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Raekwon

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Raekwon

Corey Woods, 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.

Music career

Early career

Main article: Wu-Tang Clan

Cory Woods joined the Wu-Tang Clan, a nine-member hip hop group based in the Staten Island borough of New York City, in 1993. He went under the stage name Raekwon and aliases Shallah Raekwon, Raekwon the Chef, and Lou Diamonds.[1] Wu-Tang Clan debuted that year 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.[2] Method Man became the first Wu-Tang member to release a solo album; his was Tical, released in 1994.[1] 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).[3] Alongside other solo albums by its members, Wu-Tang continued recording as a group, releasing The W in 2001 and 8 Diagrams in 2007.[1]

Solo career

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.[4] 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 many tracks on the album.[5]

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.[6] He also appeared on Fat Joe's song "John Blaze" alongside Nas, Jadakiss, and Big Pun; "John Blaze" also had a music video.[7] Raekwon's next effort, Immobiliarity, came out in 1999, to mixed reviews because of the absence of RZA and Ghostface Killah.[4] The Lex Diamond Story followed in 2003 on Universal Records, to mixed reviews (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.[8]

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")[9] 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 he and Dr. Dre as like "yin and yang" when it came to their styles.[10] "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[11] for the album, which was officially released on Raekwon's ICEH2O label.[12] 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."[13] 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.

Discography

Albums

Year Title Chart positions[14] RIAA certifications[15]
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 2 130,000[16]

Mixtapes

Album Name Release Date
Only Built 4 the Streets 2003
Heroin Only 2006
R.A.G.U. (Rae and Ghost United) 2006
The Vatican Mixtape Vol. 1 2007
The Vatican Mixtape Vol. 2: The DaVinci Code 2007
The Vatican Mixtape Vol. 3: House of Wax 2007
R.A.G.U. Vol. 2 (Raekwon and Ghostface United Pt. 2) 2008
Blood On Chefs Apron 2009
Staten Go Hard[17] 2009

Singles

Year Title Chart positions Album
U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. Rap
1994 "Heaven & Hell" (featuring Ghostface Killah) — 102[18] 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." — — — 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) — — —
Year Title Chart positions Album
U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. Rap
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
2008 "Royal Flush" (Big Boi featuring Andre 3000 and Raekwon) — 68 — Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

References

  1. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2007). "Wu-Tang Clan > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-09-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Wu-Tang Clan > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  3. ^ "Gold & Platinum - Wu-Tang Clan". RIAA. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  4. ^ a b Huey, Steve (2002). "Raekwon > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  5. ^ "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  6. ^ "Allure Still Waiting To Meet Raekwon Despite Working Together". MTV News. 1998-03-26. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  7. ^ "Fat Joe Enlists Big Pun, Nas, Raekwon For Solo Album". MTV News. 1998-08-13. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  8. ^ Arnold, Paul W. (2007-07-27). "Raekwon: Hell's Kitchen". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  9. ^ Music.com || Unexpected error
  10. ^ World's Best Source For That Ol' Boom Bap
  11. ^ Raekwon Announces EMI Record Deal - Video. WeLiveThis.com. Accessed March 30 2009
  12. ^ Raekwon and EMI Confirm Summer 2009 release for Only Built For Cuban Linx II. WeLiveThis.com. Accessed April 15 2009
  13. ^ "Raekwon pushes back Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II album release date to September 8, 2009". WeLiveThis.com. Retrieved July 1 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  14. ^ "Raekwon > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  15. ^ "Gold & Platinum - Raekwon". RIAA. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
  16. ^ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.10071/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-11-1-2009
  17. ^ Raekwon - Staten Go Hard Mixtape. WeLiveThis.com. Accessed March 23 2009
  18. ^ "Bubbling Under Hot R&B Singles", Billboard, vol. 107, no. 2, p. 19, 1995-01-14
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