Raekwon On ‘People’s Party With Talib Kweli’

In this episode of “People’s Party With Talib Kweli”, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with rapper, writer, author and one of Wu-Tang Clan’s founding members:

Shallah, Lex Diamonds…

RAEKWON (The Chef)

The impact of ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…’ aka ‘The Purple Tape’, cemented Rae’s legacy as one of the original kings of Mafioso hip hop. Here’s what they covered in this one:

• Rae and Talib meeting for the first time at Loud Records headquarters
• Coming up in the Park Hill aka ‘Killa Hill’ projects of Staten Island
• His past of identifying as a member of the five percent nation
• How the Wu-Tang Clan came together, RZA calling on Rae to help form the group
• A deep dive into the process of penning classics like “Can It Be All So Simple”
• Discussion of the real story behind the backronym of “C.R.E.A.M.”
• How Rae and Ghost became such close friends through sharing the same creative vision
• Talk of the “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” series and Rae’s take on how it turned out
• His 611 Purple Factory located in Toronto, Canada dedicated to Rae and the Wu
• Breaking down notable verses on the song “Incarcerated Scarfaces”
• The scientific study done on which rappers have the largest vocabulary
• Explanation of the mindset when Rae and Ghost did the “Striving For Perfection” intro
• Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Kool G, Slick Rick, LL, and KRS as Rae’s Justice League
• Center piecing the cocaine underworld on ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..’
• Wu-Tang member Cappadonna and what he means to the Wu legacy
• Rae’s favorite Gangster movies of all-time
• The Force M.D.’s paving the way for future Staten Island artists
• Love for all music and how special the 90’s were
• Advice for up and coming emcees about not skipping steps to success
• Bringing the East and South together on Outkast’s “Skew It On The Bar-B”
• The pressure of meeting expectations on ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II’
• Rae’s book “From Staircase To Stage: The Story Of Raekwon And The Wu-Tang Clan”

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