Our most recent rap piece involved Bradford Cox from Deerhunter interviewing Soulja Boy, which was OK, but most new rappers are so conservative and dull that it’s a waste of time talking to them.
This month, though, we were offered an interview with Raekwon and thought, “Well, why not?” It’s the Conversations With Distinguished Gentlemen Issue and he certainly fits that description, right?
As well as being the hardest member of the Wu next to Masta Killa, he and Ghostface made the finest albums about selling crack ever, in the form of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and Ironman. Lex Diamonds also made Tommy Hilfiger and Lexus cars fashionable, but we’ll forgive him for that.
But guess what? The whole process of interviewing him turned into a total ball ache and reminded us why we don’t do rap interviews anymore. After keeping our photographer waiting for nearly two days while Raewkon watched WWF and got stoned in his hotel, his management refused to send us even a streamed link of the album so we can’t even tell you how it sounds. On the basis of the couple of tracks we’ve heard leaked, it sounds like, well, pretty good to mildly OK. So what could we talk about? See below.
Vice: So, you’re 39 years of age and a family man, many times over. How’s the home life?
Raekwon: I’m still infatuated with this art I do. I make it my business to do my business, you know? But I’m a father, and I make the most of that. I want to be the best family man I can be.
What keeps you busiest at home?
I love to cook more and more, every day. That’s part of growing up and becoming a man. I come from a long line of people who know how to cook. So yeah, maybe I was destined to be “The Chef” in multiple ways, you know?
What’s your signature dish?
I do a really good baked salmon, and baked chicken with the crispy skin. We all be on that. It’s good to be able to relax with your friends and family and make some good food.
Who would win a Wu edition of Come Dine With Me?
I don’t know. There’s some good cooks in Wu. GZA be on some baking ****. He does like a strawberry cake and, like, a lemon one, like that lemon glazed ****.
A lemon drizzle?
Yeah, that’s the one.
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