Raekwon

• 1. Crossfire And The Name

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  Corey Woods was born on the 12th of January 1970 in Brownsville, Brooklyn. He grew up under the care of his mother while his father struggled with addiction. Their lives changed when a robbery forced them to move to Staten Island. They settled into Park Hill during Raekwon's adolescence years.

  The young man witnessed violence within his own home as men abused his mother repeatedly. This trauma shaped his early worldview and contributed to a pattern of hopelessness later in life. His mother eventually kicked him out after an argument involving her boyfriend. He spiraled into drug use, consuming cocaine and crack until the epidemic around him became too visible to ignore.

  A crossfire incident left him shot four times by mistake. That moment served as an eye opener for Corey Woods. He began rapping seriously after surviving the shooting. He adopted the name Raekwon from the Five-Percent Nation, a group he joined as a child.

• 2. Staten Island Roots

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  Woods first performed under the stage name Sha Raider before joining Wu-Tang Clan in 1992. The nine-member group drew members primarily from Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. They released their debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in November 1993.

  The record achieved platinum certification status shortly after release. Its single C.R.E.A.M reached number eight on the Billboard rap chart. A double album called Wu-Tang Forever followed in 1997 and earned four-times multi-platinum status.

  Raekwon operated under multiple aliases including Lex Diamonds and Shallah Raekwon during these years. The group continued releasing albums through the early 2000s with titles like The W and Iron Flag. Their collective success laid the foundation for individual solo careers within the hip-hop community.

• 3. Crime Mafia Storytelling

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  Raekwon signed a deal with Loud Records in 1994 to pursue his own path. His debut solo album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... arrived on the 1st of August 1995. Sales initially lagged behind those of fellow member Method Man's Tical project.

  RZA produced every track on the album while Ghostface Killah appeared on over half its songs. The narrative focused on criminal activity involving cocaine trafficking before transitioning into wealth acquisition. RZA described the work as resembling a crime mafia story set against cinematic imagery.

  Lyrics reflected desires to purchase expensive cars and jewelry while escaping the hood environment. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart and reached number two on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It shipped approximately 130,000 copies during its first week alone.

  Gold certification came two months later by October 1995 after selling at least 500,000 units. Platinum status finally arrived in 2020 despite earlier commercial performance.

• 4. Budget Battles And Reviews

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  Immobilarity emerged in 1999 without production from RZA or features from Ghostface Killah. Critics gave mixed responses to this second effort compared to previous acclaim. The Lex Diamond Story followed in 2003 under Universal Records with similarly divided reception.

  Raekwon cited low promotional budgets as a major factor affecting these releases. User reviews varied widely even when professional critics remained unimpressed. Production changes contributed to shifting sounds that confused some listeners expecting consistency.

  Despite challenges, Raekwon maintained his position within hip-hop circles through collaborations. He appeared on tracks featuring Nas Jadakiss Big Pun and Fat Joe during this period. These appearances kept him visible while navigating label constraints.

• 5. The Decade Long Wait

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  Plans for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II began forming years before its eventual release. Dr Dre's Aftermath Entertainment initially hosted the project in 2007. Busta Rhymes served as executive producer helping restore what Raekwon called his Cuban Linx mindset.

  Sample clearance issues caused numerous delays throughout the process. A track titled Surgical Gloves leaked before the official drop date. Ice H20 released the album under EMI distribution on the 8th of September 2009 after many postponements.

  HipHopDx named it Album Of The Year in December 2009 comparing it favorably to The Godfather Part Two. MTV ranked Raekwon tenth among hottest rappers later that same month. Critics praised how revitalized he sounded compared to earlier works.

• 6. Independent Label And Return

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  Raekwon launched Ice H20 Records in 2012 to gain control over future releases. Lost Jewlry arrived as an EP on the 15th of January 2013 featuring Maino and Freddie Gibbs. Production came from Scram Jones alongside other contributors.

  Fly International Luxurious Art followed with a delayed timeline stretching into April 2015. Pitchfork noted this album surpassed Fly due to bloated rosters found elsewhere. Consequence of Sound agreed calling it a return to form focusing less on guest appearances.

  The Wild appeared the 24th of March 2017 marking his first solo work without Wu-Tang Clan members. Recent projects include The Emperor's New Clothes featuring Conway the Machine Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn. These albums demonstrate continued creativity decades after initial fame.