Raekwon held an intimate listening session at EMI/Capitol’s NY offices this evening (February 9th) in support of his 5th studio album “Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang. While Raekwon is known for retaining the rugged sound he first delivered with Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), this album is by far the edgiest most experimental Raekwon we’ve witnessed in years. “You can’t name an album ‘Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang and come with soft records,” the emcee stated.
“This means a lot to me, y’all worrying about my career and how I feed my family,” Raekwon told the crowd of journalists and bloggers. “It’s y’all who make me understand how long my career is.”
The title “Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang” (named after the film of the same title) might sound familiar as it was a rumored Wu album post 8 Diagrams. However, the concept never came to fruition and Rae chose to use the name for his own project. “I was the one who initiated the name anyway,” Raekwon explained.
The album boasts an all-star lineup, including Busta Rhymes, Nas, Jim Jones, Lloyd Banks, Rick Ross, Mobb Deep, and Black Thought. Wu cameos include both Ghostface and Method Man. Rae even took his sounds overseas with UK starlet Estelle on the track “Chop Chop Ninja”. “I wanted to incorporate a number of people but not have them do what they normally do,” Raekwon says. “Step into Rae’s world.” “Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang” drops on March 8th, and will have two tracks available only on iTunes: “Your World & My World” with Mobb Deep (produced by Havoc) and “Wu Crime” with GZA and Killa Priest (produced by Bt). “Hip-Hop needed another solid album,” Raekwon exclaimed.
Tracklisting:
1. Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (Prod. Scram Jones)
2. Every Soldier In the World f. Method Man (Prod. Erick Sermon)
3. Silver Rings f. Ghostface Killah (Prod. Cilvaringz)
4. Chop Chop Ninja f. Ghostface Killah & Estelle (Prod. Bluerocks)
5. Butter Knives (Prod. Bronze Nazareth)
6. Snake Pond (Prod. Selasi)
7. Crane Style f. Busta Rhymes
8. Rock N Roll f. Ghostface Killah & Jim Jones (Prod. DJ Khalil)
9. Rich & Black f. NaS (Prod. Sean C & LV)
10. From the Hills f. Method Man & Raheem DeVaughn (Prod. Kenny Dope)
11. Last Trip to Scotland f. Lloyd Banks (Prod. Scram Jones)
12. Ferry Boat Killaz (Prod. Alchemist)
13. Dart School (Prod. Allah Mathematics)
14. Molasses f. Rick Ross & Ghostface Killah (Prod. Xtreme)
15. The Scroll (Prod. Evidence)
16. Masters of Our Fate f. Black Thought (Prod. Tommy Nova)
17. Wu Chant (Outro)
(February 9)
UPDATE: Raekwon has announced the following UK tour dates for March:
15 Edinburgh Liquid Room
16 Dublin Button Factory
17 Manchester Sound Control
18 London HMV Forum
19 Brighton Coalition
interested in that estelle track.
So glad to see Evidence got a spot on the production for the album.
Don’t sleep on EVIDENCE
Albums:
Weatherman lp
Layover EP
I Don’t Need Love
Havent liked anything I’ve heard from this so far 🙁
I’ll give it a shit when it drops but I dunno, that Butter Knives joint and the one with Jim Jones aint do nothing for me
you know what the funny part about this game is? it’s that you know i’m a judgemental hatin sob and you still put up stuff to compliment it…
like it doesn’t have an influence on the rest of your readers.
If you close your ears during the Jim Jones and Rick Ross parts, this album is solid. The album is definitely gonna go up for top 5 this year, Raekwon will always be a LEGEND. And he has yet to disappoint me and the 2 tracks I heard (Shaolin vs Wu Tang and Rock & Roll) were fire. And just looking at the title of the songs, and the amazing features in Black Thought and Nas…. you know it’s gonna be crazy. Definitely going OUTSIDE and buying the REAL CD. Im a little upset he’s doing the Itunes thing again. Itunes is garbage.
yo don’t be hatin on jim jones I used to till I heard him on Game’s purp and patron I almost couldn’t believe it the dude was actually being lyrical for once and if that’s how hes gonna rap now then I fuxx wit the man
the Wuuuuuuu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG5Xnkc5KwY
i already knw that this cd is gonna bang i mean BANG REAL HARD so i cant wait for it
Aw man. I wanted to hear that Raekwon and Mobb Deep song on the actual CD with Prodigy fresh out of jail (well, almost). At least someone’s gonna post it up on Youtube when it’s released.
March 8th, Best Buy, buying Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang and Lupe’s Lasers. It’s gonna be sick.
Chef jus hit me on Twitter n confirmed that Inspectah Decks on this album but you haven’t mentioned him on the tracklisting so that’s another plus for this joint
personally wishlist woulda been replace a couple features like Ross n jones with Redman and Canibus features
I’d like to of seen a track feat Inspectah Deck & Canibus together plus a track of Rae Ghost Meth and Redman together on it
The Black Thought joints what I’m most anticipatin on this one
and far as I know Rae has a bonus track feat GZA n Killah Priest on it for iTunes
BEEZLEBUD ADD ME ON TWITTER
‘Troublemakers’ got rae ghost red & meth on
jus spotted they mentioned the Gza n Killah Priest track my bad it’s 4 am here I scrolled straight past that line
jus spotted they mentioned the Gza n Killah Priest track my bad it’s 4 am here I scrolled straight past that line…
jus spotted they mentioned the Gza n Killah Priest track my bad it’s 4 am here I scrolled straight past that line… BEEZLEBUD
a friend who was hit by a drunk driver and is now in a coma. Before I say anything else I do ask that you pray for her recovery.
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I just ask that you take a look, and press like for me. I made it an honest interview so I’m sure that you will like it.
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I thought Inspectah Deck was on Chop Chop Ninja as well. I’m gonna be bummed in INS isn’t on this, he killed every verse on CLII.
He is, Ghostface are not. Hopefully a mistake from HHDX, because Deck kills it everytime.
Chef hit me on Twitter last night INS is 100% on this album
was hoping for more Wu features and less Jim Jones and Rick Ross.
you me n everyone else I’ve heard/seen speak on this project
Redman/Canibus/DMX/KRS/KGR woulda fit this album better than Ross Jones and Banks imo
a wu tang release aint a wu tang release without rza on it
Gamefacekillah, can you PLEASE not start that again?
@ gamface
so Ghostface’s albums are not WU? GTFOH!
i’m lookin forward to hearing this album and i like his mindset too, strayin away from soft shit (there’s TOO much of that shit nowadays) but i think he should feature dudes like killarmy or someone like that instead of fuckin rick ross. anyways, i cant wait to hear this album, this is the only positive headline i’ve seen on this site all day so i aint even gonna bother to comment on those
Would be insane with a Killarmy feature.
It sucks that Rick Ross has more appearances on the album than Inspectah Deck
Couldnt agree more.
Anonymous would like to suck Guccis dick every fuckin evening !
Trust the God will deliver!
I need to set aside 50 bucks so I could buy LASERS, Shaolin vs Wu Tang, Free Agent, Pharoah Monch’s album, and Crooked I’s album. And if I have any money left I might buy Kanye’s album depending. If every track sounds like HAM than I wont buy it, but if every track sounds like So Appalled then I will. March will be GREAT FOR HIP HOP!
free agent already leaked, and its really not that good.
WTF crooked i album man iam late
March will be great but don’t waist your money on tha Joell Ortiz album, it’s weak as hell, you’d be better off getting Curren$y’s new LP on the 15th.
respect
check this out dont miss out its hottt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X68IQy2dD7w
inspectah deck is on the itunes bonus! peace
raekwon aint doin to badly overall ghostface killa’s album was dope been waiting for method man shit for still days though
ill admit, the jones/ross/banks thing is eritating but rae and the whole wu expect a certain level from their features so ill wait till i here it. however this tracklist needs more red/canibus/daddy kane, way more wu (esp. INS) and where the fuck is rza? at the end of the day ill trust rae’s judgement untill the final product.
btw this must have been part of the GFK studio session, jones, gza&killa priest, the production?
I know this will be a great album.Raekwon is hungry.He’s starving.
Since when is dublin in the UK you stupid cunt
good call dublin is the capital of ireland which is itself it’s own country. northern ireland is part of the UK, but not the rest of ireland.
^^
Good point but his dumb as didn’t know that. he though uk was just England
17th march in manchester is gonna b sick!!!! sin wu last yr n there were the shit!!
16th March in Dublin am fucking there! And yeah, Dublin isnt in the UK just like the rest of the Republic, thats possibly the worst thing you could say to an Irish Republican.
Hip Hop is in an awful state when a fraud like Rick Ross makes an appearance on any album from Wu-Tang.
Exactly what i was thinking scrolling down to put my comment. Why are people even talking to this dude. I remember in the 90s when a biter got thrashed for stealing a flow or some lines, nowadays its ok to be a complete fake. Haha times change.
seriously though, i also thought hip hop will never as long as the clan are still putting out material. But a ‘gangsta’ rapper who only knows about the things he raps about from what he learned around real gangsters when he was lockin them up being featured on an album from one of the all time greats makes me wonder…
The best Wu show I’ve ever been to was a couple of years ago, when Rae and Ghost performed Cuban Linx… in London. A year later, Ghost came over by his sefl, and it was a disapontment for several reasons; firstly, he didn’t know the lyrics to some of his own tracks, and asked for the audience’s assistance. His performance was also transient, and he ended the show by floggin’ his merchandice. The most annoying thing about that night was Sadat X and Diamond D were also in town at the same time. I rue not goin’ to see them instead, because as by all accounts, it was a far superior show.
Dublin is not in the U.K. im from illinois and even i know that shit nigga
STOP HATIN ON THE MAN FOR DOIN SONGS WIT RICK ROSS. PERSONALLY I THINK RICK ROSS IS WACK, BUT THERES MILLIONS OF KIDS WHO THINK DIFFERENTLY. THEY DONT KNOW SHIT ABOUT WU TANG OR RAEKWON BUT THEY SEE RICK ROSS ON THERE THEN THERE GONNA COP IT. THEYRE NOT DOING SONGS WITH THESE CLOWNS BECAUSE THEY THINK THEYRE ILL, THEY TRYING TO GET PAID, JUST LIKE THEY SAID IN 93 CASH RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME, THAT SHIT DONT CHANGE
shaolin my a**