Few rappers have ever painted street life with the precision and poetry of Raekwon the Chef. When Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... dropped in 1995, it wasn’t just an album—it was cinematic. It was organized crime meets Shaolin soul, narrated in a code only the real ones could crack. Now, at the BET Experience 2025 Class of '95 Picnic, Raekwon is stepping back onto the stage as both an originator and a standard-bearer of lyrical finesse.

Raekwon didn’t come into the game as a solo act. He entered as one of the most distinct voices in Wu-Tang Clan, a group that turned the East Coast rap scene upside down with its raw, dusty, kung fu-infused debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). But 1995 was the year Rae stepped out on his own—and reshaped the genre in the process.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... was more than just a solo album—it was the blueprint for “mafioso rap.” It gave us aliases, capers, interludes that felt like scenes from a film, and bars that read like criminal confessions scribbled into a leather-bound notebook. Ghostface Killah played his right-hand man throughout the project, making it one of hip hop’s earliest examples of a cinematic rap duo concept album. From “Incarcerated Scarfaces” to “Criminology” and “Ice Cream,” Rae spun street tales with operatic flair.

At BETX, fans will get to see the Chef cook live—bringing those same vivid rhymes to life with the kind of confidence only 30 years in the game can bring. His flow is still razor-sharp. His delivery? Cold as ever. And his catalog? As rich as a five-course meal.

But Raekwon’s not just a legend in the rearview. He’s remained active, dropping well-received albums like Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II and The Wild, and collaborating with new-gen stars like Westside Gunn and Freddie Gibbs. His presence is a bridge between eras—reminding everyone that lyricism is still currency, and storytelling never goes out of style.

His performance at the Class of '95 Picnic will be a gift to hip hop heads who crave dense verses, layered metaphors, and production that still knocks. Expect dusty soul loops, menacing beats, and Rae spitting like he’s still corner-hustling in Staten Island.

Beyond the music, Raekwon’s career has also shown that you can be gritty and graceful, flashy and focused. His rhymes may be about drug deals and diamond heists, but his message is about survival, self-made success, and staying ten toes down when trends come and go.

For young fans just discovering Wu-Tang through documentaries or TikToks, this is your chance to see one of the sharpest pens in rap history do what he does best—live, unfiltered, and fully in command.

Raekwon’s voice carries weight not just because of what he says, but how he says it. He brings elegance to the street corner. Grit to the mansion. He’s the Chef for a reason—because every bar is seasoned, every flow is calculated, and every performance is a meal worth savoring.

Don’t miss Raekwon live at the BET Experience 2025. Watch the BET Awards on Monday, June 9th at 8 PM ET on BET and grab your tickets for all BETX events now at bet.com/topic/betexperience.