raekwon the chef

Today in Hip Hop History: Ghostface Killah Dropped His Debut LP ‘Ironman’ 28 Years Ago

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On this day in 1996, Ghostface Killah’s released highly anticipated debut album Ironman was released on the Loud/RCA imprint. With exclusive in-house Wu production from True Master and the RZA coupled with Raekwon The Chef appearing on almost every song on the album, making this album one of the best concept albums completed by the nine-man conglomerate to date.

The 16-track album featured several hits that bolstered the Wu-Tang Clan’s status as the best rap collective in the game, including the haunting street saga “Motherless Child”, “All That I Got Is You” featuring Mary J. Blige and the late Popa Wu and “Winter Warz”, which appeared on the Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood soundtrack.

This album proceeded Ghost’s abstract lyrical content as witnessed on 2000’s Supreme Clientele LP, but its storytelling premise keeps listeners glued to the cadence and rhyme style of Mr. Coles equally as much as they are attracted to RZA’s production.

Ironman finally reached platinum status in 2004, which still proves to be Ghost’s most successful album of his career. The WTC would follow up with albums that attempt to mirror the conceptual preciseness of Ironman, however, none of the Clan’s solo projects can be compared in its totality to that of Tony Starks.

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GUTTR “Roll Call” Feat. Method Man, Fame(M.O.P.), Sway And More

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GUTTR, the groundbreaking fraternity of Hip Hop connoisseurs, proudly unveils their debut album, Everything Is.., featuring the Grammy-nominated rapper/producer Havoc at the helm, exclusively producing for the iconic Ras Kass and the dynamic RJ Payne.

This momentous project signifies a historic unionization in the realm of rap.
Seasoned music executive Norman “Storm” Bell and Havoc lead the charge in this innovative
collective, with Ras Kass and RJ Payne contributing their exceptional artwork to create a
revolutionary musical masterpiece. In the words of Ras Kass, “Havoc being on board to set the
musical canvas on an entire album for brothers to paint these bars has been the opportunity of a
lifetime.”

The album’s lead single, “Roll Call,” exemplifies the collective talent of GUTTR. It features
Method Man, Fame (M.O.P.), Sway, and more, representing their respective boroughs and
cities. The video, directed by Norman “Storm” Bell, boasts celebrity cameos, including
appearances by Ice T and other notable figures.

Everything Is.. features an impressive roster of collaborators, including Twista, Raekwon The
Chef, Kid Capri, Kurupt (Dogg Pound), Freeway, Method Man, Fame (M.O.P.), and
narration by Sway. With 8 tracks delivering straight-up bars, this album is the result of years of
collaboration and a once-in-a-lifetime musical endeavor.

The post GUTTR “Roll Call” Feat. Method Man, Fame(M.O.P.), Sway And More first appeared on The Source.

The post GUTTR “Roll Call” Feat. Method Man, Fame(M.O.P.), Sway And More appeared first on The Source.

Happy 54th Birthday To Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon The Chef!

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On this date in 1970, Wu-Tang Clan swordsman and lyrical legend Raekwon The Chef was born in Staten Island, New York. The Staten Island-based emcee is one of Wu’s most celebrated artists, with his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx projects reaching cult-like following proportions. With his Wu blood kin, Rae has appeared on every WTC project since the group’s inception in 1992, leading up to their monumental debut single “Protect Ya Neck.”

As for the Chef himself, Rae has released six solo albums plus the Wu Massacre project featuring his PNC Ghostface Killah and Method Man. Rae has also appeared in a couple of silver screen hits, including the Hip Hop powered The Show and the race-baiting flick Black and White starring Wu-Tang manager Oliver “Power” Grant.

In 2009, Raekwon found religion and converted to Islam.

Happy born day to Shallah Raekwon, wishing him a great day and much more hereafter!

The post Happy 54th Birthday To Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon The Chef! first appeared on The Source.

The post Happy 54th Birthday To Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon The Chef! appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Raekwon’s Infamous ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx’ Album AKA “The Purple Tape” Dropped 28 Years Ago

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Twenty-eight years ago today, one of the greatest conceptual albums in the history of Hip Hop was released. Raekwon The Chef released his debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, guest-starring his right-hand man, Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks.

Released on the Loud/RCA imprint and produced exclusively by The Abbott himself, Only Built For Cuban Linx was available on cassette, which was manufactured and distributed in a violet casing, thus, spawning its nickname. The album’s influence was tremendous on other landmark LPs of that era including Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt and Nas’ It Was Written, with heavy mafia references, the introduction of Cristal to the hood, and constant usage of the 5% Nation’s language of Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabets in the lyrical content. The album also introduced the other WTC members via their aliases i.e. RZA is Bobby Steele, Ghost as “Tony Starks”, Deck is “Rollie Fingers”, Meth is, of course, “Johnny Blaze”, Masta Killa as “Noodles”, the Genius as “Maximillian” the Chef as “Lou Diamonds” and all together known as the “Wu-Gambinos”, which is the 16th track on the journey.

The Four and a Half Mic Classic’s(writer Nicholas Poluhoff) storyline plays out as a film, using many samples of John Woo’s Killer as an interlude between several tracks. The album contained several classic singles that had lives of their own in others spaces. The platinum-selling album yielded legendary hits such as the radio/female friendly “Ice Cream”, the inspirational “Glaciers Of Ice”, the genre sparking “Criminology”, which gave birth to many “Shark N****s”, which was an ode to biters and commanding them to “be original”. Ghost even shot a dart at the late B.I.G., accusing the slain legend of biting Nas’ pre-adolescent album cover concept. The album concludes with a positive build from the late Popa Wu aka Freedum Allah, which reminisces about the past life of a young, crime Raekwon who evolved into the multi-faceted individual seen today, which ironically is called “North Star(Jewels)”.

This platinum-selling time capsule is a must-have for all real Hip Hop fans, aficionados, critics, and historians. Salute to the entire Wu, especially Rae, Starks, and the RZA for this gem. We will forever be in debt to you guys for the “Purple Tape”.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Raekwon’s Infamous ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx’ Album AKA “The Purple Tape” Dropped 28 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Raekwon’s Infamous ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx’ Album AKA “The Purple Tape” Dropped 28 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Slick Rick Dropped His Last Album ‘The Art Of Storytelling’ 24 Years Ago

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On this day in Hip Hop history, Slick Rick released his final studio LP, The Art of Storytelling.

Produced mainly by DJ Clark Kent and Kid Capri, this album featured guest verses from Redman, Rev Run, Outkast, Nas, Raekwon, and Snoop Dogg.

Critically the album has been hailed as the only proper sequel to his breakthrough debut album, The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick. Due to continuous run-ins with the law, the public could never fully experience Slick Rick as an artist. For the same reason, the world will never know what his outstanding ability and outspoken persona could have done for Hip Hop culture. What is apparent is that when the master storyteller has the time, he can pen and deliver a masterpiece.

The Art of Storytelling was Slick Rick’s most commercially successful album, peaking at #8 on the Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop charts. The album even went gold during its first week of sales. True to the title, the album is full of narratives that could only be crafted by the pen that scribed the famous “Children’s Story.” And although he has not strayed away from his signature rhetoric, The Art of Storytelling shows improvement and Slick Rick’s ability to stay relevant as far as his style blending with the popular sound of the time. This album is deserving of all accolades and is a proper farewell to Slick Rick as an album rapper.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Slick Rick Dropped His Last Album ‘The Art Of Storytelling’ 24 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Raekwon And Ghostface Have Joint Album On The Way Produced Exclusively By Pete Rock

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Production legend Pete Rock took to Instagram to announce that has a collaboration album on the way featuring Wu Tang Clan favorites Raekwon The Chef and Ghostface Killah, produced exclusively by thew Chocolate Boy Wonda.

There is no scheduled release date that has announced, but promotion for the project has already begun, including an a cappella by the duo at half court of the legendary Madison Square Garden.

TheSource.com will update the information on this highly anticipated release as it is made available.

The post Raekwon And Ghostface Have Joint Album On The Way Produced Exclusively By Pete Rock appeared first on The Source.

[WATCH] Raekwon Goes Behind The Scenes Of The Making Of “Ice Cream” Video

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Wu-Tang Clan rapper Raekwon and his team take fans behind the scenes of the official music video for “Ice Cream,” featuring Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Cappadonna from his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx album in the latest installment of Vevo Footnotes, premiering today. The exclusive content is part of Vevo’s celebration to honor the historic 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop.

In the episode, Raekwon stresses the importance of the song in celebrating women in hip-hop and showcasing the diversity of beauty in its music video. He also shares he was looking for something “soft but heartfelt” for the album and that the RZA-produced track and ice cream truck sample was perfect to inspire the lyrics and make it happen. Director Ralph McDaniels notes that filming in Jamaica, Queens posed challenges with crowd control once word spread of their location and that his favorite moment was the impromptu casting for the scene with Ghostface Killah. While Raekwon’s manager, Rashida Watler, further discusses how the music video influenced hip-hop fashion and discusses the instant impact of “Ice Cream” on the hip-hop community.

The post [WATCH] Raekwon Goes Behind The Scenes Of The Making Of “Ice Cream” Video appeared first on The Source.

Happy 53rd Birthday To Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon The Chef!

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On this date in 1970, Wu-Tang Clan swordsman and lyrical legend Raekwon The Chef was born in Staten Island, New York. The Staten Island-based emcee is one of the Wu’s most celebrated artists, with his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx projects reaching cult-like following proportions. Along with his Wu blood kin, Rae has appeared on every WTC project since the group’s inception in 1992, which led up to their monumental debut single “Protect Ya Neck”.

As for the Chef himself, Rae has released six solo albums plus the Wu Massacre project featuring his PNC Ghostface Killah and Method Man. Rae has also appeared in a couple of silver screen hits including the Hip Hop powered The Show and the race-baiting flick Black and White starring Wu-Tang manager Oliver “Power” Grant.

In 2009, Raekwon found religion and converted to Islam.

Happy born day to Shallah Raekwon, wishing him a great day and much more hereafter!

The post Happy 53rd Birthday To Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon The Chef! appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Ghostface Killah’s Debut Album ‘Ironman’ Was Certified Gold 26 Years Ago

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On this day in 1996, Ghostface Killah’s released highly anticipated debut album Ironman was certified gold by the RIAA. With exclusive in-house Wu production from True Master and the RZA coupled with Raekwon The Chef appearing on almost every song on the album, making this album one of the best concept albums completed by the nine man conglomerate to date.

The 16-track album featured several hits that bolstered the Wu Tang Clan’s status as the best rap collective in the game, including the haunting street saga “Motherless Child”, “All That I Got Is You” featuring Mary J. Blige and the late Popa Wu and “WInter Warz”, which appeared on the Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood soundtrack.

This album proceeded Ghost’s abstract lyrical content as witnessed on 2000’s Supreme Clientele LP, but it’s story telling premise keeps listeners glued to the cadence and rhyme style of Mr. Coles equally as much as they are attracted to RZA’s production.

Ironman finally reached platinum status in 2004, which still proves to be Ghost’s most successful album of his career. The WTC would follow up with albums that attempt to mirror the conceptual preciseness of Ironman, however, none of the Clan’s solo projects can be compared in its totality to that of Tony Starks.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Ghostface Killah’s Debut Album ‘Ironman’ Was Certified Gold 26 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Raekwon’s Infamous ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx’ Album AKA “The Purple Tape” Dropped 27 Years Ago

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Twenty-seven years ago today, one of the greatest conceptual albums in the history of Hip Hop was released. Raekwon The Chef released his debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, guest-starring his right-hand man, Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks.

Released on the Loud/RCA imprint and produced exclusively by The Abbott himself, Only Built For Cuban Linx was available on cassette, which was manufactured and distributed in a violet casing, thus, spawning its nickname. The album’s influence was tremendous on other landmark LPs of that era including Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt and Nas’ It Was Written, with heavy mafia references, the introduction of Cristal to the hood, and constant usage of the 5% Nation’s language of Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabets in the lyrical content. The album also introduced the other WTC members via their aliases i.e. RZA is Bobby Steele, Ghost as “Tony Starks”, Deck is “Rollie Fingers”, Meth is, of course, “Johnny Blaze”, Masta Killa as “Noodles”, the Genius as “Maximillian” the Chef as “Lou Diamonds” and all together known as the “Wu-Gambinos”, which is the 16th track on the journey.

The Four and a Half Mic Classic’s(writer Nicholas Poluhoff) storyline plays out as a film, using many samples of John Woo’s Killer as an interlude between several tracks. The album contained several classic singles that had lives of their own in others spaces. The platinum-selling album yielded legendary hits such as the radio/female friendly “Ice Cream”, the inspirational “Glaciers Of Ice”, the genre sparking “Criminology”, which gave birth to many “Shark N****s”, which was an ode to biters and commanding them to “be original”. Ghost even shot a dart at the late B.I.G., accusing the slain legend of biting Nas’ pre-adolescent album cover concept. The album concludes with a positive build from the late Popa Wu aka Freedum Allah, which reminisces about the past life of a young, crime Raekwon who evolved into the multi-faceted individual seen today, which ironically is called “North Star(Jewels)”.

This platinum-selling time capsule is a must-have for all real Hip Hop fans, aficionados, critics, and historians. Salute to the entire Wu, especially Rae, Starks, and the RZA for this gem. We will forever be in debt to you guys for the “Purple Tape”.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Raekwon’s Infamous ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx’ Album AKA “The Purple Tape” Dropped 27 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.