Raekwon Rocks Out With Band, Gives Killer Performance For Classic Hip Hop Lives

Raekwon performing at the mic stand with the Mo Fitz Project at The Promontory in Chicago on Friday May 18, 2018 for the latest installment of the Classic Hip Hop Lives series. Photo courtesy of Nico Rubio

Raekwon has always been without a doubt not only one of the best members of arguably the greatest Hip-Hop group of all-time, Wu-Tang Clan, but one of the groups most versatility adapt members as well.  Which he showed on Friday night at The Promontory for his very first performance ever with a live band.

The Chef was rocking out with Chicago’s very own the Mo Fitz Project in front of the sold-out crowd in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood.  It was the latest installment in the ever growing Classic Hip Hop Lives series from Knowledge Beckom Presents.

Rocking all Jordan apparel from the black and red Jordan shorts to go with the matching shirt set with a pair of Black and White Jordan XIII’s, Raekwon came out to The Wild Intro before transitioning into This Is What It Comes Too, Nothing and Can’t You See from his latest solo album, The Wild.  Bringing out very talented homegrown Chicago singer, Natasha, to sing the chorus for Nothing.

Raekwon watches on as homegrown Chicago singer, Natasha, performs with the Mo Fitz Project at The Promontory in Chicago on Friday May 18, 2018 for the latest installment of the Classic Hip Hop Lives series. Photo courtesy of KMax

He would then transition into the Wu-Tang Clan classics, Da Mystery of Cheesboxin’, Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing tu Fvck Wit and Protect Ya Neck.  The crowd rapping and singing along, before he stopped for a brief moment to say, “This next record is serious cause it’s dedicated to one of my brothers in Heaven, Prodigy of Mobb Deep.”  Then going into his always ruggedly raw and classic, collaboration with Mobb Deep he was featured on, An Eye For An Eye, which had everyone rapping along again.  He would then go into the part of the show where him and every Wu-Tang member during the performance always asks, “Let me ask real quick, ‘How many of y’all go back to 1993 with us?  But this next record is dedicated to the realest n***a.  God bless our brother, Ol’ Dirty Bastard.  I need to hear y’all rap along with this.  Let’s go!”  To which the crowd automatically goes crazy, as they rap and sing along to Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s classic, Shimmy Shimmy Ya.

Rae would then get up to the mic and very smoothly and quite effortlessly transition from performing with DJ Jay Illa, to really start rocking with the band.  With his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx classics, Ice Cream, Rainy Dayz, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Verbal Intercourse, Criminology and Can It All Be So Simple.  Even having Natasha come out again during Rainy Dayz and Can It All Be So Simple to really showcase her very amazing voice again.  Rae showing that when done right, there’s certain emcees like himself that can really rock with a band and not just with only a DJ all the time and still kill a performance the way he did rocking with the band.

You know Raekwon couldn’t close out the show before performing his killer verse from Wu-Tang Clan’s classic single, C.R.E.A.M., which he said was, “The verse and record that really changed things for me forever and that y’all crowned me as the champ with!”  The whole crowd of course really going wild, as they rapped and singed the lyrics to what’s still the group’s biggest record to date nearly 25 years later and easily not only arguably the group’s best record, but one of the best songs ever recorded.

The way Raekwon really rocked out so effortlessly with the band too, I don’t think is the last time we will see him rock out with the Mo Fitz Project or possibly even another band.