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.
the heist
Raekwon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Straight up nigga, I'm a money nigga man
You know what time it is wit me, yo
That's right
Take the track, cut the heads off, split it down the middle man
Take the bones out man for real
Yeah all apple pie yeah
Straight up, Flipmode BK king
[Ghostface Killah]
It was the best heist since ice
Precise rituals
Skated outta Jacob's wit the Fruit Loop jewels
Holding a navy blue uzi
Krush Grooving waves off the atlas
Cooling, that's how we make movies
Basketball gun brawlers, bounce
Black down 'bill-a-head banks, Malibu colorful shanks
That's the way we live, Staten Island kid
Old dog in it, the thug vaccine wit no pork in it
Vivid imagination paper chasing
Dufflebag swollen, we holding
Drink chocolate milk before we roll in
It's like that y'all, we gangstas
Sticking all you Bay Ridge Benzes
I'm out to get erect, terrific shit be the diamond district
Tiffany's, pretty Valentine brick is on the second floor balcony
Gems is magnificent, diamonds is crying
"Busta Rhymes take me, never mind help!"
[Raekwon]
Hey yo caught em at the ice pavilion
Dressy, salad bar style Nestle
Four white niggas, covered in vest pieces
Think like a mob flick
Guessing like Patsy in the mask, piece bust
Got aggravated, slapped the glass piece
One nigga beaming, fagot ass
Lay on the floor ya fuck!
Tied his broken arm to his Hush Puppies
Wrapped around trauma, everything realer than fuck
Tajuana left my nigga niece live comma
Three young Italians, suited down personal style
I'm in valour white designing on the 'dallions
Felt like some crackers was in back of me
Spit on the clerk, pass the Harry Winston set
Ghost backing me
Bust a shot, motored
Four male in paper work Lord
We get together once more before we blow this
Murdered nobody
Left em all baseball'd down, brother
Three wicked ass 6's, Gucci colors
[Busta Rhymes]
Money! Drop dead on the floor
Nigga, pass the keys to the door
Pass me all the cash in the drawer
Or I promise you'll be payin the price
Feeling like a nigga died twice
Execute the world's greatest diamond heist
Y'all niggas know we out to get this money!
See'mon money! [Repeat: x7]
Raekwon, Ghostface, Rocky Marce see'MON!
Let's get this money nigga
[Rocky Marciano]
Yeah we ?near the mind? out west
Somewhere in Africa
The Feds is after us, vest on my back
Whipping the Acuras, feel like a mac busting
A rug in Preston on percussion
I'll bust in your gate, nigga it's nothing
A hail storm, ice raining, mind containing
Info, nigga what you in for? Complaining
Sick bars deep in this language
Did I tell you how my day's spent?
Speaking through the face of Ronald Regan
Iceberg History, calligraphy
Colidescope colors, hollow-head shells and flaring gunmen
Hate to see me coming like gray skies on day of judgment
Makes you wonder where the love went
Hit a nigga, feed him to some buzzards
Put up numbers, plus I'm one to push his mug in
We duck in the safe, check what I'm hugging
Rocks the size of some shit, out in the congo
My arms full, let's get the fuck out, Busta I got you
[Busta Rhymes]
Hey yo we do great study on fossils and stones like archeologists
Gem-ologists, collect the most priceless ices anonymous
Canary stones yellow like a pumpkin
Dunking Donut precious size stones make me want to cut the safe open
Rae pass the blowtorch, Ghost brought the dynamite stick
Marciano brought a chisel wit an ice pick
Princess cuts, invisible settings
Planning the world's greatest diamond heist playin a tune by Otis Redding
Icicle cones hang from the ceiling just like stalagmites
Time to throw on a skully and tying a rag tight
Throwing light went off and in the basket
Grabbed the necklace from off the satin pillow while the glass casket
Ice lay across the crushed burgandy velvet
Up in the diamond slide-tray
Gun in your face, slide it right away
Roundtable with Habib, Mirishnokof, and the rest of them Jewish niggas
We got them niggas drunk and talking foolish see
You know the way we straight manipulated the shit
We swindle them niggas for all their precious things before we skated and shit
Yeah, y'all niggas know we skated early
Disguised ourselves as the cidic Jews and even left my sideburns curly
Bounce to Mexico and spend some pesos
And bury the diamonds on an island your never heard
Like Turks in Keikos
Everytime we hit, we in and out quick
Don't be surprised if we behind supplying niggas all the platinum and shit
Money [Repeats]
Yeah, the world's greatest jewel heist
Thoroughly and successfully executed
By none other than Ghostface Killah, Raekwon the Chef
Rock Marciano and Busta Rhymes
A job well done fellas, very good piece of work
The Heist by Raekwon is a classic hip hop song that tells the story of a diamond heist carried out by a team of skilled gangsters. The lyrics describe the elaborate planning and execution of the heist, as well as the characters and their motivations. The first verse introduces Raekwon as a money-driven man who is on a mission to take the track, cut the heads off, split it down the middle, and take the bones out. Then Ghostface Killah enters with the second verse, highlighting the precision of the heist and the ice skating out of Jacob's with Fruit Loop jewels.
The third verse features Raekwon detailing the events at the ice pavilion. The scene is set with two of Raekwon's associates entering an establishment dressed in salad bar style Nestle. They encounter four white men who are covered in vest pieces. One of the men is beaming and lays on the floor. He also describes how they tied the man's broken arm to his Hush Puppies and bound trauma.
The fourth verse is performed by Busta Rhymes while Rocky Marciano appears on the fifth, referencing Africa and fossil study on stones. Busta highlights how the gang members collect the most priceless ices anonymously, while Marciano describes the group's plan to steal the diamonds. Both Busta and Marciano rap about their expertise in gems and the planned heist that will be executed with precision.
Line by Line Meaning
Straight up nigga, I'm a money nigga man
I am solely focused on making money and becoming wealthy
Take the track, cut the heads off, split it down the middle man
We need to split the profits evenly between us and make sure no one is getting more than their fair share
It was the best heist since ice
This was the most successful and impressive heist we have ever pulled off
Precise rituals
We executed our plan with exactness and careful attention to detail
Think like a mob flick
We approached this heist with the same meticulous planning and strategy as we would a movie about the mafia
Money! Drop dead on the floor
Give us all the money in the cash register or we will hurt you
Execute the world's greatest diamond heist
We planned and carried out the most impressive diamond heist of all time
Y'all niggas know we out to get this money!
Our main objective is to make a lot of money and we will go to great lengths to achieve it
Yeah we 'near the mind' out west
We are hiding out somewhere in the western part of the country
Hit a nigga, feed him to some buzzards
If someone gets in our way, we will hurt them or worse
Throwing light went off and in the basket
The lights went out and we were able to take the valuable necklace without anyone noticing
Yeah, y'all niggas know we skated early
We made our escape quickly and efficiently
Money [Repeats]
Our ultimate goal is to make as much money as possible
A job well done fellas, very good piece of work
We successfully carried out our heist with great skill and precision
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTHONY BERNARD ROUND, DENNIS ROUND, DARNELL SMITH, LEROY WILLIAMS JR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind