
GQ put up Rae’s sit-down with the magazine for their “Survivors” music issue, where he speaks on the early Wu days, struggling as a solo artist, and his career resurgence with OB4CLII.
A few great Raekwon quotes below:
GQ: You and Ghostface have one of the best collaborative relationships in hip-hop. What was it like working together in the early days?
Raekwon: A lot of times, we would be the first cats at the studio. Me and him were like the kids that sat in the front of the class. I might come in and he already hogging the mic, and I’m like, Yo, that’s where it need to be at! And I just touch it because I’m there to touch it. Me and Ghost sat around and wrote multiple songs together. We did [the song] “The Watch” together, the children’s one where he’s talking about Wilma and Woody Woodpecker ["The Forest"]. We sat around and wrote many joints together. When I first came into Wu-Tang, I was just a team player: Nah, say this word, or, He just said that word, so we gon’ say another word. We was always heavily in tune with the darts.
GQ: Do you think that you and Ghost have influenced each other’s styles over the years?
Raekwon: Definitely. Ghost tells me every few years, Yo, you showed me this style … I’m like, man, we the same style. At the end of the day, he’s one of my favorite rappers, I’m one of his favorite rappers, and we just do it. We identify with each other’s worlds when it comes to rhyming. This’s something that niggas peep. It’s like, Yo, it’s time to take the dog outside. You know what I mean? We got this all day. Easy.
The November issue (with Wayne, Em and Keith Richards on the cover) might only be on newsstands for a bit longer.
Previously: Raekwon ft. Capone-N-Noreaga – Chupacabra