Corey Woods was born on the 12th of January 1970 in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, but his life as a rapper began in the shadows of a fractured family. His father, an addict whom he met only once at the age of six, vanished from his life before he could form a memory of him. Raised by a mother who endured abuse from multiple men, Woods witnessed violence that left a permanent scar on his psyche. When he was a teenager, a domestic dispute led to his mother kicking him out of their home in Park Hill, Staten Island, leaving him to navigate a world spiraling into hopelessness. During this period of instability, he fell into a pattern of violent behavior and became addicted to cocaine and crack cocaine, a trap that only snapped shut when he realized the epidemic was consuming his community. The turning point arrived when he was caught in a crossfire and accidentally shot four times. That near-death experience served as an important eye opener, forcing him to stop using drugs and redirect his energy into rapping. He adopted the name Raekwon, inspired by the Five-Percent Nation, a religious offshoot of the Nation of Islam, and began his journey toward becoming a foundational figure in hip-hop.
The Wu-Tang Blueprint
In 1992, Woods joined the Wu-Tang Clan, a nine-member group drawn primarily from Staten Island and Brooklyn, performing under the name Raekwon The Chef. The group debuted with the November 1993 album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), which would eventually be certified platinum and launch the career of the collective. Their single C.R.E.A.M. reached number 8 on the Billboard rap chart, but the true power of the group lay in their ability to craft a unique sonic identity. Following the success of their debut, the group released Wu-Tang Forever in 1997, a double album that achieved four-times multi-platinum status. The collective continued to release albums including The W in 2000, Iron Flag in 2001, and 8 Diagrams in 2007. Raekwon utilized various aliases such as Lex Diamonds, Shallah Raekwon, and Louis Rich, but it was his role as the Chef that defined his contribution to the group's narrative. His lyrical style, characterized by street epics that were straightforward yet linguistically rich, set him apart as one of the leading rappers of his generation. The group's success was not just a commercial achievement but a cultural phenomenon that reshaped the landscape of hip-hop in the 1990s.
The Crime Mafia Story
On the 1st of August 1995, Raekwon released his debut solo album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... through Loud Records, a project that would be recognized as a classic despite sales initially lagging behind his fellow Wu-Tang member Method Man's Tical. The album's narrative struggle was set to imagery of criminal activity, largely cocaine trafficking, and the emergence from it into the good life. Wu-Tang member and house producer RZA produced the entire album, calling it like a crime mafia story. Ghostface Killah rapped in over half of the album's tracks, and the two wrote some lyrics in Barbados and Miami. The album followed a cinematic narrative, inspired by mob and kung-fu movies, with a plethora of references and samples that created an on-going story of struggle and success. Raekwon explained the lyrics' context as trying to get out the hood, wanting to buy the most expensive cars and jewelry and different things like that. The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and at number 2 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It shipped about 130,000 copies in its first week and was certified gold, at least 500,000 copies shipped, two months later in October 1995. It was finally certified platinum in 2020, cementing its status as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.
After Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., Raekwon's next two albums, Immobilarity in 1999 and The Lex Diamond Story in 2003, drew mixed reviews. Immobilarity lacked RZA's record production and Ghostface Killah features, while The Lex Diamond Story, released in 2003 under major label Universal Records, faced criticism for a low promotional budget. The long-awaited sequel, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, was planned for release through record producer Dr. Dre's label Aftermath Entertainment in 2007. Raekwon credited the executive producer Busta Rhymes with restoring his Cuban Linx mindset, while most tracks were produced by RZA, who likened collaboration with Dr. Dre to yin and yang styles. Amid many delays, as for sample clearance, the track Surgical Gloves had been leaked already when the album was released by Raekwon's label, Ice H20, under major label EMI's distribution on the 8th of September 2009. The album featured Wu-Tang members and affiliates as well as Slick Rick, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, Beanie Sigel, and others. In September 2009, MTV ranked Raekwon tenth among hottest rappers. In December, HipHopDx's 2009 awards named Only Built For Cuban Linx... Pt. II album of the year, calling it the Hip Hop equivalent to The Godfather 2, with Rae as revitalized as Marlon was. Raekwon won Emcee of the Year, with the prior year won by Nas, while HipHopDX staff explained the significance of the return.
The Chef's Kitchen
Following the critical and relative commercial success of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, Raekwon collaborated with Method Man and Ghostface Killah for Wu-Massacre, a short trio album designed to showcase unity within the group. After this release, Raekwon resurrected talk of Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, a project announced in 2007, originally planned as a Wu-Tang album, minus RZA, due to his response to the previous group album 8 Diagrams. Although not a Wu-Tang Clan project, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang was released in March 2011, serving as Raekwon's fifth solo LP. As originally planned, RZA did not participate on the project, however, several other Wu-Tang members made appearances, as well as Black Thought, Nas and Rick Ross, among others. Raekwon revealed that he intends on eventually releasing a third installment to the Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... albums. In 2012, Raekwon launched his own record label, Ice H20 Records. He announced on the 30th of November 2012 that he would soon release an EP entitled Lost Jewlry. On the 20th of December, he released Never Can Say Goodbye, which did not end up on the EP. Lost Jewlry was released on the 15th of January 2013, featuring guest appearances from Maino and Freddie Gibbs, as well as production from Scram Jones, among others.
The Modern Masterpiece
On the 1st of January 2013, Raekwon announced that the title of his next album would be F.I.L.A., an acronym for Fly International Luxurious Art, and that it would be released during the second quarter of 2013. He would later specify a release month of September 2013. Following the release of the first single All About You, Raekwon intimated that the album would be released in January 2014; it finally saw release on the 28th of April 2015. In November 2016, Raekwon announced that a new album was complete. On the 24th of March 2017, Raekwon released a studio album, The Wild, his first not to feature collaborations with fellow members of the Wu-Tang Clan. Critical reception was positive, with Pitchfork saying the album was stronger than Fly, which it alleged had a bloated roster. Consequence of Sound agreed, saying The Wild was largely understood as a return to form by Raekwon, with fewer guest appearances by other artists than usual and more focus on Raekwon's long-established style, albeit with the maximalist modern production he had employed on Fly. Raekwon was featured as a guest on the intro to the WWCD compilation by Griselda. On the 1st of August 2020, Elliot Wilson, of Tidal and Rap Radar, announced Raekwon will be releasing Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 3 soon. Raekwon provided guest vocals alongside Ghostface Killah and Busta Rhymes on Science Class, a song off Griselda leader Westside Gunn's 2022 mixtape 10. Raekwon has most recently released an album titled The Emperor's New Clothes, featuring artists such as Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn, with other features coming mainly from other members of Wu-Tang Clan.