Raekwon the Chef is one of Hip-Hop’s iconic MC’s. He entered in the game in the early 90’s with his legendary crew The Wu-Tang Clan(@WuTangClan). Since that moment Raekwon(@Raekwon) has continued to drop jewels and create classics time and time again.
From ComplexTV’s “The Process”:
In the premiere episode of The Process with Peter Rosenberg, Raekwon talks about the making of all his Wu-Tang classics. Renowned for his off-kilter rhyme style, The Chef talks about coming from the slums of Shaolin to rising to the top of the rap game.
“Glaciers Of Ice” is one of the stand out tracks from the heralded album “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx”
Lyrics from Rap Genius:
Stand on the block, Reebok, gun cockeAnnotated
Avalanche rock get paid off mass murderous services
Chef break ’em, watch the alley cats bake ’em
Four-nine made ’em, drop grenades and take ’em
Quick fast we reflect like the sky be blue true
Wu-Tang saga continue
Rap Meyer Lansky crash your fantasy
Getting high fellas stand by, here’s the plan, see
Sit back collecting Tecs and checks and
Blowing slow in a Montero flexing
Beats break heavily word to INS bless me
Blow me like three bags of cess
For real from the Killa Hill locked and caged in
We’re sworn representatives, reacting like made men
Strive for wives, nine lives and lies
Max sell and enjoy the highs — what
“C.R.E.A.M.(Cash Rules Everything Around Me)” from the debut album of the Wu-Tang Clan “Enter the 36 Chambers” is etched in the psyche of all true Hip-Hop fans!
Lyrics from Rap Genius:
I grew up on the crimeAnnotate side, the New York Times side
Staying alive was no jive
Had secondhands, Mom’s bounced on old man
So then we moved to Shaolin land
A young youth, rocking the gold tooth,’Lo goose
Only way I begin to G off was drug loot
And let’s start it like this son, rolling with this one and that one
Pulling out Gats for fun
But it was just a dream for the teen, who was a fiend
Started smoking woolies at 16
And running up in gates, and doing hits for high stakes
Making my way on fire escapes
No question I would speed for cracks and weed
The combination made my eyes bleed
No question I would flow off and try to get the dough all
Sticking up White boys in ball courts
My life got no better, same damn ‘Lo sweater
Times is rough and tough like leather
Figured out I went the wrong route
So I got with a sick-ass clique and went all out
Catching keys from across seas
Rollingin MPV’severy week we made forty G’s
Yo nigga respect mine or anger theTEC-9
Ch-chick-POW,move from the gate now
Corey Woods aka Raekwon The Chef, has been a staple in the Entertainment industry since his debut in 1993 as an integral part in undeniably one of the greatest Hip-Hop groups to date, the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. Rae’s verbal ability took center stage early in the original cult classic Protect Ya Neck, but little did the world know, that we were merely indulging in delicious appetizers delivered by Rae. It wasn’t until 1995, when Raekwon The Chef emerged from the kitchen and invited the Hip-Hop faithful into his personal chamber and the world was privileged to partake in the perfectly sautéed full course meal… Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.
Critics and fans alike unanimously agreed, Cuban Linx was an instant classic. An opulent sonic journey defined by Raekwon’s cinematic narratives and narcotized hooks. The production delivered by Wu Tang’s Abbot, The Rza, was simply supreme – his best comprehensive work to date. And never had a co-star been so illustrious: Cuban Linx also managed to showcase the talents of then under represented Wu-Tang band mate, Ghostface Killah. This was also the beginning of the “Rae and Ghost” collaborations which have yielded some of hip hop’s most beloved songs.
To follow up this success, Rae later released Immobiliarity in 1999 and The Lex Diamond Story in 2003. All of these lyrical offerings were well received; Immobilarity going gold, yet there was always the persistent request of the fans to release a follow up to the classis OBFCL. After anticipation and some label turbulence, The Chef finally found a new home at the EMI Group. The seasoned label has joined forces with Raekwon and his independent label, Ice H2O Records Inc. to power the sequel to his 1995 masterpiece:Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
No one could have anticipated the break away success of this album. Released on September 8, 2009, the instant success spent its first four days number one on itunes. Then selling 66, 000 copies in its first week on the charts . Critics and fans both heralded it the best album of 2009. Receiving accolades from: Times Magazine, iTunes, Complex Magazine, The Source Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, Hip Hop DXX, Canada’s Exclaim Magazine and countless online music sites.
With a renewal rarely seen in the music industry, Raekwon has experienced a career resurgence few have ever witnessed. With an ever-growing fan base, Rae’s music has managed to place him back on the forefront of Hip Hop’s elite. Having been featured on countless features in 2010, Rae has lent his talents to fellow musicians: Kanye West, Bun B, Fat Joe, Justin Beiber and participated with is Wu Brothers, Ghostface and Method Manin the highly anticipated, Wu Massacre.
Never one to go back on a promise, Raekwon promised fans the fabled Shaolin vs. Wu Tang, as a response to RZA’s 8 Diagrams album. To be delivered on March 8, 2011, the album which features the likes of Rick Ross, Lloyd Banks, Nas, Black Thought and Jim Jones, with production by DJ Khalil, Sean C and LV, Scram Jones and Eric Sermon, the album ushers the beloved Wu Tang sound into the current decades, leaving fans reminiscent while excited about the freshness of the sound.
To date, Raekwon is expanding his empire. He has established Ice H20 Canada, with the hopes of presenting to the world some of the untapped talents of our neighbors to the North. In addition, he has also developed 3783 Media, a collective based in Los Angeles, which serves as a full service production, digital and management company. There are several multimedia and entrepreneurial endeavors on the rise. Raekwon has moved into the next phase of his career, and he has no intention of slowing down.
