The Raekwon song Raekwon absolutely hated: “I felt like it was too soft”
Raekwon is known for his lyrical prowess and as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, is revered for the impact he had on East Coast hip-hop during the 1990s. Alongside Method Man and Ghostface Killah, he is seen as one of the top three rappers from the collective, and many would argue that he was the best out of the nine members.
However, it was when he ventured into becoming a solo artist that he really went into his prime and stepped up his game concerning music. His debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… is still considered a classic and can stand up to some of the best albums of its era, including Ready To Die and The Infamous.
Still, there were several hurdles he had to overcome during the recording of his debut project before it became the album that people know and love. One of those obstacles that became a strain on him was actually RZA.
Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA executively produced and oversaw most of the crew members’ albums, even when they were recording solo artists. That said, his micromanaging often caused clashes, and he frequently clashed with Raekwon as they had varying views about what Only Made 4 Cuban Linx… should sound like.
While speaking with Wax Poetics magazine, Raekwon admitted that they disagreed about the beat for ‘Spot Rusherz’. Revealing that his crew member really didn’t like the beat, Raekwon admitted, “Yeah, RZA fought me for it and didn’t want it on there, but I insisted. I mean, RZA’s the type of nigga who wants authentic material. Anything that’s too clean was wack to him back then.”
However, Raekwon didn’t believe that the beat was inauthentic and liked the way the instrumental was open enough for him to speak and really tell a story. E|mphasising this, he detailed, “I love that fucking beat. I love to write stories, and that beat was perfect for a caper…for me, I think I sound good over clean beats sometimes. I love to tell stories, and that’s what Cuban Linx is— a bunch of good stories within a story itself.”
However, this wasn’t the only beat-related issue that Raekwon faced while recording Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… It turns out that the Staten Islan emcee hated the project’s third single, ‘Ice Cream’, which became a fan favourite.
During a 2011 conversation, Raekwon explained his initial hatred for ‘Ice Cream’ and stated, “I hated ‘Ice Cream’. That’s crazy, right? It’s funny ’cause I loved the beat. The only thing I didn’t like about the record. I felt like it was too soft for Cuban Linx.” Understandably, the ‘Guillotine Swordz’ rhymer felt apprehensive about rapping over the light-hearted beat as he was renowned for his gritty style.
Still, he rapped on the beat because of Ghostface Killah. Raekwon explained how he persuaded, unveiling, “When I tell you everybody fought with me, even Ghost was like, ‘Nah G, this is it.’ And I was like, ‘Nah, it’s too soft. We need everything hard! Gutter!'”
One distinct feature of ‘Ice Cream’ is that it has no bass riff, making it very light. However, its sparse, simple drum loop makes it feel even more exposed and empty, leaving the rapper’s voice as the main engine of the track, and that is exactly what made it so perfect for Raekwon.