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.
Smith Bros.
Raekwon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take it back 1993, '94 or something
Yeah, runnin' through the stairs and shit
Trynna to get to the roof
Narcotos is on, some other shit
[Chorus 2X: Raekwon]
My niggas won't stop til we straight, select bigger gates
Pull out them burners and front, where I'm from
Better shoot something, if not, niggas won't salute nothing
[Raekwon]
Corner filled chains and Gucci glasses
The was the era when we flipped all the shh, on the store, splashed it
Had Dominicans runnin' and eatin' steak and cheese sandwiches
They in the back, braggin', the fifth slut
Fuckin' with a few niggas nieces, take it back when we would
Rock for a leases and stand on the speakers
I got the shit locked, I'll battle you, you, you and your whole gridlocked
Little shit, supported the beef
Fly Pierre couldn't tell me nothin' with a brand new beard
Couldn't wait, but kept survivin' the years
We sold crack daily, crack mad bailey's, crack faces and skulls
Sit back, watchin' the mack, twist carefully
It was them horrifyin' times, spit dimes
Police sneak up, I hope he know the time, get mine
Just livin' the ghettos, where we suppose stand loyal
But the game'll get you trapped when it's time, yo
[Chorus 2X]
[Raekwon]
The year's 1990, everybody grimey
Crack was what's in it, the vehicles was 1-90's
Young shorties be gettin' their bread, haunted by Jamaicans
Them niggas had their corners on red
Map the laws, runnin' cards, playin' bars
Mask the coke in the cars, twist the gan', mad, crackin' cigars
Smokin' through Queens, bitches stealin' Guess jeans
Get the scope on our stars, little did we know, we folow they dreams
Now we get around in live limosines, flash stacks in cuisines
Combat, get to smackin' the fiends, just max for a minute and lean
All the shit for the moment, slick omens, my opponents would scheme
We were shot downtown, hit trains, buy cables and remain
The illest villains, walkin' in spots
Playin' the corners, baby, vision or not
Said yo, and when it's on, we gon' rep and rock, nobody call the cops
[Chorus 2X]
[Raekwon]
Where all the major swingers, yo
Where all the live fresh, came home, up state livin' fly rangers
We rep them niggas and we love 'em
Sons, we hug 'em, they make it home and be gone in a week
That's some letters, all my niggas live together
Baby yellin' whatever, we all write in hands, nothin' but creeps
Hold me down, love, I'll hold you fatter
Watch me catch both of these actors, it's Ice Water throwin' hits in the cling
Bloodhounds is on you, goons is beamin'
Take it to the team to team, plot thing, blew you a bean
It's just a young poor hustlers thing
But your gun got a ring, if you gonna live like a young kid
[Chorus 2X]
[Outro: Raekwon]
Too all them killas and the bank robbers
This is another, another, Smith Bros. production
Production, it's Lex Diamonds, muthafucka
You know what time it is
The lyrics of Raekwon's song "Smith Bros." talk about the rapper's experiences growing up in a gritty New York City neighborhood. He describes living in poverty and turning to selling drugs as a means of survival, where he and his friends had to be armed with guns to protect themselves from other gangs. The chorus emphasizes the importance of gaining financial success and power, refusing to stop until they have the ability to purchase estate properties. He also shares how he and his friends would rob stores, sell drugs, and engage in gang activities. The song represents the struggles and aspirations of individuals growing up in tough urban environments, and highlights the harsh realities that they face.
One interesting fact about the song is that it is a part of "The Lex Diamond Story," the third solo album released by Raekwon in 2003. The album is a conceptual one, with the rapper adopting various alter egos and playing multiple characters throughout the songs. Another interesting fact is that the title "Smith Bros." refers to Smith Housing projects in Staten Island, where Raekwon grew up. The album also features collaborations with several other hip-hop artists, including Ghostface Killah, Busta Rhymes, and Snoop Dogg.
The song samples "El Gaucho" by orchestral composer Lalo Schifrin, highlighting the unique blend of classical music and hip-hop beats. Raekwon is known for his intricate flow and wordplay, and the lyrics of "Smith Bros." showcase his skill in painting vivid pictures of his life experiences. The song also features references to popular fashion brands of the time, such as Gucci glasses and Guess jeans, highlighting the importance of fashion in hip-hop culture.
In addition to music, Raekwon has also worked in film and television, making guest appearances on shows like "The Mindy Project" and "Black-ish." He is known for his unique fashion sense, and even launched his own clothing line, Ice H2O. Raekwon has been cited as one of the most influential rappers of all time, and his music continues to inspire and influence new generations of hip-hop fans.
Chords: Unfortunately, there is no available information about the chords used in the song "Smith Bros."
Line by Line Meaning
Take it back 1993, '94 or something
Let's reminisce about the early 90s when we were young and reckless.
Yeah, runnin' through the stairs and shit
We used to run through the stairwells in our building to get to the roof.
Trynna to get to the roof
We wanted to get to the roof to smoke weed and chill.
Narcotos is on, some other shit
We were high and listening to Nas' Illmatic or some other album.
My niggas won't stop til we straight, select bigger gates
My friends and I won't stop hustling until we reach success and have access to bigger opportunities.
We won't stop until we buyin' estate, yo
We won't stop until we can afford to buy real estate properties.
Pull out them burners and front, where I'm from
People in my neighborhood carry guns around and will brandish them when necessary.
Better shoot something, if not, niggas won't salute nothing
If you don't use your gun when needed, people won't respect you in my neighborhood.
Corner filled chains and Gucci glasses
In the past, people used to show off their wealth by wearing thick chains and designer glasses on the street corner.
The era when we flipped all the shh, on the store, splashed it
We used to rob stores and steal anything valuable, then flaunt our newfound wealth on the streets.
Had Dominicans runnin' and eatin' steak and cheese sandwiches
We even use to share our loot with the community, making Dominicans run errands for us and buying them food.
They in the back, braggin', the fifth slut
The Dominicans are likely bragging about their newfound wealth while drinking cheap alcohol.
Fuckin' with a few niggas nieces, take it back when we would
We used to mess around with girls who were related to our rivals, which was considered a sign of power.
Rock for a leases and stand on the speakers
I used to rap on stage and stand on the singers to show off my skills and style.
I got the shit locked, I'll battle you, you, you and your whole gridlocked
I am so confident in my skills that I'll battle anyone and win, even against a group of people.
Little shit, supported the beef
Small disagreements and conflicts were a common occurrence in my neighborhood.
Fly Pierre couldn't tell me nothin' with a brand new beard
Even a well-dressed guy named Pierre couldn't mess with me when I had a fresh new beard.
Couldn't wait, but kept survivin' the years
Even though times were tough and dangerous, I kept moving forward and persevered.
We sold crack daily, crack mad bailey's, crack faces and skulls
We made a living by selling crack cocaine and it affected the community in some very bad ways.
Sit back, watchin' the mack, twist carefully
We were always watching out for each other and carefully navigating through life's tough situations.
It was them horrifyin' times, spit dimes
The past was a very difficult and scary time for us, but we still managed to make it work and succeed.
Police sneak up, I hope he know the time, get mine
When the police would try to sneak up on us, I was always ready to defend myself and my friends.
Just livin' the ghettos, where we suppose stand loyal
We grew up in the ghettos and were always expected to maintain loyalty towards our friends and community.
But the game'll get you trapped when it's time, yo
Sometimes, the allure of the streets can lead to bad consequences and people can get stuck in a life of crime.
The year's 1990, everybody grimey
In 1990, everyone was struggling and life was tough for everyone.
Crack was what's in it, the vehicles was 1-90's
Crack was very prevalent during the 90s and many people drove older model cars.
Young shorties be gettin' their bread, haunted by Jamaicans
Young people were hustling and trying to make money, but they were also dealing with threats from Jamaican gangs.
Them niggas had their corners on red
The Jamaican gangs controlled certain street corners and no one dared to cross them.
Map the laws, runnin' cards, playin' bars
We would play cards and try to outsmart each other while also avoiding the police.
Mask the coke in the cars, twist the gan', mad, crackin' cigars
We would hide our drugs in our cars, smoke weed, and enjoy cigars together.
Smokin' through Queens, bitches stealin' Guess jeans
We were cruising around Queens smoking and watching girls steal clothes from stores.
Get the scope on our stars, little did we know, we follow they dreams
We would idolize certain musicians and rappers, but we didn't realize that we were simply following their dreams.
Now we get around in live limosines, flash stacks in cuisines
Now, we are successful and can afford to ride around in fancy limousines and stack cash.
Combat, get to smackin' the fiends, just max for a minute and lean
Sometimes, we would have to physically fight or threaten drug addicts to get our money, but we would also enjoy some down time and relax.
All the shit for the moment, slick omens, my opponents would scheme
Everything was temporary and we always had to be on the lookout for people who were trying to take advantage of us.
We were shot downtown, hit trains, buy cables and remain
Some of us were shot and survived, but we still tried to maintain a somewhat normal lifestyle by taking public transportation and buying cables for our TVs.
The illest villains, walkin' in spots
We were known as the most dangerous and villainous group of people in certain areas of the city.
Playin' the corners, baby, vision or not
We were always hanging out on street corners, regardless of whether it was actually profitable or not.
Said yo, and when it's on, we gon' rep and rock, nobody call the cops
When it was time to show off our skills and earn respect, we would go all out and not want the police interfering with our activities.
Where all the major swingers, yo
We hung out with people who were successful and cool, and wanted to be like them.
Where all the live fresh, came home, up state livin' fly rangers
These successful and cool people had fresh outfits and had recently come back from living upstate.
We rep them niggas and we love 'em
We were loyal to these people and loved spending time with them.
Sons, we hug 'em, they make it home and be gone in a week
We would hug these people when they left, but they would usually be gone within a week due to their busy lifestyles.
That's some letters, all my niggas live together
We were so close that we considered each other to be like family and some of us even lived together.
Baby yellin' whatever, we all write in hands, nothin' but creeps
Even when we were just chilling and hanging out, people were always yelling and acting wild, and we would communicate using hand signals and writing.
Hold me down, love, I'll hold you fatter
We would always support and look out for each other, no matter what.
Watch me catch both of these actors, it's Ice Water throwin' hits in the cling
We were always ready to fight and defend ourselves, and would not let anyone disrespect us.
Bloodhounds is on you, goons is beamin'
People were always watching us and trying to take us down, but we were always two steps ahead of them.
Take it to the team to team, plot thing, blew you a bean
We would work together as a team and scheme to get what we wanted, and sometimes would even have someone set up to take the hit.
It's just a young poor hustlers thing
We were young and broke, but were making a living by hustling and doing whatever it took.
But your gun got a ring, if you gonna live like a young kid
If you're going to live a life of crime and danger, you better be ready to use your gun and defend yourself at all times.
Too all them killas and the bank robbers
This song is dedicated to all the dangerous people out there who are willing to take risks and make a name for themselves.
This is another, another, Smith Bros. production
This song was made by Raekwon and his associates, known as the Smith Brothers.
Production, it's Lex Diamonds, muthafucka
The producer of this song is Lex Diamonds, and nothing less than perfection will do.
You know what time it is
We are unstoppable and will keep pushing forward towards success, no matter what anyone tries to do to us.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COREY WOODS, RICHARD ANTHONY TUFO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind