Five times Kanye West collaborated with Wu-Tang Clan members
Kanye West is a Hip Hop legend in his own right, but the appreciation he shows for greats that came before him shouldn’t be understated. His collaborations alongside Wu-Tang Clan members over the years is evidence of his respect for ’90s rappers who paved the way for him, whilst also providing them with a platform to reach a new generation of fans.
Ye has worked with everyone from RZA to Raekwon over the years, with Ghostface Killah going as far as calling him an extension of Wu-Tang Clan. It’s a mutual respect that even allowed members of the group to be part of a Grammy-winning album.
Aside from collaborations, West nodded to Wu-Tang as recent as this year by sampling ‘Can It All Be So Simple’ on ‘Keys to My Life’ from his Vultures 1 album.
Below, take a listen to five collaborations between Kanye West and members of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan.
Raekwon, G.O.O.D. Music – ‘The Morning’
Kanye West assembled his G.O.O.D. Music label for their one and only compilation album in 2012. Cruel Summer featured a song called ‘The Morning’ that welcomed Raekwon into Ye’s world with a strong feature list that included Pusha T, Common, 2 Chainz, Cyhi the Prynce, Kid Cudi and D’banj.
Despite the strong guests, Rae stole the show with his opening verse, rapping, “Barbecue and blow in the back of the crib/ Sitting and counting, smoking a spliff, this shit’s a gift/ All my n-ggas’ watches is rough/ Grabbin’ our crotches, yellin’, ‘What up?’ The jeans cost five hundred? Fuck,” to kick off the track. Effortless and slick as ever from a veteran of the genre.
RZA, Kanye West – ‘So Appalled’
RZA‘s appearance on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is one of the most memorable. Despite not having a verse on ‘So Appalled’, he put all of his energy into the chorus, bellowing, “Ayy, yo, champagne wishes and thirty white bitches/ You know this shit is fuckin’ ridiculous/ Fuckin’ ridiculous/ You know this shit is fuckin’ ridiculous.”
His contribution set the foundation for Kanye West, JAY-Z, Pusha T and Cyhi the Prynce’s verses, equipped with some signature Swizz Beatz vocals.
Raekwon, Justin Bieber – ‘Runaway Love Remix’
Justin Bieber might be the last person you’d expect to collaborate with Raekwon, especially in 2010 when he was riding off the success of pop hits such as ‘Baby’ and ‘Eenie Meenie’. But leave it to Kanye West to make the whole thing appear seamless.
The Chef laid down a verse on ‘Runaway Love’ that mentioned everything from International House of Pancakes to Bonnie and Clyde, sampling Wu-Tang Clan’s classic ‘Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit’. And it worked.
This wasn’t Rae’s only appearance in West’s G.O.O.D. Fridays series, either, having also featured on ‘Lord Lord Lord’ alongside Yasiin Bey.
Ghostface Killah – ‘Back Like That Remix’
‘Back Like That’ featuring Ne-Yo remains Ghostface Killah‘s highest-charting solo single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Kanye West hopped on a remix of the track, providing the opening verse with a ton of celebrity mentions — we’re talking Eva Mendes, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Prince and Ne-Yo himself.
Ghostface and Kanye went on to collaborate once again this year, with Ye featuring on ‘No Face’ from his Set the Tone (Guns & Roses) album. Their relationship is clearly still strong.
Raekwon, Kanye West – ‘Gorgeous’
An undeniable fan favourite on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Raekwon apparently had to be persuaded by RZA to feature on ‘Gorgeous’. His closing verse resulted in braggadocious raps about Mercedez-Benz, Jaguar and Lous Vuitton.
“The first thing I can tell you about Kanye West is that he’s a hard worker,” Raekwon said about collaborating with Ye on the song. “When you look at him, you can tell that he still has that whole Hip Hop thing in his bones.”