Raekwon
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Raekwon_icecream.jpg
Raekwon on the cover of his "Ice Cream" single
Raekwon (born Corey Woods, January 12, 1970, Brooklyn, New York) is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Though not as well known as such other Wu-Tang members like Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard or RZA, Raekwon has released some of the most critically acclaimed solo work from the Wu-Tang, and his nimble flow attracts much admiration from hip hop enthusiasts and fellow rappers.
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Biography
Raekwon joined the Wu-Tang Clan in time to participate on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the group's massively successful debut. He later signed a solo deal with Loud Records and 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. Working with Ghostface Killah, Raekwon's solo album is widely considered to be one of the masterpieces of rap in the 1990s and is still remembered by many fans as perhaps the greatest Wu-Tang solo LP thus far. His storytelling abilities on tracks such as Spot Rusherz led to many a comparison with Kool G Rap, and the album as a whole is often credited for popularizing the use of 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 also featured heavily on Ghostface Killah's albums 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 Only Built 4 Cuban Linx in 2005.
Trivia
His alias Raekwon The Chef, perhaps surprisingly, actually does come from the fact he loves to cook. He claims to have "cooked for 30 niggas before".
Aliases
- Lex Diamonds
- Louis Diamonds
- Rick Diamonds
- Shallah
- Louis Rich
- Shallah Raekwon
- "The Chef"
Discography
Albums
- 1995 Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
- 1999 Immobilarity
- 2003 The Lex Diamonds Story
Singles & EPs
- 1995 "Heaven & Hell"
- 1995 "Ice Cream"
- 1995 "Criminology"
- 1999 "Live From New York"
- 1995 "Planet Of The Apes"
Appears On
- 1993 Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 1994 "Meth vs Chef" (from the Method Man album Tical)
- 1995 "Investigative Reports" (from the GZA album Liquid Swords)
- 1995 "Respect Mine" (from the Fat Joe album Jealous One's Envy)
- 1995 "Right Back At You" & "Eye For An Eye" (from the Mobb Deep album The Infamous)
- 1996 Ironman (album by Ghostface Killah)
- 1997 "Nighttime Vultures" (from the Mobb Deep album Hell On Earth)
- 1997 Wu-Tang Forever (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 1997 "Nasty Immigrants" (from the Nutty Professor soundtrack)
- 1998 "Supa Ninjaz" (from the Cappadonna album The Pillage)
- 1998 "Intellectuals" (from the Sunz Of Man album The Last Shall be First)
- 1998 "Skew It On The Bar-B" (from the Outkast album Aquemini)
- 1998 "John Blaze" (from the Fat Joe album [[Don Cartagena])
- 1998 "Spring Water" & "As The World Turnz" (from the La the Darkman album Heist Of The Century)
- 1998 "Black Trump" (from the Cocoa Brovaz album Rude Awakening)
- 1998 "Spazzola" (from the Method Man album Tical 2000: Judgement Day)
- 1999 "The Game" (from the Pete Rock album Soul Survivor)
- 1999 "" (from the Mobb Deep album Murda Muzik)
- 2000 "Money Talks" (from the Sticky Fingaz album Black Trash: The Autobiography Of Kirk Jones)
- 2000 "Apollo Kids" & "Wu Banga 101" (from the Ghostface Killah album Supreme Clientele)
- 2000 "The Heist" (from the Busta Rhymes album Anarchy)
- 2000 The W (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 2001 "The Jump Up" (from the Benzino album The Benzino Project)
- 2001 "Love Is The Message" (from the Cappadonna album The Yin & The Yang)
- 2001 "Maxine", "Flowers", "The Forest" & "The Hilton" (from the Ghostface Killah album Bulletproof Wallets)
- 2001 Iron Flag (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 2003 "Respect Mine" (from the Mathematics album Love, Hell Or Right, verse)
- 2004 "The Turn" (from the Method Man album Tical 0: The Prequel)
- 2004 "D.T.D." (from the Masta Killa album No Said Date)
- 2004 Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1 (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)