Rae's groundbreaking debut album helped to bring the flavour of flossing to wax as well as the use of the moniker among Wu brethren and other prominent emcees. The single "Verbal Intercourse" featured the first appearance of Nas Escobar, Nas' alter ego. Similarly, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, who served as Rae's partner in rhyme throughout the entire Cuban Linx album, also developed a slew of other identities. Identities like Lex Diamond, one of the flashy, witty and intellectually stimulating personas of the multifaceted Raekwon.
In the years after the release of Cuban Linx, Raekwon continued to record several albums with the Clan including the platinum Wu-Tang Forver (1997) and The W (2000), as well as the gold Iron Flag (2001). He also starred in the critically acclaimed film Black and White, before releasing his second solo album, Immobilarity in 1999. Four years later, it's time for another masterpiece from Raekwon.
The Lex Diamond Story, Raekwon's forthcoming third solo album is that desperately needed effort. This new LP is as much a reflection of his first musical triumph Cuban Linx, as it is a manifestation of the future and what is to come from this great emcee. Raekwon is like the E.F. Hutton of hip-hop: when he speaks, everyone listens. The current void in hip-hop is filled with this rap veteran's
crafty verbal gymnastics and artistic form of storytelling. The Lex Diamond Story takes the top shelf elements of the Wu's first album and the finest sentiments of Raekwon's debut and joins them together to deliver another classic album to the masses.
A lyrical gourmet meal, The Lex Diamond Story shows that The Chef still possesses the recipe to cook up a jambalaya of words with the main ingredient being superior skills. Animated and intense, Raekwon's stealth delivery is filled with emotion, skilled cadence and an array of diverse stories, hooks, and topics. The track, "All Over Again (The Way We Were)" touches on the flavour of "Can It Be All So Simple" with its tale of street survival. Meanwhile, "Pit Bull Fights" is reminiscent of the ferocious lyrical beating inflicted on "Incarcerated Scarfaces." Raekwon is indisputably at his creative beast. Unchained and uninhibited, he is assertive with his music and focused on his goals.
Counterfittin'
Raekwon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the spot, he knew what the fuck he do
Fuck I told you about coming in here, man
We told you not to wear, no them furs, man
Up in here man, them shits is fresh off the racks, idiot
[Raekwon]
So much haze we hitting, counterfitting sit on the couch riffing
Names getting bigger, these flames'll come out quick --
Fuck Crystal, Crug' is the new shit, drive up in the whip
Light a new L, I like the blue liquor
Chase it down, like a nigga chased out of town
Jakes got a nigga down, laced in lemon lounger
For all the Cash Rule niggas, what's up niggas
Get your money, be respectful, we'll flip niggas
Who try to diss Chef name, a war about to come
I put it on my son, I'm not falling today
I got my acres up, scrapped up, 'town's my baby boy
Watch me Ving Rhames your mother, so straighten up
Cuz Wu's back, matter fact, Chef's here, yeah
He got the best ear, I'm not saying it's true or wack, yo
I play mine "Rewind the Time", memorize a fine line
Jump out with old Nike's and fine Klein
"I got to have it" - sample (4X)
[Raekwon]
Stainless steel, kitchen mill', fishing, we steal bitches
Twenty four hour funny, long as it's no money
I sware on Shallah's tummy, yo, I stay swelled up
Yup, or stay jailed up, for robbing them round oney's
Murderers act nervous, black weed, giving the love back
To every nationality and black seeds, I stand
Mack squeeze, hit the best rapper alive standing
Yeah, yo, whoever, this is Black Jesus...
[Outro: Raekwon]
Yo, call me back, man, call me back, man
We here banging up, like, fucking, seventy ounces
Give it to these niggas out of town, you heard?
In Raekwon's song "Counterfittin'", the rapper spins rhymes about his luxurious and criminal lifestyle. The intro sets the scene in a spot where counterfeiting is the name of the game. Raekwon vividly describes the scene, stating that so much haze is being smoked that they are "counterfitting sit on the couch riffing". He then talks about the need for more rovers in the building to attract more women. He boasts about his fame, which is rapidly gaining momentum, and his preference for Crug over Crystal (champagne).
Raekwon then raps about how he deals with his detractors and how he ensures that they know who's boss. He has no qualms about engaging in a fight, as he puts it, "a war is about to come". He is unperturbed by jail because he grew up in it and vows to rob them of their money. He also shows love for his black community while acknowledging other nationalities. In the outro, he asks someone to call him back because he is busy "banging up seventy ounces" and planning to "give it to these niggas out of town".
Line by Line Meaning
It's the spot, he knew what the fuck he do
The singer is aware of the setting and that something is happening here
Fuck I told you about coming in here, man
The singer addresses someone who was warned before not to come in this place
We told you not to wear, no them furs, man
The singer points out that the person was also advised not to wear certain clothing
Up in here man, them shits is fresh off the racks, idiot
The artist says that they sell brand new and unused items here, which the person entering ignorantly did not know
So much haze we hitting, counterfitting sit on the couch riffing
The artist and others are smoking a lot of marijuana and making fake bills as they relax on a couch
Need more rovers in the building, for more bitches, to give out
The singer wants more Range Rovers to be seen when attracting women to give fake bills to
Names getting bigger, these flames'll come out quick --
The more famous their names get, the easier it will be for them to spread their fake bills
Fuck Crystal, Crug' is the new shit, drive up in the whip
The artist dislikes Crystal, the drug and prefers Crug' and likes to arrive at places using a car
Light a new L, I like the blue liquor
The artist wants to light a new type of blunt and drink a blue-colored alcoholic drink
Chase it down, like a nigga chased out of town
The artist and others drink more alcohol to cope with feeling scared from being kicked out of a location
Jakes got a nigga down, laced in lemon lounger
The police have caught a person who has been sedated or imprisoned through codeine cough syrup
For all the Cash Rule niggas, what's up niggas
The artist greets all the individuals who follow Cash Rule with respect
Get your money, be respectful, we'll flip niggas
The singer wants everyone to get money and be polite, but won't hesitate to use aggressive methods if they don't
Who try to diss Chef name, a war about to come
The singer is ready to attack anyone who disrespects their friend Chef
I put it on my son, I'm not falling today
The singer promises that they won't fail or lose the battle because they have their son's reputation tied to it
I got my acres up, scrapped up, 'town's my baby boy
The artist has their own area and managed to obtain wealth to make their city proud
Watch me Ving Rhames your mother, so straighten up
The artist will do something like Ving Rhames, an actor, would do to someone's mother, so people should behave
Cuz Wu's back, matter fact, Chef's here, yeah
The Wu-Tang Clan is back and Chef is present too
He got the best ear, I'm not saying it's true or wack, yo
The singer acknowledges that Chef has a good ear but won't clarify if their style is good or bad
I play mine "Rewind the Time", memorize a fine line
The artist celebrates their own work, listens to it often, and studies clever lyrics
Jump out with old Nike's and fine Klein
The artist gets out of the car, wearing old shoes made by a famous brand
"I got to have it" - sample (4X)
A sample of a line is repeated four times in the background
Stainless steel, kitchen mill', fishing, we steal bitches
The singer and others have stolen women in the past and make knives using stainless steel and a grinding mill
Twenty four hour funny, long as it's no money
As long as the event doesn't involve money, the group will be there for a while though with humor
I sware on Shallah's tummy, yo, I stay swelled up
The singer shows their loyalty to Shallah, a friend or maybe even a religious figure, by swearing on their stomach and staying confident
Yup, or stay jailed up, for robbing them round oney's
The singer will either stay safe but not make money or be imprisoned for stealing coins
Murderers act nervous, black weed, giving the love back
The singer sees that criminals are apprehensive due to the Black weed, which shows love
To every nationality and black seeds, I stand
The artist supports not just black people but all races
Mack squeeze, hit the best rapper alive standing
The artist will shoot and kill the best rappers who are alive and fighting against them
Yeah, yo, whoever, this is Black Jesus...
The singer introduces themselves as being like Black Jesus, important and influential
Yo, call me back, man, call me back, man
The singer wants to be called back
We here banging up, like, fucking, seventy ounces
The group is taking drugs together, totaling up to seventy ounces
Give it to these niggas out of town, you heard?
The group will give their fake bills to unsuspecting people who don't live in the area
Contributed by Eliana I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.