Raekwon Tickets

The Master Chef Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan cooked me the same flavorful dish called "First Impressions" for the third time, and it was just as tasteful as like when I devoured it for my first time back in 1995. The first time Master Chef Raekwon handed me the dish, First Impressions, I was 14 years old. The dish was unforgettable, something really unorthodox. The food presented was above this purple plate was full of realness. The way each ingredient mixed together perfectly attacked vision and hearing. As I sat at the my table, I heard others say that the help he had in the kitchen help make this plate so potent to the mind. The colours was mainly red and orange; sort like the sauce on a mobster's pasta. As I analyzed my food closer, I heard the it speak to me. I gave a few friends of mine a sample of what he had just cooked, and they all bought a plate for themselves. Soon word caught and almost everyone in the industry was studying this new technique and trying to replicate this dish. Two years later (I believe), I caught Master Chef Raekwon at HMV but, this time he gave me First Impressions on this new glossy reflected plate. Just like the before he food was attacked my sight and vision. Adding to that assault on my senses, the indigents presented it self more clearer. Perhaps because The Master Chef was visually marketing this recipe or, maybe the cookware in the kitchen was more enhance or, maybe due to I was more mature more appreciative to his art, I just  felt and understood his recipe on a deeper level. Others that bought the dish once more said the same thing. Unless you bought that same dish twice, you would of never believed that the second was better than the first.  Almost ten years later, in March 2013, I was made aware that The Master Chef Raekwon was returning to Toronto to cook onstage live! Quickly, I done some research on where The Master Chef was going to show his style and technique. Friends living in Facebook informed me that The Chef would be performing in this temple called Sound Academy March 20th and promoted through only great Legends themselves. So instantly, I bought tickets online through Ticket Master, the master who style is to deliver tickets in the simplest form. Days pass, I am with one of my loyalist disciple at Sound Academy and Its March 20th. The temple is packed with his students from all over Toronto. The bar is busy pushing our potions while the pre-show is entertaining the crowd with samples of other dishes. Truthfully, the food that was cooking was not worth lining up for or even going back for seconds - they were not catering to the crowds of students whom have spent years of practicing the real techniques of the Masters of 90's. Suddenly, the lights in the temple drops and video starts to play showing of The Master Chef alongside other Masters of his clan and Masters outside are seen. These Masters, express their respect to The Master Chef Raekwon by saying how his dish back in 1995 changed the industry. The video was an amazing intro to what was to come. Right after the video, the temples's curtains open and the atmosphere was coloured purple like the plate I seen in 1995. With excitement, the students of the temple start chanting Wu-Tang! Wu-Tang! and out of no where, The Master Chef Raekwon comes out and instantly begins cooking his famous dish “First Impressions”. He craft-fully illustrates his technique to his students one ingredient at a time. The privilege of witnessing his performance was priceless. Even though the Master never visually shared his entire recipe, this time in Toronto, he gave his student the blessing of patiently demonstrating his recipe. For almost near to ten years, I have imagined and waited to see how he cooked. For almost near to ten years, I wanted to witness the dish “First Impressions” being born live alongside my loyalist disciple. He cleverly shown his student how to mix, cook and present the same dish again for the third time but, for the first time! It was honestly another another first impression! No chef in this industry I know today can not even deliver a dish that is over 10 years old and still hit your senses - they are just not talented enough and do not have the discipline of practising their technique. Even while the ingredients was simmering, The Master Chef gave us tips on why he used certain ingredients. Felling full, but still hungry for seconds at the end of the show, his student was full of energy and not wanting their teacher to leave the temple. At the of the show, The Master Chef Raekwon said that what he just delivered was Only Built 4 Cuban Linx! Those who understood, understood.

This was my very first concert of any wu member, and I was impressed...sort of. I know the ticket was only$35, but he came on just after 11pm, and left the stage just before 12am. So it was just under an hour. He covered things from 36 Chambers, Only Built for Cuban Linx, Only Built for Cuban Link II, and of course his new album (Shaolin vs. Wutang). He started the set with CREAM, which got the crowd pumping. However as time went on, you could see that father time has caught up with Rae as he was caught leaning against the dj stand, catching his breath, and having his hype man sing about 50% of the song (which I hate in hip hop acts). I would have given it a higher rating if it wasnt' for the hypeman trying to steal the show. But all in all, it's Raekwon! And I was just excited to see him.

Though he came on pretty late, was a very entertaining show!

Truly unforgettable performance!!! Beyond my expectations! Will def go outta town to see him perform again. Raekwon! Raekwon! Raekwon!

Raekwon put on a great show. He was accompanied by someone (sadly not Ghostface Killah) and they rocked the stage together in classic Wu fashion. He did alot of the new album Only Built for Cuban Linx 2 and also tracks from the original, not to mention some sick Wu joints like CREAM, 7th chamber, and Re-United. If you get the chance, see him.

After a long wait for Raekwon to hit the stage, during which there were very few highlights, particularly not from the second opener, a commercially viable Southern Hip-Hop flavored group whose name I can't recall, The Chef opened up with the Wu-Tang debut highlight C.R.E.A.M., setting a high precedent for the rest of the show. Not surprisingly, Raekwon delivered. Drawing mainly from his new record, Only Built for Cuban Linx...Pt.2 and Enter the 36 Chambers, Raekwon continually gave the very participatory, excited, and inebriated crowd exactly what they wanted: Loads of Wu-Tang classics sprinkled with newer offerings that hold up very well against the undeniably great tracks that the RZA produced in 1993. Chef seemed very comfortable on stage, enjoying the crowd's excitement and frequently demanding crowd participation. An unexpected bonus was a fired up rendition of Ol' Dirty Bastard's Shimmy Shimmy Ya, an homage to a fallen hip-hop hero. Chef closed off with an Encore of Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin ta Fuck Wit, ending on arguably the brightest shining moment of the night, and leaving the crowd thirsty for more. I know that I have at least been listening to Wu records since I left the show and my head has been on "continuous bop" for basically all of the hours I've spent awake since. An excellent show by a living legend, Raekwon is still bringing it with everything he's got, 17 years after Enter the 36 Chambers dropped and completely rearranged the hip-hop landscape

The show was rocking and would love to see Raekwon come back with Ghostface and RZA but the show was awesome minus the idiots fighting at the end.

This concert was so sicckkk. Had a great time!!!!!!!