January 19 2010
Raekwon to play Auckland show
posted by Steven Shaw at 2:06 pm
The Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon will play a solo show at Auckland’s Powerstation in March.
A genuine rap legend, Raekwon went solo in 1995 with his debut album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…. And last year he released the sequel, his fourth solo album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II, receiving another toasty warm welcome from critics and fans alike. It debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. Rolling Stone rated it at 25th best album of the year, and both Time magazine and the influential PopMatters website named it the #7 album of 2009.
From the press release:
“In 1993, hip-hop would be forever changed by the emergence of the gritty, Shaolin-style of the seminal rap clique, the Wu-Tang Clan. Straight from the streets of Staten Island, New York, a unique conglomerate of nine individually exceptional lyricists flourished – Method Man, Raekwon, RZA, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, GZA, U-God, Masta Killa, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
The Wu-Tang style was soon imitated. Their grimy, sparse beats and incredibly diverse lyrical flows, became the musical blueprint for many hip-hop cliques. To this day, the Wu-Tang’s impact on hip-hop culture is unyielding. Wu-Tang Clan not only influenced the state of music as a group, but also as individuals. Each member possesses his own exceptional characteristics, which has attracted a cult following worldwide.
Raekwon (the Chef), shined as the purist of the Wu-Tang lyricists. When the time came for him to release his first solo album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995), hip-hop, once again, underwent a momentous transformation. This classic album, went gold in three days. With its invigorating instrumentals and dramatic lyrical tales, Raekwon painted vivid pictures and presented powerful imagery through his enchanting verbal expression.
In the years after the release of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, Raekwon continued to record several albums with the Clan including the platinum Wu-Tang Forever (1997) and The W (2000), as well as the gold Iron Flag (2001), while at the same time working on his second solo album, Immobilarity, released in 1999 followed by 2003’s The Lex Diamond Story.
September 2009 saw the release of the long-awaited sequel to his debut album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt. II with Executive Producers Busta Rhymes and RZA at the helm and contributions from Dr Dre, Ghostface Killah, Erick Sermon, Scram Jones, Pete Rock, Method Man, Jadakiss and J-Dilla, among others.
In December 2009 the 2009 HipHopDx Awards chose ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt. II as their Album Of The Year and crowned Raekwon Best Emcee Of The Year.”
Raekwon, plus guests — Powerstation, Auckland, Saturday 20 March. Tickets on sale now through Ticketmaster, Real Groovy & Beat Merchants.