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.
Musketeers Of Pig Alley
Raekwon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vision of break faces, gettin' money lay in the boats
Got big rifles, play the hood, ride Benz Cycles
Y'all mens are psycho, killah hill 'ciples
More fly generics, money make moves, forget it
We got this locked since nineteen-seven
So many rods and weapons, ain't no more reppins
Meet the real, we lock the real, me lock the steel
Pop off, pull out, drop them bills
I run with all real killas, all for realer
Nikes on, awesome gorillas
Want more then kill 'em, front war, reveal 'em
I want him stretched out, listen, he lost the buildin'
All fly gangstas, more bankers, hundred wit' us
We ex-dust niggas, don't even touch my drink
Fuck around, get shanked, stabbed, shot and broke
Ya' yolked and he blast-es through you in the faint
All my niggas get paint, yo what's my name?
Lexus diamond, ice water inc
Uh, yeah, once again in the motherfuckin' place
Fix yo' motherfuckin' face, nigga
Yeah, you know how we gets down
Me and this mixo, we so, we so tight
Lex diamond sound, and uh
I bees the high chief, Jamel Areif
Straight from East Medina
And uh yo yeah, yeah, huh
They started jammin' in the park, just after dark
Two turntables and their DJ scratchin'
Words seemed to have an attraction when they rhymin'
Hip hop caused the guns to start sparkin'
Temperature risin'
Drape a nigga up with the ratchet, less talkin'
Caught him on the 'nard, bomb like a G hard
Explosion rocks the promenade, I'm God
And he show and provin', knowledge how he movin'
Smift as the wisdom, move from my gate in a drunken state
I wrote this degree, adjust ya eyes in the light so you could see
Never fall victim, dictate the fate leave the bake for the snake
If he take than I take his head without question
In the one to fourteen check the justice lesson, now uh
Uh it's the pineapple daquiri fuckin' up ya mindstate
Ya heard? Spread the motherfuckin' word, yo
I'm from where it's real, niggas peal ya' orange
We want enough bricks that we could build apartments
I, general in the field of marksmen
The bad boys wit' me ain't Will or Martin
Feel what I'm droppin', I spit the ill doctrine
Spot him deep in the killah hill poppin'
Two feet dug in the dirt, up in the skirt
Spectator on the sideline lovin' the work
And my team ain't ya' average, cream we handle it
Fiends seekin' packages, beans and banana clips
Festo, if you wit' me, let's go, the nymphos love me, X O, X O
Boy listen hard, think twice before you get involved
We hold the weight like cons in the prison yard
They call the riot squad, we live and in charge
Y'all non-believers get reminded with scars
It's the pineapple, rebel I natural
Fine wine hundred proof, spittin' mine at you, nigga
In "Musketeers Of Pig Alley," Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, and Masta Killa boast about their riches and their dangerous lifestyle. The first verse talks about the power they hold in their neighborhood, with big weapons and bikes that they use to intimidate others. They also have been successful for over twenty years and rule over others in their area. The next stanza talks about their ability to handle anyone who gets in their way, with their gang of "real killas" and "awesome gorillas." They are not afraid to use violence if necessary and warn others not to mess with them. The last verse shows a shift in focus, talking about the origins of hip-hop and how it influenced their tough upbringing. They use their harsh experiences to fuel their aggression and power.
Line by Line Meaning
Crack that pineapple open
Let's get started and take action
Vision of break faces, gettin' money lay in the boats
Mental image of beating people and making money lying down comfortably
Got big rifles, play the hood, ride Benz Cycles
We have big guns, we control the neighborhood, and we ride expensive bikes
Y'all mens are psycho, killah hill 'ciples
You guys are crazy, followers of Killah Hill
More fly generics, money make moves, forget it
We have more expensive and high-quality drugs, making money is our goal and nothing else matters
We got this locked since nineteen-seven
We have had control of this for a long time
So many rods and weapons, ain't no more reppins
We have lots of guns and weapons, there is no need for any more reputation
Take the shit back, faggot, we hate that
Take the things back to where you got them, we don't want them
Meet the real, we lock the real, me lock the steel
Come and meet us, we are the real deal, and we carry weapons
Pop off, pull out, drop them bills
We take action, we pull out our guns and we are not afraid to spend money
I run with all real killas, all for realer
I hang out with real killers, all of them are genuine
Nikes on, awesome gorillas
We wear Nike shoes, we are awesome and aggressive
Want more then kill 'em, front war, reveal 'em
If they want more, we will kill them, we are prepared for war
I want him stretched out, listen, he lost the buildin'
I want him dead, I don't care where he is
All fly gangstas, more bankers, hundred wit' us
We are all cool gangsters, we have more money and we are strong in numbers
We ex-dust niggas, don't even touch my drink
We eliminate our enemies, and don't touch my drink or you're in trouble
Fuck around, get shanked, stabbed, shot and broke
If you mess around, you'll get stabbed, shot, and financially broke
Ya' yolked and he blast-es through you in the faint
You will be taken by surprise when he blasts you with his gun
All my niggas get paint, yo what's my name?
All my friends get money, and what is my name?
Lexus diamond, ice water inc
I own a Lexus with diamond, and I have an iced out water incorporated
Uh, yeah, once again in the motherfuckin' place
Here we are again in our usual spot
Fix yo' motherfuckin' face, nigga
Fix your damn face before I hurt you
Yeah, you know how we gets down
You already know how we go about things
Me and this mixo, we so, we so tight
Me and this friend of mine, we are extremely close
Lex diamond sound, and uh
My sound is like a Lexus diamond, and uh
I bees the high chief, Jamel Areif
I am the chief of the group, Jamel Areif
Straight from East Medina
I come directly from East Medina
And uh yo yeah, yeah, huh
And, yes, yes, I agree
They started jammin' in the park, just after dark
The music started playing in the park, just after sunset
Two turntables and their DJ scratchin'
With two turntables and the DJ scratching the music
Words seemed to have an attraction when they rhymin'
The words and the beat attracted people when they started rhyming
Hip hop caused the guns to start sparkin'
Hip hop music is responsible for people getting violent with guns
Temperature risin'
The situation is getting more tense and dangerous
Drape a nigga up with the ratchet, less talkin'
Grab a person with a gun, and silence them
Caught him on the 'nard, bomb like a G hard
Catching him off guard, and attacking him like a gangster
Explosion rocks the promenade, I'm God
An explosion shakes the area, and I feel like a god
And he show and provin', knowledge how he movin'
He demonstrates and proves his worth, he is wise with his actions
Smift as the wisdom, move from my gate in a drunken state
I am quick with my knowledge and decisions, even when I am under the influence
I wrote this degree, adjust ya eyes in the light so you could see
I wrote this information down, look carefully to understand it
Never fall victim, dictate the fate leave the bake for the snake
Never be a victim, control your own destiny and let others fall to their own devices
If he take than I take his head without question
If someone takes something from me, I will retaliate without hesitation
In the one to fourteen check the justice lesson, now uh
Read chapter one to fourteen to understand the lesson about justice, now uh
Uh it's the pineapple daquiri fuckin' up ya mindstate
It's the pineapple cocktail that's messing with your mind
Ya heard? Spread the motherfuckin' word, yo
Did you hear me? Spread the message, yo
I'm from where it's real, niggas peal ya' orange
I'm from where it's real, people will peel your skin like an orange
We want enough bricks that we could build apartments
We want enough drugs to make a lot of money
I, general in the field of marksmen
I am a general who leads a group of sharpshooters
The bad boys wit' me ain't Will or Martin
The bad boys with me are not Will Smith or Martin Lawrence
Feel what I'm droppin', I spit the ill doctrine
Understand what I am saying, I am saying something important
Spot him deep in the killah hill poppin'
See him deep in Killah Hill, acting aggressively
Two feet dug in the dirt, up in the skirt
Two feet on the ground, and hiding something under his clothes
Spectator on the sideline lovin' the work
Someone is watching, and enjoying what's happening
And my team ain't ya' average, cream we handle it
My team is not normal, we handle the drugs
Fiends seekin' packages, beans and banana clips
Drug addicts look for packages of drugs, guns are ready
Festo, if you wit' me, let's go, the nymphos love me, X O, X O
If you are with me, let's go, women love me, hugs and kisses
Boy listen hard, think twice before you get involved
Listen carefully, think twice before getting involved
We hold the weight like cons in the prison yard
We have control over the drugs, like prisoners do in the yard
They call the riot squad, we live and in charge
They call for police to deal with us, but we are in control
Y'all non-believers get reminded with scars
You don't believe in us, but we will remind you with our actions and scars
It's the pineapple, rebel I natural
It's the pineapple cocktail, and I am a natural rebel
Fine wine hundred proof, spittin' mine at you, nigga
Refined wine, very strong, and I am saying something to you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: COREY WOODS, ELGIN EVANDER TURNER, JASON HUNTER, JASON S. HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind