From Staircase to Stage cover art

From Staircase to Stage

The Story of Raekwon and the Wu-Tang Clan

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From Staircase to Stage

By: Raekwon, Anthony Bozza - contributor
Narrated by: Landon Woodson, Raekwon
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About this listen

 Legendary wordsmith Raekwon the Chef opens up about his journey from the staircases of Park Hill in Staten Island to sold-out stadiums around the world with the Wu-Tang Clan in this revealing memoir - perfect for fans of The Autobiography of Gucci Mane and Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter.

There are rappers that everyone loves, and there are rappers that every rapper loves, and Corey Woods, a.k.a. Raekwon the Chef, is one of the few who is both. His versatile flow, natural storytelling and evocative imagery has inspired legions of fans and a new generation of rappers. As one of the founding members of Wu-Tang Clan, Raekwon’s voice and cadence is synonymous with the inimitable sound that has made the group iconic since 1991.

Now, for the first time, Raekwon tells his full story, from struggling through poverty to make ends meet to turning a hobby into a legacy. The Wu-Tang story is dense, complex and full of drama, and here nothing is off limits: the group’s underground origins, secrets behind songs like 'C.R.E.A.M.' and 'Protect Ya Neck', and what it took to be one of the first hip-hop groups to break into the mainstream. Raekwon also dives deep into the making of his meticulous solo albums - particularly the classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx - and talks about how spirituality and fatherhood continue to inspire his unstoppable creative process.

A celebration of perseverance and the power of music, From Staircase to Stage is a master storyteller’s lifelong journey to stay true to himself and his roots.©2021 Corey Wppds (P)2021 Simon & Schuster Inc. Entertainment & Celebrities Music Celebrity Hip-Hop Inspiring Thought-Provoking

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The love, respect and loyalty Raekwon has for his friends and family is evident - it was a pleasure to learn about his life and the road he’s taken to get him to where he is. Rediscovering Raekwon and Wu Tang off the back of this audiobook has been massively welcome.

Big Ratings For Raekwon The Chef

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Miraculously detailed and a rollercoaster at times, Rae comes off even more enigmatic and really lays it on the line so the reader can feel the highs and incredible lows of his journey. Feels like a sacrifice and a heroic tale at the same time. Honestly magnificent work for any fan of the Chef to get closer to those early days in Shaolin and beyond.

Take Cuban Linx to another level

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Must read for any Wu fan. Great to hear the Chef’s story in the context of the Wu as a whole. When usually anything you hear about the Wu is so heavily curated by Rza, nice to hear a different perspective. The interviews with him and his son at the end of every chapter are also great. Rae really doesn’t hold back on his criticism of Rza and Divine which to be fair, he isn’t the first member of the Wu to do this.

Rae does always portray himself in the most positive light but that’s to be expected. I’d also like more ODB and GZA stories as they seem to be lacking especially as we all know how crazy was. There could also be more Masta Killa stories but this book is generally a pleasure to read for any Wu fan.

Raekwon writes as hard as he spits

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Huge Wu fan and this book is something I absolutely needed.
Narrator is very good and the little interviews with Rae at the end of each chapter are icing on the cake.
This book details Rae's life from child to Wu Tang TV series and it's full of so many little behind the scenes gems which explain what was going on during the production of each album. The later chapters are really interesting and sad to see how a tight knit family like Wu was getting pulled apart by money and members.

Highly recommend for an fan of Wu Tang or music in general.

Big fan of the Wu

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Well narrated and an honest account of a life that could have been very different!

Great insight to the life of Raekwon

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Wu Tang Forever 🔥🔥 A great insight into the greatest Hip Hop groups of all time. Any fan of music needs to give it a listen. The chef is a true legend in the game. https://linktr.ee/BOYOWORLD

Great book & insight to the Goat hip hop group

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alot of nuggets and knowledge on this one. Rae has been one of the best MCs for me for many years and when I found this audible, I was a little hesitant due to the duration but my man had alot to say and I completely loved it. I'd be listening for a couple hours at a time. Highly recommend fans of the culture this audible. I'd prefer Rae read out the whole book but I like how he added his additional insights. Truly showed love to those around him, felt it was truly heartfelt. At times I thought Rae was letting down his guard a bit but that's the legitimacy of this book. 5* General!

very solid perspective

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Great insight into Wu & how money sent them all mad, the struggle for getting money & how it has dominated the group! great honesty from Rae & great humility to see his own faults in it all.Love it, been bumping all of Rae's work to remind me since! Blaaaaow!!!

Ice Water 💯!!

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I've read all of the books written by Wu-tang members so far and it's always great to hear stories from each person's perspective. Raekwon has always been a stand out character in the Wu so it's nice to hear his story from the foundation to now. This is a real rags to riches tale.

I didn't realize how much of a business man The Chef actually is as he seems to be so low key about it. I have so much more respect for him now. The narrator did a very good job reading this one too.

The only gripe I have is that somebody needs to let Rae know that kung-fu and karate are two completely different martial arts!

The Chef, The Rapper, The Scholar.

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Well, what can I say? I strongly recommend this book not just to Wu Tang, Raekwon or hip hop fans. This is for all audiences. The smallest fault is The Chef not narrating it. The guy who narrates it does a solid job bit to hear Chef with his strong assertive voice talk would’ve been the cherry on top of the cake. #olnybuiltforcubanlinx

Cooked up greatness.

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