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.
Criminology
Raekwon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ayy, ayy, who the fuck you think you talkin' to, huh?
(You wanna fuck with-)
Who the fuck you think I am, your fuckin' bellboy?
Do you wanna go to war? (Nothin' but a half a mil', we build)
You wanna go to war? We'll take you to war, okay?
For real, y'all
Takin' you on another one, son
Makin' cream like that nigga
Yo, first of all, son, peep the arson (blaow)
Many brothers I be sparkin' and bustin' mad light inside the dark
Call me dough snatcher, just the brother for the rapture
I hang glide, holdin' on strong, hard to capture
Extravagant, RZA bake the track and it's militant
Then I react, like a convict, and start killin' shit
It's manifested, the God's work like appliances
Dealin' in my cypher I revolve around sciences
The 9th chamber, leave you trapped inside my hallway
You try to flee but you got smoked up by the doorway (blaow)
No question, I send your ass back, right to the essence
Your whole frame is smothered in dirt, now how you restin'?
While I'll be trapped by sounds, locked behind loops
Throwin' niggas off airplanes 'cause cash rules (cash rules)
Everything around me, black, as you can see
Swallow this murder one verse like God Degree
Then analyze my soundtrack for satisfaction
You adapt like a flashback, chain reaction
(Lace 'em niggas, son)
AK's black, bust back like seventy MACs
I'm all that, street niggas knowin' my steez, black
Ron G, you know he coincide with me, see
Marvelous, menace for society
But anyway, let's toast, champagne thoughts with Ghost
I max the most shotguns through the nose
Fuck rap, hip-hop put me on top
'Lo wears, and Tommy Hil' fly shit with a knot
The witty unpredictable live shit, drive by shit
Do-or-die shit, I'll take your lie and shit
And then you know, I'm runnin' through the penal, foul
Fall through, child was wild
The old lady snitched, but fuck it, you know it, one love, kid
No, I'm not doin' a bid
Too much to get for what 'cause six niggas got stuck
And the nigga chain was truck?
Yo, fuck that, criminology rap
Sneakers stay jet black floatin' in the flyest Ac', nigga
(Bring it, yeah)
Much love go to New York City
All my Tommy Hil', ice rockin' niggas
The lyrics to the opening verse of Raekwon's song "Criminology" depict a confrontation between two individuals, with one warning the other not to "fuck" with him. The singer taunts and threatens the other person, daring them to go to war with him. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which goes on to describe the violent and criminal activities in which the singer and his accomplices engage. The lyrics are delivered in a distinctive style, with a menacing tone and vivid descriptions that capture the brutality and intensity of the subject matter.
The song draws heavily on imagery from the criminal underworld, with references to guns, drugs, and violence. The artist uses vivid metaphors and wordplay to create a sense of atmosphere and drama, painting a picture of a lawless and dangerous world. The lyrics also contain references to hip-hop and street culture, with nods to fashion (Tommy Hilfiger) and music (Julio Iglesias).
Line by Line Meaning
I told you a long time ago you fucking little monkey, not to fuck me
I warned you not to mess with me a long time ago, but you didn't listen.
Ayy, ayy, who the fuck you think you talkin' to, huh?
Who do you think you're talking to, huh?
(You wanna fuck with-) Who the fuck you think I am, your fuckin' bellboy?
Do you think I'm your servant, like a bellboy or something?
Do you wanna go to war? (Nothin' but a half a mil', we build)
Do you want to fight? We can do that, but it's going to cost us.
You wanna go to war? We'll take you to war, okay?
If you want to fight, we're prepared to fight back.
For real, y'all
Takin' you on another one, son
Uh, Julio Iglesias
Makin' cream like that nigga
I'm serious about this, let's go. Another verse, a reference to Julio Iglesias, and making money like him.
Yo, first of all, son, peep the arson (blaow)
Many brothers I be sparkin' and bustin' mad light inside the dark
First of all, look at the destruction. I'm out here creating chaos and causing a scene.
Call me dough snatcher, just the brother for the rapture
I hang glide, holdin' on strong, hard to capture
I'm a pro at stealing money, I'm the one to take you towards the end of the world. I'm always moving fast, making it hard to catch me.
Extravagant, RZA bake the track and it's militant
Then I react, like a convict, and start killin' shit
The track is amazing, produced by RZA and its militant. My response to it is brutal, like a convict who just wants to cause damage.
It's manifested, the God's work like appliances
Dealin' in my cypher I revolve around sciences
This is my calling, this is my purpose. I'm spinning around in my world of knowledge.
The 9th chamber, leave you trapped inside my hallway
You try to flee but you got smoked up by the doorway (blaow)
I've got you trapped in my world, escape is impossible. You tried, but you were stopped by force.
No question, I send your ass back, right to the essence
Your whole frame is smothered in dirt, now how you restin'?
It's a fact that I defeated you, you're gone. You're covered in dirt now, how are you resting?
While I'll be trapped by sounds, locked behind loops
Throwin' niggas off airplanes 'cause cash rules (cash rules)
I'm trapped by the sound of the music, it has a hold on me. Ready to do whatever it takes to make money, even if that means pushing people off airplanes.
Everything around me, black, as you can see
Swallow this murder one verse like God Degree
My world is dark, and you can see that. Listen to me, as I spit this murder rap.
Then analyze my soundtrack for satisfaction
You adapt like a flashback, chain reaction
Listen to the beat, and be satisfied. The music is so good it's like a flashback, it's a chain reaction.
(Lace 'em niggas, son)
AK's black, bust back like seventy MACs
I'm all that, street niggas knowin' my steez, black
Get these fools ready, son. I'm armed with guns, and I'll shoot back like I have seventy MACs. Everyone knows who I am, and what I'm capable of.
Ron G, you know he coincide with me, see
Marvelous, menace for society
Ron G is my boy, he's with me. I'm marvelous, but also a menace to society.
But anyway, let's toast, champagne thoughts with Ghost
I max the most shotguns through the nose
But enough about that. Let's celebrate with some champagne, and hang out with Ghost. I've got a lot of shotguns, ready to go.
Fuck rap, hip-hop put me on top
'Lo wears, and Tommy Hil' fly shit with a knot
I don't care about rap, it's hip-hop that made me famous. I'm rocking Polo and Tommy Hilfiger, with a huge knot in my pocket.
The witty unpredictable live shit, drive by shit
Do-or-die shit, I'll take your lie and shit
I'm unpredictable with my rhymes, and I'm always on the move. I'm not afraid to take risks, and I'll call out a liar.
And then you know, I'm runnin' through the penal, foul
Fall through, child was wild
You already know I've been to jail, running around reckless. I had some wild times.
The old lady snitched, but fuck it, you know it, one love, kid
No, I'm not doin' a bid
Too much to get for what 'cause six niggas got stuck
And the nigga chain was truck?
The old lady snitched, but whatever, it's all good. Love to you. No, I didn't go to jail. It wasn't worth it for just six guys and stealing a necklace.
Yo, fuck that, criminology rap
Sneakers stay jet black floatin' in the flyest Ac', nigga
Forget all that, I'm just here to spit my criminology rap. My sneakers are always jet black, and I'm cruising around in the freshest car.
(Bring it, yeah)
Much love go to New York City
All my Tommy Hil', ice rockin' niggas
Bring it on, let's do this. Much love to New York City, and all my boys rocking Tommy Hilfiger and ice.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Corey Woods, Dennis Coles, Leroy Burgess, Patrick Adams, Robert Diggs, Russell Patterson, Stuart Bascombe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ArMiNiSfUCkinRedicK
@Charles Hairston only idiots exclude him....top 5 in story telling....top 3 in flow..... all the coded and slang language...
My view top lyricist 10
Kool g
Rakim
Nas
Pun
Guru
Scarface
Eminem( though i hate him now, just earlier shit i mean...but if u want gza there gza)
Black thought
Canibus
Ghostface
@Oldschoolhiphopchannel
Only For Fans of Real Hip Hop...Click At Your Own Risk - https://youtu.be/6L7oS8w8mv0
@jaykriss724
Never thought I could listen to a song so many thousands of times and not get tired of it RZA smoked the production and Ghost and Rae divoured the beat
@sonicbroom8522
100% F.A.X.
@the2ndcoming135
This beat is just insane bro👀
@misham2563
20 some years later and I’m
Still playing this.
@seanmorton1916
This one of those instrumentalists..it doesn't even matter who's spitting..Luckily for me I've only ever heard this beat be graced by Rae ghost and large amounts..jay z you dont know beat is the same for j blaze killed that one
@JeffBezos-pb1zv
@@seanmorton1916 it's a known fact Jay is a swagger jacker. When 36 chambers came out I was a pre teen in the streets of NYC and it was my boy Bar and me playing Nintendo in his dad's apt/trap his pops was a Kung Fu master for decades, eagle claw,tiger style he knew those before Wu came out. He dead ass had a vicious rott named Shaolin if I'm lying I'm dying. Swords and staffs on the wall. Perfect backdrop for 36! I played my man's tape sooo much he went crazy and broke it. I asked why you broke your only tape he said I had him going crazy playing it. Lol good ol' 90s
@juseasy9308
This beat along with "So whatcha sayin" and "Mass Appeal" are the epitome of what hip-hop should sound like💥💯
@qdontae6
Oooouuu Mass Appeal 1 of the best beats ever!! U forgot Mobb Deep Shook Ones tho 🔥🔥
@progressiveoverload252
Mass appeal! You hit the nail on the head.