Throwback Picture of Nas, Mobb Deep, and Raekwon in the Studio

Checkout this throwback picture of New York greats, Nas, Mobb Deep (Prodigy and Havoc), and Raekwon smoking in the studio. This must be around 1995, when Nas was working on It Was Written, and Rae was working on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Havoc produced two songs on It Was Written, and also rapped on two songs off the album. Prodigy had a verse on one song off the album. And Nas was on Verbal Intercourse, a song on Raekwon's debut album, Only Buil 4 Cuban Linx...

Pic: Fabolous, Jadakiss, Raekwon, and Ghostface at an Event

Checkout this picture of New York rap legends, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah at an event recently. I love seeing pictures like these.

Pic: Raekwon and Peter Quillin

Former WBO Middle Weight boxing champion, Peter Quillin posted this pic of him and Raekwon on Twitter some hours ago, with the caption..."Bumped into the big homie @raekwon before @touredesigns fashion show!"

New Music: I'm Nice (LL Cool J feat. Raekwon, Murda Mook, and Ron Browz)

LL Cool J might be all Hollywood nowadays, but when he wants to come back to Hip Hop, he always comes strong. He just dropped this new song, I'm Nice, featuring Raekwon, Murda Mook, and Ron Browz. Watch out for that second verse by Murda Mook.

Download the song here I'm Nice

New Music: Stop Tripping (Raekwon)

Nice track. This new one, Stop Tripping, has Raekwon telling a story how his girl caught him cheating. The Chef rapped to a mellow beat, with some R&B in the mix. It has that 90s feel to it.

Download the song here- Stop Tripping

New Music: Wishing On A Star (Raekwon)

Wu Tang Clan member, Raekwon just dropped a new song titled Wishing On A Star. He sampled an old song by Rose Royce with the same title. I remember my Dad always played that song in his room while I was a kid. So, when Jay Z did his own cover for his In My Lifetime album (97), I recognized the song right away. Listen to Rae's bars below.

Download the song here- Wishing On A Star

Throwback Song: John Blaze (Fat Joe feat. Nas, Big Pun, Jadakiss, and Raekwon)

Our throwback song of the day is John Blaze, one of the hottest songs off Fat Joe's Don Cartagena album. It features Nas, Big Pun, Jada, and Raekwon. What a lineup...Just watch out for Big Pun's verse on this song.

Raekwon Updates Fans on What He's Been Up To

Since his 2011 album (Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang), Raekwon has been a little off the scene. But in recent times, the rap vet has been doing a lot of collaboration, which shows he is working on something new. During a recent interview on B Real's Smoke Box internet series, Raekwon spoke on his upcoming album, and what fans are to expect from it.

“My next move is this next album I’ve been working on. It’s called Fly International Luxurious Art. It’s a long title but that’s how I felt right now. It’s a fly album though. You know me. That’s my thing. I like to make a body of work that I could put in people’s cars and they could just listen to it.”






He also spoke on the direction he went with the album.

“This album is well-rounded. I wanted to show people that I’m still at my best, but I’m into making now more stadium style music and catering to every audience. I want to give him a slice, him a slice, you eatin’. You over there in the corner that really don’t like me, I made something for you. Really just to give everybody that...stew pot that is me at my perfected level. You know, ‘cause I feel like I’m perfected...because of the fans, the way they salute me, the way they speak of some of my classic albums and shit. They make me feel like the hero. So this album is Fly International Luxurious Art. It’s nothing but me just really just showing niggas like, ‘Yo, his pen game is right. He’s being smart about the records he’s making. He’s catering to every audience of music.’ I have nothing to prove. I’m already in the books, so all I can do is keep giving people quality music. I went out and merged with some killer producers...I don’t know if you’re familiar with Jerry Wonda,” Rae said of Jerry Duplessis, “you know, he was a part of The Fugees project and working with Lauryn Hill and made a lot of bangers. I got a couple of the swordsmen and producers that I been fucking with and some new cats. I’m always looking for that fresh batch.”

Hmm! It seems Rae wants to leave that Wu signature, and try something fresh with this album...maybe leaning towards the pop-rap type of music. I hope it works for him. I'm thinking he plans to make songs with nice melodies, and sweets sounding hooks and all that. Let's wait and see how the album comes out...this might actually be an interesting turn of events for Raekwon. Jerry Wonder sure is a seasoned music producer, and he has a lot of hits under his catalog from back in the day, so this might actually work out for good. These are some songs that Jerry Wonder produced...Killing Me Softly (Lauryn Hill), No No No remix (Destiny's Child), Maria Maria (Carlos Santana), Hips Don't Lie (Shakira), You Know What It Is (TI).

New Song:Blind THreats- Schoolboy Q feat. Raekwon

Another leak from Schoolboy Q's Oxymoron album hit the Internet a couple of hours ago. Blind THreat features the legendary Wu Tang Clan rapper, Raekwon. It's good when the young link with the old. Q goes philosophical on us for this track, and I really like that. Give the song a listen below, and also download if you like it.

Download here- Blind THreats

Raekwon Speaks on Unreleased Jay Z Collaboration

Some time last year, just before Jay Z's 12th album, Magna Carta Holy Grail album dropped, a picture of him and Raekwon together in the studio hit the Internet. A lot of people couldn't wait to hear the end result of the studio time, but when the album dropped, there was no Rae on it. The Chef, in a recent interview on Montreality said they did record a track, but he doesn't know what happened to it. He also said maybe Jay Z wanted Ghostface on the track too, and it didn't happen, so he didn't put the track out.

"I guess he tucked it or whatever. And you know, I guess he got a plan or whatever. "I don't really know. You know what I mean? I just know that at the end of the day we still got things that we discussing that we gon' make happen. I don't know what happened with the record though, you know -- I don't know what happened cause I know I guess he wanted to have Starks on it too. You know how it is when you got your vision and you want it to be a certain way. It didn't come fully into fruition though, but it was still a lot of great love though." ("Montreality")

Raekwon is one Wu-Tang Clan member I have always liked; maybe because his style is very similar to Nas's style from the mid 90s...It Was Written era. I also like how he has managed to stay relevant all these years, without losing himself in all the new waves and styles out there. I would love to hear that mystery track...and it would make even more sense if Jay eventually gets Ghost on it.

Raekwon Gives Justin Bieber Some Advice

Is it surprising that legendary Wu-Tang Clan rapper, Raekwon would have some positive words for Justin Bieber? Well, maybe not. Remember Rae appeared on the remix of Bieber's 'Runaway Love' back in 2011. Anyway, in light of all the troubles Justin Bieber seems to be getting himself in in the last couple of weeks, Raekwon sent some words the teenager's way.





"Shorty, you got to be held accountable for the things that you do, you know what I mean. Don’t throw it all away for nothing. People love you because they see that you have something — you can’t. You got to show them that you won’t change as a person, but you’ll grow through experiences. ust be a little bit more cautious on how you do shit, you know. Don’t do your shit corny-looking. Do it in a way that people respect that you’re getting older. He got paper. He coolin’. He can have anything that he wants. Sometimes because of our success we let that go through our head, too. I like him, personally. That’s my guy. I wish him the best.”

Wise words coming from a veteran in the music industry with experience. 

Raekwon Speaks on Working With Jay-Z on Magna Carta Holy Grail

New York rappers from back in the 90s always worked with each other, so it surprising to know that Raekwon and Jay-Z are just collaborating for the first time in Hip Hop history. Raekwon is going to be a guest artist on one of the tracks off Jay's 12th album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, which drops officially on July 9th.


In a recent interview on Montreality, Rae spoke about the collabo with Jay-Z...

“Definitely his peoples had reached out to me and said that he wanted to connect with me on a track. My thing was it’s about time. We both never had an opportunity to really do that before, so I knew in my heart it was time to make that kind of move happen…He embraced me. He gave me nothing but love. We laughed. We talked. We talked about real shit. We talked about parenthood. We talked about life.”



Hmm! I just remembered something. Wasn't Raekwon shitting on Jay-Z back in 2006 when Jay came out of retirement with Kingdom Come? I remember Rae saying, at one of his shows that Kingdom Come was a weak album. Well, time changes yesterday. I guess things have changed since then. But I know Jay always has a way of using the power of love to defeat his enemies. I still stand on the opinion that love is the most potent weapon in war. Just read the above comment from Raekwon and see how he is bigging-up Jay. Just like how Fat Joe and Jay had a cold war for as long as I can remember, and then Jay showed up at his J.O.S.E 2 album release party (back in 2009) without being invited, and the next day, Joe was on twitter shouting out Jay. 

Possible Raekwon and Nas Collaborative Album

Wont it be great to have two legends doing a full length collaborative album...Nas and Raekwon doing a collabo album would def make a lot of old hip hop listeners happy. It is still being discussed, but listen to what Rae said about it-

“I mean, whatever Nas wants, that’s my nigga,” the Chef told XXLMag.com. “As far as an album? We talked about that—Me and Nas sat down like real niggas like, ‘Yo, wassup! We need to do that!’ If everybody want that and me and him be able to sit in a room and business is correct and we both respecting what it is, I’m down.

“So whatever happens in the future, hey, you know what I mean,” he added. “He know how I get down. My clips is loaded. It’ll be a rhyming album, I know that, but whatever. That’s a good friend of mine so, whatever.”

For a few people that don't know who Raekwon is (yes, there are people that don't know him from the past), he is member of the legendary rap group, Wu Tang Clan (which also includes Method Man, Ghostface Killer, RZA...). Nas has been a frequent collaborator with the Wu family in the past, so he is more like family. The last effort was Rea's Rich & Black track off his Shaolin vs. Wu Tang album last year.

Do i see this happening? I don't know...you never can tell. But if it does happen, it is not going to be any time soon. Nas is giving his full attention to his 10th album, Life Is Good. And aside's from that, there are already some Nas collaborative efforts people have been waiting on for a while. Last year, Nas was featured on Common's ghetto dreams track, and then there was rumour of a full length album between the two in the near future. Common even spoke on it, saying it would be titled Nas.Com. Then there is the rumoured AZ collabo album...and also the DJ Premier collabo album, and the Game collabo album, and the Jay Electronica Collabo album. And then there is the super group that is to be formed by Nas, Q-Tip and Common. 

Reakwon And Kanye West Working On New Music

After collaborating on Gorgeous, a track off Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy last year, they are at it again. Kanye is working on a new album, Rae is working on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 3, but at this point, it is not clear where the collaboration would end up...probably on Ye's album.


Raekwon, based in Atlanta, has also been in talks with Kanye West about collaborating on a project. "You're gonna see something soon with me and that guy. That guy's on fire right now and he respects real hip-hop, he respects me," he said. "And he's like, 'Yo Chef, I wanna be down and I'm like, you down, you down, [laughs] so let's just make it happen!'" (Wall Street Journal)

Nas Recalls The First Time He Met Raekwon

Nas and "Raekown" go way back; in fact, nas and the whole Wu Tang Clan go way back. He dropped a killer verse on "Let My Niggas Live", a song that appeared on their third album- The W (2000). Nas was featured on Verbal Intercourse; a track off Raekwon's debut solo album in 1995, Only Built For Cuban Linx. They (nas and reakwon) were also featured on a track (eye for an eye) off Mobb Deep's The Infamous (1995) album. But there was a rumor that nas has declined rae's invitation to drop a verse on Only Built For Cuban Linx 2. The rumors of any differences between them has been "deaded" as Nas appears on Rae's latest album (Wu-Tang vs Shaolin), on a track titled "Rich and Black".

It was on the set of the video to that track, that nas was interviewed and ask about the first time he met Raekwon. Read what nas had to say below-

“The first time I met Rae was at a big arena in New Jersey…Continental Arena for Summer Jam,” Nas recalled. “I think it was the first Summer Jam Hot 97 ever had. Rae walked in the door backstage, and popped open a bottle of champagne like it was a movie. And I said to myself, ‘There’s no other way I was supposed to meet Rae.’ He walked in, popped the bottle and was looking for beef. It wasn’t no Rap star shit or no cameras. All of that didn’t exist back then. My G walked in, and it was just strength off the money in his pocket champagne.”

The video for the Rich and Black track is to premier to day- Thursday, July 7. Watch out for it.

Rappers React to Fat Joe's Weight Loss

After Fat Joe dropped his new video, "Drop a Body", people were surprised at the new "him" they saw in the video. He had lost considerable weight, and he was looking really fit. All through his 18 year career in the rap game, he has never been seen this way; people are starting to wonder if they can still call him "Fat Joe"...Maybe we can just call him "Joe". Some rappers have been commenting on his loss of weight and his name was even trending on yahoo all through the weekend.

Read what the rappers like Raekwon and beat maker, Just Blaze had to say about Fat Joe's weight loss-

"S/o to my brother @joeycrackts crzy hot new record and lookin good as well! #salute," Raekwon tweeted June 9th. (Raekwon's Twitter)




Looking good? I don't know, maybe when i see him more times. He was looking good, but he didn't look confident...like he was not comfortable in his new body. The clothes looked really good on him, but he...i don't know, maybe it is just me. I had this friend when i was in college that was really fat and confident, bold and beautiful, and she went on a weight loss program and when she came back, i almost didn't recognize her. But there was something strange about her now- she was always getting nervous when ever around me and her other friends. I don't know if there is a medical term for it, but i hope Joe don't start to feel like that. You can even check out his look in the image i uploaded of him.

Now, read what beat maker, Just Blaze had to say about him-


"@joeycrackts wow. *rubs eyes* salute.," Blaze tweeted June 9th. (Just Blaze's Twitter)

I would have rubbed my eyes too if i didn't here about it before i saw the video drop a body. It is cool that he paying more attention to his health, because 11 years ago, he lost his best friend and associate, Big Pun to Over Weight related Cardiac Arrest.

Check out what he has to say about the whole weight loss below-

"I always loved being fat. Obviously, I'm Fat Joe," Joey Crack said in an interview. "If I could eat and gain a thousand pounds and be healthy, I would love to do that. But obviously the statistics say you can't. It's nothing that's not out there. I think everybody needs to educate themselves. And if you from the inner side, the hood, the Bronx, Harlem, Brooklyn, whatever, there ain't no diet Snapples, there ain't no sugar free candies. You need to tell them, 'Yo, I need that.' Because everybody needs a fix. So it's a constant battle but for me, I seen too many of my friends die so I've been trying to be focusing, God-willing, I've been able to keep fighting this fight and remain healthy." (New York Daily News)

Yeah! Get healthy Joe.

Duo Producers Sean C and LV Commented on The Nas And Reakwon Collabo Track

The track title is "Rich & Black2, and it is to appear on Raekwon's upcoming album- Shaolin Vs Wu-Tang scheduled to drop later this year. The duo producers (Sean C & LV) that worked on the production commented on it.

Read it below:
'It's a crazy feeling to be a part in those two getting back together--just straight forward, Boom Bap type hip-hop. It's real simple with no frosting," says Sean C. "We wanted to give the emcees room to move. They got more than two verses--that's all I can say. Yall will hear it very soon. Everything has been finalized." (VIBE)

"It's pure hard drums and a couple strings in there. I can only say that it's just a head nod beat (pause). It's just one of them shits that makes you look like you just got punched in the face." (VIBE)

Hmm! It is cool to know that this OG's of rap can still make headlines like this.
Below is what rae had to say about the whole collabo:

"It definitely sounds like vintage Rae and Nas again," Rae said about their leaked track. "I [saw] Nas across seas, we had a show together, and we talked about a lot of things," Rae explained about how the two linked up. "We went from "A through Z ", how we felt about things what was goin on at the time, and by thegrace of God we was able to get this thing happenin' again. That was definitely one of the surprise things that I wanted to alert the fans with, just to let em know that my brother came up [for] air for me and I know through his busy schedule, in the back of his mind he was like 'Yo I gotta come up for Rae.'" (XXL Mag)

Hey guys! Do you guys like how i put up that nas and rae pic from back in the day...lol! I think that was from when they recording tracks together back in the mid 90's.

Nas to Feature on Raekwon's Shaolin Versus Wu-Tang Album- Traclist Revealed

Yeah, Raekwon The Cheeef, one of the promiment members of the Legendary rap group, Wu Tang is about to drop his latest album, since his highly successful 2009 album, Only Built For Cuban Linx2. The new album is going to be titled "shaolin versus wu tang". I already know is is going to be just as good as the last one.

Read more on the album below:
Black Thought, Nas and Rick Ross give Chef Rae some surprises on his third project in the last two years.

Wu-Tang Clan emcee Raekwon is expected to release his latest solo album, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang on March 8, 2011. The Staten Island, New Yorker's latest album is heavy on guest appearances, which includes the likes of Def Jam stars Nas, Rick Ross and Black Thought. Wu features come courtesy of Inspectah Deck, Method Man and longtime collaborator Ghostface Killah.

The tracklisting to Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang is as follows:

1. Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang
2. Every Soldier In The Hood (feat. Method Man)
3. Silver Rings (feat. Ghostface Killah)
4. Ferryboat Killaz
5. The Scroll
6. Masters Of Our Fate (feat. Black Thought)
7. Rich And Black (feat. Nas)
8. Butter Knives [Prod. by Bronze Nazareth]
9. Crane Style (feat. Busta Rhymes)
10. Chop Chop Ninja (feat. Inspectah Deck & Estelle)
11. From The Hills (feat. Method Man & Raheem DeVaughn)
12. Last Train To Scotland (feat. Lloyd Banks)
13. Rock N Roll (feat. Jim Jones, Ghostface Killah, & Kobe)
14. Molasses (feat. Rick Ross & Ghostface Killah)
15. Dart School
16. Snake Pond
17. Wu Chant (Outro)

It is great to know that nas would be featured on the album...that, i would be looking out for. Anything new from nas, whether it being his project, or someone else's is always a blessing to me.

Raekwon Gives Advice to Old Rappers trying to make a Comeback

I guess every old rapper and their moma trying to make a comeback now. I do not have any problem with that, but they should know that they can not live on past glory, and the market has generally changed. Infact, it blew me away when Raekwon did those good numbers with his last album; Only Built for Cuban Linx2. I think he pulled it off real good, and he should be in the best position to gives tips to every other old rapper trying to make a comeback.

I can remember some years ago, i think about 4 years ago, Cool G Rap dropped a new album and he thought he could sell off his old hype, and didn't do any promo for the album, and he ended up selling 900 copies first week. That is reallllly low.

Anyway, read what Rae has to say below:
“All I would say is go with your heart, know what I mean? If you dedicated to your craft and you know that you want to do something-it’s like nine times out of 10 you sayin’ if you want this to happen, it can happen, but at the same token come with the right product. Don’t go away from your craft if you sayin’ you going to take it back to what you take need to take it back to.

And at the same time, analyze the last s**t that you did that was hot; pay attention to it. Study it like how a boxer studies their fights. My thing is just stay believing in yourself, and be relevant. You can’t make you’re a** relevant when you aren’t out on the street, if you not really around to be found.

It takes a lot; a lot of dedication, and a lot of time, and the right staff and the men around you. If a ni**a tell you something is weak, or “No, I don’t get that from that,” then be willing to take that criticism in a great way. I think that’s what I did, I had a lot of people around me that were determined not to let me do what the f**k I felt, and it had to make sense to everybody. If I had one person that was against that, that bothered me. I was like why did you feel like that? “Yo I feel like that because of this or whatever”. And then they had a great thing that I had to pay attention to.

I just say, at the end of the day, have a correct team around you, and stay on your grind"

A LOOK AT THE RAP ALBUMS ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS

Another week has run through, so fast if you would ask me. Anyway, it is that time of the week when i give you the stats of how rap albums are doing on the billboard chart.

Ludacris's "battle of the sexes album is still the most relevant rap album on the charts for now; 25,000 copies this week, bringing the total to 335,000 copies sold so far. I am still yet to have a feel of the album, i would probably cop it this weekend; must definitely.

Gucci mane's mixtape, "burrprint 2" sold 19,000 copies in it's first week in stores. Nice numbers, concidering the fact that it is a mixtape.

All the other rap albums are not doing to good with the numbers; the trio of GHOST FACE KILLA, METHODMAN AND RAEKWON sold 6,600 copies this week, of their joint effort, WU MASSACRE, bringing the total to 56k.
E-40'S revenue retrieving: day shift sold 3,700 copies this week, bringing the total to 21k. Snoop doggs "more malice" cd sold 3,400 copies this week, bringing the total to 34k.


That is it for this week, see you next week.