Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), a.k.a. Raekwon (/ɹeɪˈkwɒn/), is an Ame… Read Full Bio ↴Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), a.k.a. Raekwon (/ɹeɪˈkwɒn/), is an American rapper, one of the nine Wu-Tang Clan members. Raekwon joined Wu-Tang Clan, a hip hop group based in Staten Island, New York in 1992. 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. The album moves from track to track like a film moves from scene to scene. With its invigorating instrumentals and dramatic lyrical tales, Raekwon painted vivid pictures and presented powerful imagery through his enchanting verbal expression.

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.

Dangerous
Raekwon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You know the deal, nigga
Sha what's good nigga?
Lex Diamond, your big brother here, you know
Let's work this shit out, man
Yeah, yeah, yeah, aiyo, aiyo

Fresh out the jungle where the blue boys run

We carry rugers, smoking toast on your throat like oolas
Hitting reefer, playing my square, windbreaker jacket
Holding my bear, rock and roll in my Lear
I have to eat, gun carefully, let the cocaine bling
Strings is nothing, get your hoe clapped, king
We hundred burners, onion turners, all this, came out the yard
With twenty five to lifers, loving my squad
You know the gun show off, whips is gleaming, clean as a fuck
In dirty hallways, the ninas'll cluck
This is crime station, my obligation is to look raw as ever
Feed my little sons and patients
Cause they hungry, shining, bullet fly right through the lining
Catch me on the plane, humble and wining
Feeding me, fresh niggas, downtown, Brooklyn in them brook lands
Is Timbed up, looking for them jookes, with my miss and

[Chorus]
Yo, the streets is a part of me
What you witnessing now is don archery
Pack a lambskin hostler, one of these rocks'll soft you over
You ain't nothing, you'se a bitch ass poser
Fiends on your face, on the T-shirt, thinking that you envy the P
Underneath'll be R.I.P.
That's what you get, yo, for being so cocky
Two guns, thumbs up, for me and my posse

Yo, what's the science, little nigga? Yo, you beefing too hard
I throw five in your Champ hood, and envy your squad
You try to stick out your fucking hand, nah, I don't want no dap, nigga
Fucking lucky you ain't get glammed
Bitch ass nigga, you wrong, yo, you mingle with rats
The other day you got caught with the gat, nigga
How you home, nigga? Why you even up in my square?
Like you get busy, got the block hot and stare
Fresh coffins fast, they spitting, y'all fake bitches
Snitches get mad love, hundred and eight stitches
My condolences, word life, if they can find you a real killa
Someone close is singing like the Jonases
Crime Stoppers, the tips keep pouring in
For a G, you be suprised who's going in
Block huggers, the ones who be holding they jock
And suck my cock, the real cock lovers

[Chorus]

Y'all can call me cook up or come back
My flow hot, my hood hot, cause of one rat
My block on fire cause of one match
I spit with paper like thumbstacks,
These cougars wanna play all these
Young cats with pussy, turning boys to men, so I resort to the pen
But at the same time, I'm pointing the pen
And now it's game time, nigga, you in? You better thicken your skin
Move with your peoples through the thick and the thin
I watch for po-po, they raiding the crib
And I ain't trying to get jammed, and have the next man raising my kids
God forbid, dudes be hating on his, because a nigga go hard
And hit 'em harder then they saying they is
But that's just New York, I carry the torch, just long enough
To light a Newport and carry this thought
Fuck what you thought, the bigger the boss, bigger the cost
They don't know about the Tribe of Shabazz, niggas is lost

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of “Dangerous” describe the harsh reality of life on the streets. The song opens with the line “Fresh out the jungle where the blue boys run,” which refers to the dangerous streets of New York City where the police are often referred to as “blue boys”. The situation is volatile and the artists describe the need to be armed with “rugers” and to have “hundred burners” to survive. The violent lyrics continue as they describe “rock and roll in my Lear” which could refer to the flashy lifestyle of drug dealers who use private jets to transport their drugs quickly and discreetly. The lyrics “feeding me fresh n****s downtown Brooklyn in them brook lands, is Timbed up, looking for them jookes, with my miss and” seems to be referring to looking for victims to rob which exemplifies how tough it is trying to survive in the hood. The second verse continues in a similar vein with the reference to a “lambskin hostler” and the violent imagery of killing someone by manipulating the weapon in the holster. The chorus is a warning to those who try to enter their territory: “You ain’t nothing, you’s a b***h*s poser, fiends on your face, on the T-shirt, thinking that you envy the P, underneath’ll be R.I.P.”

The third verse intensifies and the animosity picks up. There’s a reference to Envy, which this likely refers to a person, perhaps a member of a rival gang or an envious hanger-on, who lives in the same area as Rae, Ghost and Method Man. The line “I throw five in your Champ hood, and envy your squad” supports this idea. The verse suggests that there is a rat elsewhere, and they’re not quite sure who it is as the lyrics state: “Someone close is singing like the Jonases,” referring to the Jonas Brothers, implying that someone close to them is giving information to the authorities. The final line of the song is “They don’t know about the Tribe of Shabazz, n****s is lost”. This line describes how the black population has lost touch with its origins and historical significance, and instead has turned to violence and crime as a means of survival.

Line by Line Meaning

Fresh out the jungle where the blue boys run
I just left the streets where cops are always around

We carry rugers, smoking toast on your throat like oolas
We have guns and will kill you without hesitation

Hitting reefer, playing my square, windbreaker jacket
I'm smoking weed and walking around with a square windbreaker jacket

Holding my bear, rock and roll in my Lear
I have my gun with me and I'm riding in my private jet

I have to eat, gun carefully, let the cocaine bling
I need to make money and will do whatever it takes, even if it means selling drugs

Strings is nothing, get your hoe clapped, king
Money and possessions are meaningless when it comes to protecting yourself and your interests

We hundred burners, onion turners, all this, came out the yard
We have many guns and are ready for anything because we are hardened criminals

With twenty five to lifers, loving my squad
I have friends who are serving life sentences, but we are still loyal to each other

You know the gun show off, whips is gleaming, clean as a fuck
We like to show off our guns and cars, which are always looking polished and clean

In dirty hallways, the ninas'll cluck
In the urban, low-income neighborhoods, gunshots can often be heard

This is crime station, my obligation is to look raw as ever
I am involved in criminal activity and need to maintain a tough reputation

Feed my little sons and patients
I need to provide for my children and those who are depending on me

Cause they hungry, shining, bullet fly right through the lining
My loved ones are at risk of being hurt or killed because of my lifestyle

Catch me on the plane, humble and wining
I may be rich and powerful, but I am also humble and thankful for my success

Feeding me, fresh niggas, downtown, Brooklyn in them brook lands
I am surrounded by new, young criminals in Brooklyn

Is Timbed up, looking for them jookes, with my miss and
I am searching for easy targets to rob with my accomplice

Yo, the streets is a part of me
The streets are my life and who I am

What you witnessing now is don archery
You are watching a master at work

Pack a lambskin hostler, one of these rocks'll soft you over
I carry a concealed weapon and can easily kill someone with it

You ain't nothing, you'se a bitch ass poser
You're worthless and fake

Fiends on your face, on the T-shirt, thinking that you envy the P
You have drug addiction problems and wish you were as successful as I am

Underneath'll be R.I.P.
You will soon be dead and forgotten

That's what you get, yo, for being so cocky
You're going to die because you're too confident and disrespectful

Two guns, thumbs up, for me and my posse
My crew and I are armed and ready

Yo, what's the science, little nigga? Yo, you beefing too hard
What's going on, why are you causing so much trouble?

I throw five in your Champ hood, and envy your squad
I'll pay someone to hurt you and your crew

You try to stick out your fucking hand, nah, I don't want no dap, nigga
I don't want to pretend to be friends with you

Fucking lucky you ain't get glammed
You're lucky I didn't kill you

Bitch ass nigga, you wrong, yo, you mingle with rats
You're a coward and associate with informants

The other day you got caught with the gat, nigga
You were recently arrested for carrying a gun

How you home, nigga? Why you even up in my square?
How did you get out of jail so quickly and why are you in my territory?

Like you get busy, got the block hot and stare
You act tough and cause trouble, attracting unwanted attention

Fresh coffins fast, they spitting, y'all fake bitches
People are dying quickly and often, revealing who is real and who is fake

Snitches get mad love, hundred and eight stitches
Those who inform on others are treated with disrespect and may be severely beaten

My condolences, word life, if they can find you a real killa
If someone truly dangerous finds you, I won't feel sorry for you

Someone close is singing like the Jonases
One of your friends or associates is cooperating with the police

Crime Stoppers, the tips keep pouring in
The police are receiving many anonymous tips about criminal activity

For a G, you be suprised who's going in
For only $1,000, anyone can be arrested or killed

Block huggers, the ones who be holding they jock
Cowards who cling to their possessions and won't defend themselves

And suck my cock, the real cock lovers
People who are disloyal and will do anything for personal gain

Y'all can call me cook up or come back
You can refer to me as a drug dealer or a former criminal who has returned

My flow hot, my hood hot, cause of one rat
My music and my neighborhood are popular, but my success attracts informants

My block on fire cause of one match
My neighborhood is in chaos because of one person's actions

I spit with paper like thumbstacks,
I write and perform music with raw attitude and aggression

These cougars wanna play all these
These older women are trying to seduce young men

Young cats with pussy, turning boys to men, so I resort to the pen
I use my music to attract young women and become a better artist

But at the same time, I'm pointing the pen
I am writing lyrics that are both good and bad

And now it's game time, nigga, you in? You better thicken your skin
It's time to step up and face the challenges ahead, so be prepared

Move with your peoples through the thick and the thin
Stay loyal to your friends and family, even when things get difficult

I watch for po-po, they raiding the crib
I am constantly on the lookout for the police, who may come to my home unannounced

And I ain't trying to get jammed, and have the next man raising my kids
I don't want to go to jail and have someone else take care of my children

God forbid, dudes be hating on his, because a nigga go hard
People may hate on me because I am successful and work hard to achieve my goals

And hit 'em harder then they saying they is
I will succeed despite the negativity and obstacles in my way

But that's just New York, I carry the torch, just long enough
This is just how things are in New York, and I will continue to fight and work hard

To light a Newport and carry this thought
To relax and reflect on my situation while smoking a cigarette

Fuck what you thought, the bigger the boss, bigger the cost
I don't care what you think, but being a leader comes with greater risks and responsibilities

They don't know about the Tribe of Shabazz, niggas is lost
Most people don't understand the history and culture of black people, and are therefore ignorant

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES TODD SMITH, RICK RUBIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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