Roederer. Me and Ghost is loving how the bottle looked. It cost more than the muthafuckin' other, so we was like, Cristal, nigga! That's our new shit!" Ironically enough, despite Raekwon and Ghost's warning on "Shark Niggas (Biters)" to "be original", OB4CL's influence spawned
15515-462: The nightmare of the crack era into a dream of cream skimmed and warmed for the bathtub—a dream with its own internal logic , moral weight, and commitment to beauty. It's an illusion, as any project denizen caught in the crossfire knows. But materially and metaphorically, Wu-Tang's power to create this illusion provides a way out of the hell underneath—especially, but not exclusively, for them. — Robert Christgau Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
15660-586: The only person I know that have the intelligence to keep them in sync with knowledge.' It's very poisonous unless they got proper guidance. He was the smartest man I'd ever met at a certain time in my life." Raekwon further commented "'North Star' was a track I really, really wanted on my album. It was a track that I felt a vibe of it was motion picture-like." Though several songs, such as "Glaciers of Ice" and "Incarcerated Scarfaces", received radio play and music video treatment, only four official singles were released for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... . The first of which
15805-424: The original intended title was " Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Niggaz ", this idea was eventually dismissed in favor of a more market-friendly one. Ghostface Killah later specified "We already had the title. The chain we used to rock back in the days was Cuban links. So Rae came up with the theory, like a Cuban link is one of the roughest chains to break. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Real niggas, strong niggas." The album
15950-460: The page was disabled after this figure was reached. On June 29, 2011, Raekwon announced that the group were working on a new studio album, still in early stages. Ghostface Killah later said that the album would be released in May 2012. Members went back and forth on the issue. While GZA hinted that a new album was unlikely, the RZA said a new Wu-Tang Clan album might happen after all, on the occasion of
16095-578: The popular albums chart the Billboard 200 , and at No. 2 on Billboard 's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It shipped about 130,000 copies in its first week, and was certified gold , at least 500,000 copies shipped, two months later, October 1995. After Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... , Raekwon featured on R&B group Allure 's debut or 1997 album . He also featured alongside rappers Nas , Jadakiss , and Big Pun in rapper Fat Joe 's song "John Blaze." Raekwon's next album, Immobilarity , lacking RZA 's record production and Ghostface Killah features,
16240-451: The proceeding track "Knuckleheadz", Raekwon and Ghostface divide money in the song's intro, and then engage in a heist , with U-God 's character being killed off at the end of his verse. The reason for this elimination is because U-God was sentenced to serve several months in prison, which prevented subsequent participation on Cuban Linx . U-God, however, recruited his lyric mentor and childhood friend Cappadonna to take his place later in
16385-479: The project. The album was sold through Paddle8, an online auction house, for $ 2 million to Martin Shkreli . When the FBI arrested Martin Shkreli on December 17, 2015, they did not seize the Wu-Tang Clan album. Following the victory of Republican candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election , Shkreli broadcast excerpts from the album on streaming platforms Periscope and Hitbox.tv . In July 2021, it
16530-580: The rap market with what was dubbed "chipmunk soul", the pitch bending of a vocal sample to where it sounded as though the singer had inhaled helium. Several producers at the time copied the style, creating other offshoots. West has admitted that his style was distinctly influenced by RZA's production, and RZA has acknowledged his influence in an issue of Scratch magazine , saying he wished he had produced "Jesus Walks" and "Breathe", two 2004 hits produced by Kanye West and Just Blaze, respectively. Kanye West commented: Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all
16675-443: The rappers involved in Cuban Linx , and used on various later projects. These alter-egos inspired an already dissociative hip-hop world to adopt new names and personae, from Nas' Escobar moniker to Notorious B.I.G. 's Frank White counterpart, which he would go on to further utilize upon the release of OB4CL . A known fan of the Wu, Tupac Shakur began to refer to himself as Makaveli and gave his Outlawz crew new names, albeit with
16820-523: The release date of the album to be the end of 2009 or January 2010. It was then announced that the album would be pushed back from December to March 30, 2010; the single, "Meth vs. Chef Part II", was released after the announcement. Produced by Mathematics , it is an update of the song "Meth vs. Chef" from Method Man's first solo album, Tical , featuring verses by only Method Man and Raekwon. It had been confirmed by Raekwon that Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang would in fact be his next solo album and that Wu-Massacre
16965-515: The same studio that many of the group's earlier albums were recorded in. In regard to Raekwon and Ghostface Killah's original recording intentions, RZA recounted "They had wanted to go to Barbados . But when they got to Barbados, the racism was so crazy. It was on some slave mentality. The Blacks was being treated like shit. They stopped back, and everything was recorded in my basement. No engineer , no assistant engineer. I did everything on that shit. The only two albums I did with nobody fucking with me
17110-407: The same year, GZA released the album Pro Tools . In September 2008, RZA announced that he had signed a deal with digital music company The Orchard to release the Wu-Tang Clan's back catalogue worldwide digitally, for the first time. In addition to forthcoming material, the Wu-Tang Clan's catalogue includes 13 previous releases that have been previously unavailable digitally, including recordings by
17255-415: The single " Gravel Pit ". The album reached platinum status. In 2001, Wu-Tang Clan released their fourth album, Iron Flag . While originally featured on the cover of Iron Flag , Cappadonna was airbrushed out of the artwork and absent from the album entirely. This may be related to tension that arose within the group when it was revealed that Cappadonna's manager was, or had been, a police informant,
17400-470: The space of seven months between June 1999 and January 2000). RZA also composed the score for the film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai , directed by Jim Jarmusch , while he and other Wu-Tang members contributed music to a companion "music inspired by the film" album. The frequent release of Wu-Tang Clan content between 1997 and 2000 was considered by some critics to have resulted in an oversaturation that
17545-423: The start of the song, when she said 'I sing for him and he isn't here.' He ain't here, cause he makin' money! He trying to put some food on the table." Producer RZA has stated that "Rainy Dayz" is one of his all-time favorite songs on the album. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… was well received by contemporary critics. The Source magazine's Nicholas Poluhoff said "Raekwon has always brought his own special flavor to
17690-405: The studio. RZA had a couple of beats. He played them for me. I got on both of them. The other one never came out. I was honored to be asked to be on the album. Raekwon was ahead of his time. I knew Rae was a classic artist and the album was going to be a music classic." The album's title serves as "a warning of its musical potency to those not prepared for the uncut raw contained within." Although
17835-504: The time... We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that. Raekwon 's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... helped (with the likes of Kool G Rap ) popularize mafioso rap , which remained widespread for more than half a decade. The landmark album touted a lifestyle patterned on drug dealing, regrets of living in harsh conditions, and partying (including popularizing
17980-411: The track, and RZA took it seriously and was like "Yo, go ahead. Lace that." " Rainy Dayz " was the fourth and final single for the album, released as a Promotional recording on vinyl in early 1996. In regard to the song's lyrics, Raekwon summarized "this is for the struggling girl who can't understand her man and he a thorough nigga. We wanted to put a girl from the movie The Killer in the skit, at
18125-411: The women know that we respected them as queens. And queens, much like ice cream, come in all different flavors." The song marks the second appearance of Cappadonna on the album, and serves as his break-through performance, as it would give him commercial exposure. In regard to his guest spot, Cappadonna later recalled "I had heard Rae's and Ghost's verses on there. And I had made a joke about me getting on
18270-525: The year, calling it "the Hip Hop equivalent to The Godfather 2 , with Rae as revitalized as Marlon was". Raekwon won Emcee of the Year—the prior year, Nas won—while HipHopDX staff explained, Raekwon brought it back to lyrical, dope rap. He released an album that spoke to teens, twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings, and beyond. Without compromising, the Chef made an edgy Hip Hop record that refused to bastardize
18415-401: Was Linx and Liquid Swords . I was on a mission. To make all those early albums took three and a half years of my life. I didn't come outside, didn't have too many girl relations, didn't even enjoy the shit. I just stayed in the basement. Hours and hours and days and days. Turkey burgers and blunts. I didn't know if it was working. But nobody could hear or say nothing, no comments, no touching
18560-487: Was " Heaven & Hell ", released October 24, 1994. Aside from being the album's first single, it was also the first song recorded for the album, serving as an installment to the soundtrack for the movie Fresh . The song features the second recorded appearance of Wu-Tang affiliate Blue Raspberry , who provides backing vocals. In 1994, "Heaven & Hell" reached number 32 on the Hot Rap Singles chart, and number 34 on
18705-456: Was an automatic stop." Raekwon and rap partner Ghostface Killah attended junior high school together on Staten Island. Raekwon attended New Dorp High School , where he befriended rappers Remedy , Method Man and Inspectah Deck . After being caught in a crossfire and accidentally shot four times, Raekwon began rapping in earnest. He later described being shot as an "important eye opener." Woods first rapped as Sha Raider. In 1992, he joined
18850-622: Was announced that the album had been again sold by the US government for an undisclosed amount (later revealed as $ 4 million USD), following Shkreli handing it over to the FBI in 2018 after being convicted of defrauding investors. The new owner of the album is the PleasrDAO group. On August 25, 2017, Wu-Tang Clan released the song, "People Say", which featured Redman. RZA announced that the song would be part of an upcoming album, titled The Saga Continues . The album
18995-407: Was described by AllMusic as "consisting of stark, booming beats and chilling samples (heavily drawing from vintage soul records as well as kung fu movies)," summarizing it as "lean, menacing." According to RZA, he tries to have no more than 20–25% sampling on any given record, something starkly different from many other major hip hop groups. He uses "the sampler more like a painter's palette than
19140-487: Was featured as a guest on the intro to the WWCD compilation by Griselda . On August 1, 2020, Elliot Wilson , of Tidal and Rap Radar , announced Raekwon will be releasing Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 3 soon. In his most recent appearance, Raekwon provided guest vocals alongside Ghostface Killah and Busta Rhymes on "Science Class", a song off Griselda leader Westside Gunn 's 2022 mixtape 10 . Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan
19285-467: Was fucking niggas up, robbing niggas, fucking a lot of bitches, just doing dumb shit." In regard to his and Ghostface's partnership, Raekwon later commented "Ghost and me, especially at the time, had this identical-twin effect on each other. We would joke about the same things and laugh at the same shit. We were into the same clothes and shit. We were like the EPMD of the crew." Producer RZA also commented on
19430-530: Was in the car one day, driving around with the DAT machine with a microphone and we just started talking shit about how we're gonna do it this summer with the Clarks. The dyeing was something I was doing already. I'm an inventor. Niggas can't fuck with me when it comes to style. Only nigga that is right there with me is probably Slick Rick . Other than that, I'm boss." The album ends with the song "North Star", which serves as
19575-402: Was issued in 1999 to mixed reviews. The Lex Diamond Story , released in 2003 under major label Universal Records , also drew mixed reviews, most critics unimpressed while user reviews widely varied. Raekwon cited a low promotional budget. Raekwon planned to release Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II through record producer Dr. Dre's label Aftermath Entertainment in 2007. Raekwon credited
19720-433: Was me trying to produce like a DJ, produce a breakbeat. Ghost actually asked me to make one of those beats. You listen to old DJ tapes. That's how I made that song, and he wanted this shit to sound like a breakbeat. He had a rhyme that he knew was going to change the game - that was the verse that got him recognized. Cypress Hill 's DJ Muggs called up and was like 'Yo, he killed that shit. He ripped that shit.'" Serving as
19865-508: Was mentioned on the album and touted by Rae and Ghost. It has now become a staple in hip hop, with name-drops that continue to this day. The brand even made its way into popular culture when director Quentin Tarantino , a known affiliate of RZA and the Wu-Tang Clan, goes on a rant about the champagne's quality in his segment of Four Rooms , a film released in the months after Raekwon's album. In regard to this trend, Raekwon later clarified "We
20010-419: Was produced by RZA and his protégés True Master and 4th Disciple . The group's lyrics differed significantly from those of 36 Chambers , with many verses written in a dense stream of consciousness form heavily influenced by the teachings of the Five-Percent Nation . Wu-Tang Forever was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards , losing to Puff Daddy ; Ol' Dirty Bastard infamously protested
20155-518: Was released for purchase through RZA's record label Soul Temple Records . They performed at the 2013 HOT 97 Summer Jam at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, twenty years after they performed at the first annual Summer Jam concert. On June 5, 2013, the first promotional single "Family Reunion" featuring Masta Killah, Method Man, Ghostface Killah and RZA was released via the Soul Temple Records website. In June 2013 RZA said so far every member of
20300-429: Was released in the same year, a side project executively produced by RZA, featuring live instrumentation from a Brooklyn soul band The Revelations. The album features appearances from five Wu-Tang Clan members, along with AZ , Kool G Rap , Cormega , Havoc , Sean Price , and M.O.P. Its first single, "Harbor Masters" featured Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, and AZ. RZA spoke about the album to Billboard.com: "I think
20445-417: Was released on August 1, 1995. Sales lagged his fellow Wu-Tang member Method Man 's Tical . Raekwon's album drew rave reviews, however, and it was promptly recognized as a classic. The album's narrative struggle is set to imagery of criminal activity, largely cocaine trafficking, and emergence from it into the good life. Wu-Tang member and house producer RZA , who produced the entire album, called it "like
20590-537: Was released on October 13 under the name "Wu-Tang", as U-God was absent from it. The Saga Continues was primarily produced by Mathematics , and debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200. The Wu-Tang Clan collective became the first HipHop act to receive a Las Vegas artist residency with "Wu-Tang Clan: The Saga Continues… The Las Vegas Residency" at The Theater at Virgin Hotels , launched February 2024. RZA's production
20735-434: Was responsible for the group's decline in popularity. The group reconvened again for their third album, The W . Despite his incarceration in California for violating the terms of his probation , Ol' Dirty Bastard was on the song "Conditioner", featuring Snoop Dogg . Ol' Dirty Bastard's vocals were recorded via prison telephones. The W was released in November 2000, and was mostly well received by critics, and included
20880-447: Was subsequently put on their website. The album is encased in a handcrafted silver-and-nickel box made by British-Moroccan artist Yahya and features never-before-heard music recorded over years. RZA stated he has been receiving multiple million dollar offers for the album. Despite the album's exclusivity it made an appearance in electronic dance music producer Skrillex 's music video for his song "Fuck That" even though he did not purchase
21025-401: Was the first to be talking that Cristal shit. I know that for a fact. Back then we would go do dinners and sit with Loud Records president Steve Rifkind and them up at the label. And our mission would be like, when we sit at the table, we want the best fuckin' wine they got in the building. We might have asked for some Mo or something and they didn't have it. So we was like "What the fuck is
#444555