Raekwon
| Raekwon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Corey Woods |
| Born | January 12, 1970 |
| Origin | New York City, New York, United States |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1992 - present |
| Labels | Loud/Universal Aftermath/Interscope Ice H2O/EMI |
| Associated acts | Wu-Tang Clan, American Cream Team, Ice Water Inc., Mobb Deep, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Dr. Dre, Game, Beanie Sigel, Outkast, Jadakiss |
| Website | www.myspace.com/raekwon |
Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970),[1][2] better known by the stage name Raekwon (sometimes "Raekwon the Chef"), is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., in 1995, and has continued recording solo and with the Wu-Tang Clan since then. In 2009, Raekwon released the sequel to his critically acclaimed debut with the similarly praised Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II.
Contents |
Music career
Wu-Tang Clan
Corey Woods joined the Wu-Tang Clan, a nine-member hip hop group based in the Staten Island borough of New York City, in 1992. He went under the stage name Raekwon and aliases Shallah Raekwon, Raekwon the Chef, and Lex Diamonds.[3] Wu-Tang Clan debuted one year later with Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers. Singles from the album included "Protect Ya Neck" and "C.R.E.A.M.", the latter of which reaching #8 on the Billboard rap chart.[4] Wu-Tang Forever followed in 1997 and was certified four times platinum by the RIAA, quadruple the certification given Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).[5] Alongside other solo albums by its members, Wu-Tang continued recording as a group, releasing The W in 2000, Iron Flag in 2001, and 8 Diagrams in 2007.[3]
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
In 1994, Raekwon signed a solo deal with Loud Records and released his debut single "Heaven & Hell" for the soundtrack to the movie Fresh. His first solo LP, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., was released in 1995 to rave reviews, though not to as much commercial success as fellow Wu-Tang member Method Man's Tical.[6] According to Steve Huey of allmusic, "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... contained a narrative album format revolving around cocaine trafficking, criminal activity, and a rise through the ranks of the illegal industry." Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah appeared on over half of the album's tracks, with Wu-Tang member RZA producing the album in its entirety.[7]
Post Cuban Linx
After Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., Raekwon appeared on a track by the R&B group Allure from the group's self-titled debut in 1997.[8] He also appeared on Fat Joe's song "John Blaze" alongside Nas, Jadakiss, and Big Pun; "John Blaze" also had a music video.[9] Raekwon's next effort, Immobilarity, came out in 1999 to mixed reviews, which were mainly attributed to the absence of RZA and Ghostface Killah.[6] The Lex Diamond Story followed in 2003 on Universal Records, to mixed reviews as well (generally lukewarm critical reviews and wildly varying public reviews) and moderate success. Raekwon complained about the lack of promotion and vowed that future releases wouldn't suffer the same fate.[10]
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II
Raekwon planned to release the long-delayed sequel to his debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, in 2007 through Aftermath Entertainment; it was informally executively produced by Busta Rhymes (who Raekwon described as getting him into the "Cuban Linx mindset")[11] and RZA, with RZA handling most of the production. Dr. Dre, Scram Jones, and J Dilla were other producers that had been mentioned as working with Raekwon on the album. RZA explained the collaboration between him and Dr. Dre as like "yin and yang" when it came to their styles.[12] "The album is gonna attract all the gangstas, nigga; all the thugs and everybody is going to be listening to this shit," said RZA of the album.
Raekwon and EMI both confirmed at one point that Only Built For Cuban Linx... Pt. II would be released the summer of 2009 with EMI serving as the distribution label[13] for the album, which was officially released on Raekwon's ICEH2O label.[14] However, Raekwon and EMI later announced that the album would be pushed back to September 8, 2009 due to sample clearance issues, and the leak of a song from the album entitled "Surgical Gloves."[15] On September 8, 2009, Only Built For Cuban Linx... Pt. II was finally released after many delays. The album features many Wu-Tang members and affiliates, as well as Slick Rick, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, Beanie Sigel and more. On September 28, 2009 Raekwon was named the #10 Hottest MC in the game by MTV. He also converted to Islam in 2009.[16] According to The Next 48 Hours w/ Raekwon web series, Raekwon stated that a project is in the works between him and Kool G Rap, the two fathers of Mafioso Rap.
In December 2009, major hip hop site HipHopDx released their 2009 HipHopDx Awards. Raekwon's fourth studio album and latest effort Only Built For Cuban Linx... Pt. II was chosen as 'Album of the Year', described as '...the Hip Hop equivalent to The Godfather 2, with Rae as revitalized as Marlon was...' and Raekwon himself picked as Best Emcee of 2009 (fellow New Yorker Nas had won in 2008). The DX staff justified this pick with this description of Corey Wood's career in 2009:
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 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, Rea had 'em all following the leader.[17]—HipHopDX
Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang
After the critical and relative commercial success of OB4CLII, Raekwon linked up with Method Man and Ghostface Killah to put out the Wu-Massacre, a short trio album designed to showcase unity within the group and prove that they (Rae, in particular) will be releasing material more often in the future. Following this announcement, Raekwon resurrected talk of Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, a project announced in 2007, originally planned as a group album minus RZA due to the group's response to the Wu-Tang Clan album 8 Diagrams. Now planned for a September, 2010 release, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang will be Raekwon's fifth solo album, and is set to feature fellow Clansmen Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and GZA, as well as Black Thought from The Roots. The album will still not feature RZA, as a statement that the Clan can stand majority of the producer when necessary.[18] Recently Scoop Deville was a confirmed producer on the project as well as having Nas & Eminem as possible guests.[19]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions[20] | RIAA certifications[21] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | |||
| 1995 | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…
|
4 | 2 | * | Gold |
| 1999 | Immobilarity
|
9 | 2 | * | Gold |
| 2003 | The Lex Diamond Story
|
102 | 18 | * | - |
| 2009 | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II
|
4 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang[22]
|
TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 2010 | Raekwon's sixth studio album[23]
|
TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Collaboration albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | ||
| 2010 | Wu-Massacre (with Method Man & Ghostface Killah)
|
12 | 6 | 2 |
|- |2010 |Number Three (with Game
- Released: 2010
- Label: Def Jam
| style="text-align:center;"|12 | style="text-align:center;"|6 | style="text-align:center;"|2 |}
Number Three (feat. Game)
01. Bulletproof Diaries (Producer by : JellyRoll) 02. About Me (Producer by : Dr. Dre) 03. Flashback Memories (producer by : Cool & Dre)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | |||
| 1994 | "Heaven & Hell" (featuring Ghostface Killah) | — | 102[24] | 32 | Fresh Soundtrack and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... |
| 1995 | "Incarcerated Scarfaces" / "Ice Cream" (featuring Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Cappadonna) | 37 | 37 | 5 | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... |
| "Glaciers of Ice" (featuring Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, and Blue Raspberry) / "Criminology" (featuring Ghostface Killah) | 43 | 32 | 5 | ||
| 1999 | "Live From New York" | — | — | 30 | Immobiliarity |
| 2003 | "Smith Bros." | — | 115 | — | The Lex Diamond Story |
| 2004 | "The Hood" (featuring Tiffany Villarreal) | — | — | — | |
| 2009 | "New Wu" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Method Man) | — | — | — | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Part II |
| "House of Flying Daggers" (featuring GZA, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah) | — | — | — | ||
| "Catalina" (featuring Lyfe Jennings) | — | — | — | ||
| 2010 | "Our Dreams"(featuring Ghostface Killah and Method Man) | - | - | - | Wu-Massacre |
As featured performer
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | |||
| 1996 | "Firewater" (Fat Joe featuring Big Pun, Raekwon, and Armaggedon) | 114 | — | Endangered Species |
| 1998 | "Wu-Tang Cream Team Line Up" (Funkmaster Flex featuring Raekwon, The Harlem Hoodz, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, and Killa Sin) | 85 | 32 | The Mix Tape, Vol. 3: 60 Minutes of Funk, The Final Chapter |
| 1998 | "Skew It on the Bar-B" (OutKast featuring Raekwon) | — | — | Aquemini |
| 1999 | "Rap Life" (Tash featuring Raekwon) | 86 | 45 | Rap Life |
| 2000 | "Apollo Kids" (Ghostface Killah featuring Raekwon) | 121 | 32 | Supreme Clientele |
| 2001 | "Never Be the Same Again" (Ghostface Killah featuring Carl Thomas and Raekwon) | 65 | 21 | Bulletproof Wallets |
| 2004 | "What's Fuckin' Wit Us" (Chops featuring Raekwon) | — | — | Virtuosity |
| 2008 | "Royal Flush" (Big Boi featuring Andre 3000 and Raekwon) | 68 | — | non-album single |
| 2009 | "Break To Build" (Benzino featuring Raekwon) | - | - | Im Commin Back |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Heaven & Hell" | Ralph McDaniels |
| 1995 | "Criminology" | |
| "Glaciers Of Ice" | ||
| "Ice Cream" | ||
| "Incarcerated Scarfaces" | ||
| 2009 | "New Wu" | Danny Hastings[25] |
| "House of Flying Daggers" | Erick Sasso and Brian Wendelken | |
| "Walk Wit Me" | G. Visuals | |
| "Have Mercy" | Littles & Wilc | |
| "Catalina" | G. Visuals | |
| "Surgical Gloves" | ||
| "Pyrex Vision" | G. Visuals | |
| 2010 | "Canal Street" | LaMarck |
References
- ↑ "Official Site of the Wu-Tang Clan". Wu-Tang Corp.. http://www.wutang-corp.com/artists/bios.php. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ↑ RZA, 2005, The Wu-Tang Manual, p. 18.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Prato, Greg (2007). "Wu-Tang Clan Biography". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dxfyxqwgldse~T1. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "Wu-Tang Clan > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dxfyxqwgldse~T51. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum - Wu-Tang Clan". RIAA. http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Wu%20Tang%20Clan&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=CertificationDate&perPage=50. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Huey, Steve (2002). "Raekwon > Biography". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:axfrxqegldde~T1. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx > Overview". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9fqxquhldae. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "Allure Still Waiting To Meet Raekwon Despite Working Together". MTV News. 1998-03-26. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1424884/19980326/allure.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "Fat Joe Enlists Big Pun, Nas, Raekwon For Solo Album". MTV News. 1998-08-13. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1425745/19980813/big_punisher.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ Arnold, Paul W. (2007-07-27). "Raekwon: Hell's Kitchen". HipHopDX. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.822/title.raekwon-hells-kitchen/p.all. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ Music.com || Unexpected error
- ↑ World's Best Source For That Ol' Boom Bap
- ↑ Raekwon Announces EMI Record Deal - Video. WeLiveThis.com. Retrieved March 30, 2009.
- ↑ Raekwon and EMI Confirm Summer 2009 release for Only Built For Cuban Linx II. WeLiveThis.com. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
- ↑ "Raekwon pushes back Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II album release date to September 8, 2009". WeLiveThis.com. http://www.welivethis.com/newsfeed/2009/07/01/raekwon-pushes-built-4-cuban-linx-ii-september-8-2009/. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
- ↑ Sparks, Marvin (2009-11-03). "Marvin Sparks x Raekwon interview". Marvin Sparks. http://marvinsparks.blogspot.com/2009/11/marvin-sparks-x-raekwon-interview.html. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ↑ "2009 HipHopDX Awards | Discussing Lil' Wayne, Drake & Many More Hip Hop Artists". HipHopDX. 2009-12-22. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/editorials/id.1465/title.2009-hiphopdx-awards. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ↑ "Raekwon On New Album: Ghost, Meth, Black Thought In; No RZA". VIBE. http://www.vibe.com/posts/raekwon-new-album-ghost-meth-deck-gza-black-thought-no-rza. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ↑ Raekwon brings Nas, Eminem into his kitchen for new album
- ↑ "Raekwon > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:axfrxqegldde~T5. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum - Raekwon". RIAA. http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=raekwon&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=CertificationDate&perPage=25. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ↑ Maddox, Dante. "Raekwon Talks Shaolin vs Wu-Tang, Wu-Massacre & More". CraveOnline.com. http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/music/article/raekwon-talks-shaolin-vs-wu-tang-wu-massacre-more-99557.html. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ↑ "Raekwon Will Release 2 Albums In 2010 | Wu Tang". Rap Basement. 2010-01-04. http://www.rapbasement.com/wu-tang/010410-wu-tang-clan-member-raekwon-says-he-will-release-2-solo-albums-this-year-watch-more-here.html. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
- ↑ "Bubbling Under Hot R&B Singles". Billboard. 1995-01-14. p. 19. http://books.google.com/?id=tQsEAAAAMBAJ
- ↑ "Raekwon - The New Wu". YouTube. EMI Music. 13 June 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbJoinsVCRA. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
External links
- Raekwon on Myspace
- Wu-Tang Clan website
- HHC Digital interview with Raekwon about 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2'
- Raekwon at the Internet Movie Database
- Raekwon video interview August 2009 on Black Sheep Magazine
- Raekwon video interview September 2009 / Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2
- best of 2009 list
- Raekwon On Setting Album Sequel Trend at YouTube
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