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Famous Like Me > Actor > R > Raekwon

Profile of Raekwon on Famous Like Me

 
Name: Raekwon  
   
Also Know As:
   
Date of Birth: 12th January 1970
   
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York, USA
   
Profession: Actor
 
 
From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia

Raekwon (born Corey Woods, January 12, 1970, Brooklyn, New York) is an African American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Though not as well known as other Wu-Tang members like Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard or RZA, his 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is widely considered to be one of the best Wu-Tang solo albums, and one of the finest and most influential hip hop albums of the 1990s.

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 (it was one of 16 hip hop albums in Pitchfork Media's Best Albums Of The 90s Redux list as well as one of 33 hip hop/R&B albums in Rolling Stone's Essential Recordings Of The 90s list, while Stylus Magazine called it one of the greatest hip-hop LPs ever , Allhiphop.com calls it "incredible" and fellow rapper Busta Rhymes regards it as "one of the best albums ever" ), and it is still remembered by many fans as perhaps the greatest Wu-Tang solo LP thus far (the All Music Guide calls it "a serious contender" for that title). Raekwon's 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 is also featured heavily on Ghostface Killah's albums Ironman, 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, Cuban Linx II in 2005, to be executive produced by Busta Rhymes & featuring contributions from Dr. Dre (it has been confirmed he has produced two tracks for the album). Cuban Linx II will be preceded by two singles: one solo track and one featuring an unannounced guest lineup from the Clan.

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 Diamond Story

Singles & EPs

  • 1995 "Heaven & Hell"
  • 1995 "Ice Cream"
  • 1995 "Criminology"
  • 1999 "Live From New York"
  • 2004 "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)
  • 1998 "Movin' On (Remix)" (from the [[Mya (singer)|Mya] album Mya)
  • 1999 "The Game" (from the Pete Rock album Soul Survivor)
  • 1999 "Can't Fuck Wit" (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)
  • 2003 "Who's Fuckin With Us" (from the Chops album Virtuosity)
  • 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)
  • 2005 "Real Nillaz" (from the Mathematics album The Problem)

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Raekwon