It's Raekwon's birthday today, and the legendary Wu-Tang lyricist has officially entered his fifty-first year as one of the greatest lyricists hip-hop has ever seen. Case in point, he managed to do what was long believed to be impossible -- which is to say, delivering a classic sequel to a classic album, as he did with the release of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 in 2009. And while the album holds plenty of excellent tunes to revisit in honor of Rae's big day, none are more memorable than "Gihad," featuring Ghostface Killah and production from Necro.
Largely known for his depraved brand of underground death rap, Necro (an underrated producer that deserves more praise in that regard) blesses Ghost and Rae with a haunting instrumental, which ultimately took their imaginations to some strange and wonderful places. In Rae's opening verse, his mastery of slang is on full display as he spits lines like "And bloodhounds is hating, they knowing how the kid get down / silent shotties with grenades, I'm waiting."
Following Rae's opening verse, Ghostface comes through with one of his wildest tales yet. Images are rendered with vivid precision as he reflects on the moment he found himself busted in the middle of an adulterous affair -- one that found him making a cuckhold out of his "little mans." And though said little man opts to get tested, Ghost ultimately wastes little time in asserting his domination, turning the unfortunate situation into a full-blown teachable moment. Check out this classic duet between Rae and Ghostface, and happy birthday to the Wu-Tang legend.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
Since rap got locked right before we visit the '90s
Chef in the kitchen, cooking up with the crimeys
It's late fall, dime season
We bought the crib next to Bill Clinton mother
Cause she fuck with the Chinese