The weirdest thing Raekwon has ever said

[Sparrow Daene]

As Clyde Smith on the "Fishscale" intro:

"A lot of these Tom Cruise niggas don't know, man."

"...and all that other ????? fuckin' Tom Cruise nigga, like we ain't Vanilla Sky or nuttin' in the streets."

A lot of Raekwon's rhymes are just straight up undecipherable (in a great way) at least on first listen, but this Tom Cruise name-check and mention of Vanilla Sky is just .....what!?!? I don't have the slightest idea what he's going for here. Anyone?

First of all, claiming "we Vanilla Sky in these streets" has got to be one of the oddest "street nigga" boasts in hip-hop, if that's even what it is.


Taking a shot in the dark here, calling whoever he's talking about "these Tom Cruise niggas" could be another way of calling them faggots. I don't know how tuned-in to the Hollywood rumor mill Raekwon is though.

This is a coke rap album if there ever was one, all the way down to the title. The Vanilla Sky thing could be another one of those instances where a rapper takes something that's white and makes it a metaphor (for lack of a better term) for cocaine, like "white girl". There's a million examples of this, but I don't really think this is one of them.

What the fuck is he talking about here?

[Guarded By Martyrs]

Tom Cruise is an Actor....

I think Rae's saying these other heads in the street ain't real like himself & Ghost
They are just pretending or playing a roll, like Tom Cruise.

"Vanilla Sky" is a head-scratcher but what comes to mind is that movie is hard to follow
Some weird shit goes down in that film, that Tom Cruise can't get his head around.
It fucks him up....he doesn't understand what is going on!

Raekwon could be implying that himself & Ghostface do know what is going on.

The scene where he's completely alone, he can't see anyone
Rae could be referring to that particular scene.

"We Vanilla Sky In These Streets" could mean that they're on some other shit
That these "Actors" or those who are "Not Real" simply can't follow.

Or it could just be a flavour reference to Cocaine....Rae cooking up shit.

I haven't listened to "Fishscale" in ages.

A lot of Raekwon's rhymes are just straight up undecipherable (in a great way) at least on first listen

I agree with this.

The slang is the hardest to pin as it seems to constantly evolve and is up for interpretation.

In the midst of what a lot might call nonsense he's able to present intricate stories
As well as hidden jewels in the abstractness he conveys.
His range & dynamics allow him to seamlessly rhyme about anything/nothing :

This is why I think he's probably got the most verses out of The Clan.

I've often wondered who a good comparison to Raekwon would be :
In terms of style and I think the best shout I've heard so far is Goretex.

[Guarded By Martyrs]

like we ain't Vanilla Sky or nuttin' in the streets."

Yeah I'm pretty sure Rae is saying they are unsung and dude's be acting like they can't see them.

As if they don't exist = "Nuttin' In The Streets" = Vanilla Sky

The scene where he's completely alone, he can't see anyone
Rae could be referring to that particular scene.

Perhaps eluding to the price paid by being part of The Clan....rather than solo artists.

[JEM]

clyde smith 1 is rae...clyde smith 2 is ghost...

[KERZO]

Rae's just bombing shit like math as per usual.

[Mantra]

He had sugar in his ear from his last crack career... must mean when he was hustling the cops came to raid his spot while he was putting sugar in his cereal and he panicked and the sugar spilt in his ear

Prince of wales swimming on feet.. probably means doing the backstroke or just boat racing barefoot .

Connect words to make my man child walk.. means he was finishing a crossword puzzle and he found the word walk, and his friends baby walked at the same time.

Last man to eat tracks like you...means he is going to eat dinner once all the other wu did.

[KERZO]

'Prince of Wales swimming on feet' - that seems like he's saying he's the Jesus of fishscale to me.

[diggy]

Rae said some really weird stuff - like almost every line in a rhyme.

[Wu-tang Fan]

He had sugar in his ear from his last crack career... must mean when he was hustling the cops came to raid his spot while he was putting sugar in his cereal and he panicked and the sugar spilt in his ear

Prince of wales swimming on feet.. probably means doing the backstroke or just boat racing barefoot .

Connect words to make my man child walk.. means he was finishing a crossword puzzle and he found the word walk, and his friends baby walked at the same time.

Last man to eat tracks like you...means he is going to eat dinner once all the other wu did.

Man I love how you interpret that shit so abstract, that is exactly how I would think of it!

This is one of the things I love about the Wu, hidden gems in every song, especially Rae, Ghost and Gza.

I have times where I only just figure out what they are saying after listening hundreds of times to a joint.

[RADIOACTIVE MAN]

As Clyde Smith on the "Fishscale" intro:

"A lot of these Tom Cruise niggas don't know, man."

"...and all that other ????? fuckin' Tom Cruise nigga, like we ain't Vanilla Sky or nuttin' in the streets."

A lot of Raekwon's rhymes are just straight up undecipherable (in a great way) at least on first listen, but this Tom Cruise name-check and mention of Vanilla Sky is just .....what!?!? I don't have the slightest idea what he's going for here. Anyone?

First of all, claiming "we Vanilla Sky in these streets" has got to be one of the oddest "street nigga" boasts in hip-hop, if that's even what it is.


Taking a shot in the dark here, calling whoever he's talking about "these Tom Cruise niggas" could be another way of calling them faggots. I don't know how tuned-in to the Hollywood rumor mill Raekwon is though.

This is a coke rap album if there ever was one, all the way down to the title. The Vanilla Sky thing could be another one of those instances where a rapper takes something that's white and makes it a metaphor (for lack of a better term) for cocaine, like "white girl". There's a million examples of this, but I don't really think this is one of them.

What the fuck is he talking about here?

tom cruise was the main actor in a movie called vanilla sky where he got disfigured by a crazy chick obsessed with him

the lyric makes sense, i think he pretty much was saying he is not an actor and isn't soft

[That Go 2 Massapequa]

Hahaha I have always thought "Prince of Wales Swimming on Feet" was up there. Glad I am not alone.

[Sam the Seed]

I've never seen Vanilla Sky but namedropping it is how a lot of rich niggas like to show their above the gangbangers now. The Wu love mentioning obscure pop culture they co-sign. Raekwon is pretty media-savvy from my witness so he knows rumors of Cruise being gay from Eyes Wide Shut. For some reason, thats THE Kubrick all black ppl know and love. Not surprising at all actually.

[Sam the Seed]

But the weirdest shit he said IMO is anything from that song "Frozen" with Slick Rick.

"Severe teaspoon, scary money on the moon, lampin' wit a big goon / Keep shit tight like a kid's room / Big Bird in the driveway"

"Olive green thinking, ship sinking, deep dish thinking / Big fish tank, wrist full of Franklins / This mock-neck, sharkskin money"

[Emperor Les]

Rae's verse from "Spazzola" is the most insane shit.


"Aiyyo fluid rap bend through it black, buluga black Ac'
Tackle that, ghetto tabernacles, throw it in your lap
Slang A-K, national, geographical
Mathematical, slide up in your work casual
Nike Air Dog, who wear it all, plus down to brawl
All a thousand with a bloody hair, flammable
Rap mayors, who clap Himalayas, pinky fingers
Ever glacer, lacer, hand laser touches grail bomb blazers
Sly-workin, network berzerk, mad hurtin
Killer whales, fucking up sales, crash Bloomingdales
?Masqevendo?, John Lennon tenor break, mad descendo
Fuck y'all niggas carve my ice through your Benz window"

WTF does any of that mean? Lol.