Video: Raekwon f. Lyfe Jennings, “Catalina”
- story Sam Hockley-Smith
“Catalina” was the least depressing song on OB4CL2 so we expected some Raekwon living large on a yacht with Dr Dre shit to go down in the video—instead it’s a whole thing about diamonds and standing in the rain. So either props to Rae for not taking the obvious route, or, Hey Raekwon why didn’t you take the obvious route? Of course the answer that question would be that even renting a yacht is expensive, but probably not as expensive as getting a Dr. Dre beat in 2009. At least they got a little corner shelf stocked with Nuvo.
Video: Raekwon, “Walk Wit Me”
Since Only Built for Cuban Linx II is already considered a classic album (was before it ever dropped, really), it should only follow that Raekwon make a classic video for the gritty “Walk Wit Me,” combining all the classic rap-vid imagery (a Gucci store, a boat, a kidnapping) with some of the newer trappings (Nuvo, early ’00s Hype Williams-style splitscreen, a t-shirt with geometric shapes on it). And, appropriately, the narrative is druggy as all hell, Hawaii skyline setting a backdrop for a dude talking on the phone to Rae, then tossing his phone into the ocean. The ocean turning blood-red is a nice touch. When Rae rolled through our office not long ago, he talked about some scripts he had in the works. If he never gets around to writing a movie, he could just add some dialogue to this video and we’re sure we’d be pretty satisfied. Play it on 106, BET!
Video: Raekwon f. Inspectah Deck, GZA, Ghostface Killah & Method Man, “House of Flying Daggers”
- story Peter Macia
We’re definitely too old to still feel this way, but it would be pretty great if Wu-Tang actually went around beating up jerk ninjas.
llustrations by 1000Styles. Animation by Ryan Johnson and Drew Taylor. Directed by Erick Sasso and Brian Wendelken.
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posted on Aug 24, 2009 in MUSIC VIDEO tags Ghostface Killah, GZA, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Raekwon, Wu-Tang Clan
Raekwon f. Cappadonna & Ghostface, “10 Bricks” MP3
- story Peter Macia
A month or so ago, Raekwon came to the office to play a few clips off OB4CL2 and ended up staying for two hours, asking for some produce then mashing more fruit than a blender on South Beach, all the while giving the most fascinating running commentary on almost every track on the album. If there was a way for him to sell that experience, maybe as a book tour type thing at select comic book stores, we’d pay $100 a ticket. Unfortunately, he probably won’t. But we promise you this Dilla relic channeling classic Wu-bangers and topping his own previously leaked OB4CL2 track “House of Flying Daggers” is just the tip of the iceberg.
Download: Raekwon f. Cappadonna + Ghostface, “10 Bricks” (via Nah Right)
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posted on Aug 24, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Cappadonna, ghostface, hip hop, J Dilla, Raekwon, Wu-Tag
Raekwon f. Ghostface, Inspectah Deck + Method Man, “House Of Flying Daggers” MP3
- story Sam Hockley-Smith
It feels like most of Wu-Tang has spent the last couple years walking around in a state of utter boredom. Releasing tracks to appease fans and occasionally hitting the mark just enough to give everyone hope that they are actually, no fooling, back for real this time. But this? Everyone sounds hyped to be recording this song, but no one more than Raekwon, who goes off on some crazy shit about being buried in Africa with whips and spears and diamonds. This is what these dudes excel at: give them a beat (in this case a very RZA-esque off-kilter jam produced by Dilla), throw a kung-fu sample at the beginning and and then let them rap aggressive stream of consciousness for five minutes.
Download: Raekwon f. Ghostface, Inspectah Deck + Method Man, “House Of Flying Daggers”
Raekwon Talks About Everything Ever
- story Sam Hockley-Smith
If you’re just sitting around trying to figure out how to spend an hour or so, you could do a lot worse than downloading audio from last night’s NoiseMakers session hosted by Peter Rosenberg and featuring Raekwon. We’re pretty familiar with the history of the Wu through the various documentaries, books and interviews that’ve been published over the years, but the Chef goes into minute detail on everything from the formation of the group to ODB’s use of Saran Wrap as a condom. Sounds safe!
Download: Raekwon Interview Part 1
Download: Raekwon Interview Part 2 (Grand Good via Rap Radar)
Video: Raekwon f. Method Man & Ghostface, “New Wu”
- story THE FADER
We know it is supposed to be Summer of Love ‘09 and all, but in watching this video we’re like… is this 1995? Only Built for Cuban Linx II is coming out late this summer, so they say, and in the video for “New Wu,” a gully little shoot that involves capturing some sloppy NARC-ish dude and rapping in a hallway at a strip club (The Player’s Club), the dudes are going in on hard throwback styles. “JUMP OUTTA BENZ WAGONS, MY FAMILY LIVE IN THE HILL, THEY CALL US BIN LADENS,” so says Ghostface. Whatever happens, it’s gonna be a hot hot summer in hell.
Freeload: Q-Tip f. Busta Rhymes, Raekwon & Lil Wayne, “Renaissance Rap (Remix)”
- story THE FADER
Aside from Q-Tip’s kind of fun idea of borrowing the “The Symphony” concept (please shoot a video), there is some genuine insight to be drawn from this remix, and it comes, of course, with Wayne’s verse at the end. No it’s not the absence of auto-tune or rock star tropes, and neither is it that he has some great lines (”Ever since I made it up out of Middle America, everybody wanna be up in my genital area.”). It’s that he truly sons three New York legends at their own game, rapping like he grew up on Linden Blvd wrecking basic beats. This is the answer for old NYC rap heads who screw their faces when a carload of kids drives by blasting Weezy. Kids like him because he kills shit, not because they suddenly love a different geography. As soon as a kid from the boroughs steps up like this, everybody will back him. But it’s kind of revealing that on this all-star remix, the Big Apple is represented by three rappers in the twilights of their careers, and the “crazy guy” from Louisiana is the reason Hot 97 has played this song a hundred times over the last two days.
Download: Q-Tip f. Busta Rhymes, Raekwon & Lil Wayne, “Renaissance Rap (Remix)”
**BONUS** Katie Couric’s Lil Wayne Interview Teaser:
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posted on Jan 30, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Busta Rhymes, freeload, hip hop, Lil Wayne, Q-Tip, Raekwon
Freeload: Raekwon & Ghostface, “Criminology 09″
- story THE FADER
“Criminology 09″ is good, don’t get us wrong, but listen to Rae and Ghost’s verses in the original video above and then listen to this new one. One is filled with crazy vitriol and other is like Yeah… New York Giants… Super Bowl 2008… We Like Them.
Download: Raekwon & Ghostface, “Criminology 09″
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posted on Jan 28, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags freeload, Ghostface Killah, hip hop, Raekwon, Wu-Tang Clan
Live: Hot 97 Summer Jam 2008, Giants Stadium, New Jersey
- story THE FADER
Summer Jam has built its entire rep on ridiculous moments, i.e. G-Unit starting a riot with chair-throwing in a downpour and Mobb Deep and Jay-Z getting into beef zone when Jay projected a flick of Prodigy extra dick-riding Michael Jackson’s outfit, glove and all. But the Summer Jam stage has never seen anything as subversive, uncomfortable and totally bizarre as Lil Wayne’s 20 minute set, apparently blasted on his own summer Js and a total amazing/scary rock star set, as in “DEAR GIANTS STADIUM, FOLLOW ME INTO MY K-HOLE, XOXO WEEZY.”
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posted on Jun 2, 2008 in MUSIC NEWS tags Alicia Keys, D-Block, ghostface, hip hop, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, Lil Wayne, Method Man, Raekwon, Shawty Lo, Summer Jam 2008, Whitney Houston
