Raekwon Discusses New Album, Kanye-Bieber Track

"These rhymes come straight from the minds of criminals," Raekwon said midway through his Sunday night performance at All Tomorrow's Parties. And then he laughed. The rapper played a short, loose set: At one point, an apparently drunken man wearing a suit jumped onstage and put his mouth close to Raekwon's ear. "Get him off the stage — jumping in my ear, that crazy son of a bitch," Raekwon said. "I thought that was the promoter."

Greenhornes, Girls Close Out All Tomorrow's Parties

Later, Raekwon sat down with Rolling Stone in the piano room at the Kutshers Country Club, where ATP took place. He told us his ideal festival lineup ("Linkin Park, Wu-Tang, the Roots, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Madonna"), the story behind his Kanye West/Justin Bieber collaboration "Runaway Love (Remix)" and his upcoming solo disc, Shaolin vs. the Wu-Tang, which he describes as a "hot, action-packed Wu-sounding album." The rapper is busier than ever. "It's like I jumped in the fountain of youth," he said.

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

More Song Stories entries »

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