Fly International Luxurious Art
Studio album by
Raekwon
ReleasedApril 28, 2015
Recorded2012–2015
GenreHip hop
Length42:45
LabelIce H2O, Caroline
ProducerRaekwon (exec.), Jerry Wonda, She da God, Snaz, Scram Jones, S1, Frank G, Scoop DeVille, Bluerocks, Matthew Burnett
Raekwon chronology
Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang
(2011) 		Fly International Luxurious Art
(2015) 		The Wild
(2017)
Singles from Fly International Luxurious Art
  1. "All About You"
    Released: August 20, 2013
  2. "Soundboy Kill It"
    Released: December 10, 2013
  3. "Wall to Wall"
    Released: March 17, 2015

Fly International Luxurious Art is the sixth studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon. The album was released on April 28, 2015, by Ice H2O Records and Caroline Records. The album was supported by the singles "All About You", "Soundboy Kill It" and "Wall to Wall".

Background

On January 1, 2013, Raekwon announced that his next studio album would be titled "F.I.L.A.", an acronym for "Fly International Luxurious Art", and said it would be released in the second quarter of 2013.[1][2] On February 15, 2013, Raekwon said the album was almost finished.[3]

Raekwon said that the album is an ode to his "stylish" side and the album will contain elements of "glamour, lifestyle and fashion."[4][5] He said he is attempting to appeal to a broader global audience and have this album become a "worldwide success".[6] On July 22, 2013, he told MTV he was still working on the album, along with the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan album with the former due for a release near the end of the year.[7]

Recording and production

The album's recording process began in late 2012. For the album, he collaborated with artists such as Estelle, Melanie Fiona and Akon. Production on the album was handled by producers such as Jerry Wonda, RoadsArt and Frank G. among others.[8] In a late-February 2014 interview, Raekwon stated that Akon and Snoop Dogg would be featured on the album. He also confirmed that the album was close to being complete.[9]

Release and promotion

Raekwon announced on November 30, 2012 that he would soon release an EP titled Lost Jewlry.[10] The EP was released for free by his label Ice H2O on January 15, 2013. The EP featured guest appearances from Faith Evans, Freddie Gibbs, Altrina Renee and Maino, and includes production from Scram Jones, Buckwild and more.[11]

On March 7, 2013, Raekwon announced that the album would be released in June 2013.[12] On April 30, he announced that the album would be pushed back until September 2013.[13] Then once the first single was released he confirmed a pushback until January 2014 during an interview in late August 2013 with ABC News.[14]

Starting June 14 through June 30, 2013, Raekwon toured across Canada on the Canadian leg of his "Fly International Luxurious Art Tour". That legs opening act is the band Masters of Ceremonies.[15] Following that, he toured the United States and Europe with the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan on their 20th Anniversary Tour.[7] On June 20, 2014, he announced that the album would be released on September 16, 2014.[16] However, on October 13, 2014, Raekwon confirmed via Twitter that the album was pushed back to 2015 in order to focus on the Wu-Tang Clan's latest album A Better Tomorrow.[17]

Singles

The album's first single "All About You" featuring Estelle and produced by Jerry Wonda was released on August 20, 2013.[18] The music video for "All About You" featuring Estelle had been shot in New York in June 2013. It was released two days after the song's retail release, via Fuse.[19][20]

On June 6, 2013, "Soundboy Kill It" featuring Melanie Fiona was premiered.[21][22][23] On December 10, 2013, "Soundboy Kill It" was released to iTunes as the album's second single.[24] On March 17, 2015, the album's third single "Wall to Wall" featuring French Montana and Busta Rhymes was released.[25]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[26]
The A.V. ClubB−[27]
Consequence of SoundB−[28]
HipHopDX[29]
NME8/10[30]
The Observer[31]
Q[32]
Rolling Stone[33]
Slant Magazine[34]
Spin7/10[35]

Fly International Luxurious Art received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 63, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 17 reviews.[36] Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound said, "What F.I.L.A. lacks in overt emotional content is made up for with the pleasure Raekwon takes in listing off his lavish purchases and seemingly constant jet-setting. Still, he lets you know that his darker days aren’t that far behind him, and that those tribulations helped him become the uncompromising artist he is today."[28] Homer Johnsen of HipHopDX said, "F.I.L.A. had two years of hype for what amounts to an album with little true cohesion. The finished product doesn’t quite match the overwhelming talent and legacy of the legendary emcee."[29] Corbin Reiff of The A.V. Club said, "For all its unintended sonic drawbacks, Fly International Luxurious Art goes a long way to remind everyone of why Raekwon is one of the greatest to ever wield a microphone. His flow is masterful, his lines are sharp, and his verbiage is as dense and intricate as it’s ever been."[27]

Jesse Cataldo of Slant Magazine said, "Fly International Luxurious Art maintains some level of general interest through a stacked guest list, with visitors as varied as Snoop Dogg, A$AP Rocky, Busta Rhymes, and 2 Chainz, but none of them do more than distract from the overall atmosphere of paltry unevenness."[34] Justin Ivey of XXL said, "Fly International Luxurious Art ultimately suffers from its inability to connect with any particular audience. It makes for a very uneven listening experience as the album is unable to find any cohesive sound or theme."[37]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"Corey Woods, Jerry DuplessisJerry Wonda1:09
2."4 in the Morning" (featuring Ghostface Killah)Woods, Marc Shemer, Dennis ColesScram Jones3:21
3."I Got Money" (featuring A$AP Rocky)Woods, Rakim Mayers, Larry Griffin Jr., DuplessisS1, Jerry Wonda3:21
4."Wall to Wall" (featuring French Montana and Busta Rhymes)Woods, Karim Kharbouch, Trevor Smith, Ashley Bannister, Rene HillShe da God, Snaz[a]5:02
5."Heated Nights"Woods, Frank GuastellaFrank G3:02
6."F.I.L.A. World" (featuring 2 Chainz)Woods, Tauheed Epps, Shemer, DuplessisScram Jones, Jerry Wonda4:21
7."1,2, 1,2" (featuring Snoop Dogg)Woods, Calvin Broadus, Jr., Elijah MolinaScoop DeVille3:20
8."Live to Die"Woods, Griffin, Jr.S13:12
9."Soundboy Kill It" (featuring Melanie Fiona and Assassin)Woods, Duplessis, Kasseem Dean, Arden Altino, Angela Hunte, Jeffrey CampbellJerry Wonda, Swizz Beatz, Altino[a]3:07
10."Revory (Wraith)" (featuring Rick Ross and Ghostface Killah)Woods, Jamie Frank, William Roberts II, ColesBluerocks3:24
11."All About You" (featuring Estelle)Woods, Estelle Swaray, Duplessis, Shama Joseph, Altino, Akene DunkleyJerry Wonda, Joseph, Altino[a], Dunkley[a]3:25
12."Nautilus"Woods, SchemerScram Jones2:39
13."Worst Enemy" (featuring Liz Rodrigues)Woods, Matthew Burnett, Edward Supo, Liz Rodrigues, Michael "DZL" HolmesBurnett, DZL3:43
Total length:42:45
Fly International Luxurious Art — Best Buy deluxe version
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Internationalism"Woods, ShemerScram Jones2:56
Total length:45:48
Notes
Sample credits

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[38] 60
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[39] 7
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[40] 6
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[41] 4
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[42] 14

References

  1. ^ Ryon, Sean (2013-01-01). "Raekwon Announces New Album "F.I.L.A. (Fly International Luxurious Art)"". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on 2013-01-07. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  2. ^ "Raekwon Announces New Album Title". Complex. 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  3. ^ "Twitter / Raekwon: Fly International Luxurious". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  4. ^ "Raekwon Shares His Love For Sneakers With WWD, Wu-Tang Rapper Owns Over 1,000 Pairs". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  5. ^ Ramos, Dorkys. "Raekwon's Love for Sneakers Inspired New Music". BET. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  6. ^ Mertens, Max. "Raekwon". Nowtoronto.com. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  7. ^ a b MTV UK. "Interview: Raekwon". Mtv.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  8. ^ "Here Is The Status Of The 25 Most Anticipated Albums Of 2014 - Page 6 of 9 - XXL". Xxlmag.com. 2014-01-29. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  9. ^ B.Dot (2014-02-27). "The Breakfast Club Interviews Raekwon". Rap Radar. Archived from the original on 2014-07-04. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  10. ^ "Raekwon To Release New EP Titled "Lost Jewelry"". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  11. ^ Ryon, Sean (2013-01-15). "Raekwon "Lost Jewlry" EP Download". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  12. ^ Harling, Danielle (2013-03-07). "Raekwon Talks New "F.I.L.A." LP, Refers To The Album As A "Lifestyle Project"". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  13. ^ Ryon, Sean (2013-05-01). "Raekwon On Wu-Tang Clan Reunion: "The Business Has Got To Be Done Right"". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  14. ^ Page 2 of 2 (2013-08-26). "Page 2: 'The Grandmaster': Romantic Kung Fu Movie Touts 'Love at First Fight' - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  15. ^ Paine, Jake (2013-06-13). "Raekwon Announces Canadian "F.I.L.A. Tour" Dates". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  16. ^ Rys, Dan (2014-05-28). "Raekwon Doesn't Feel Any Release Date Competition With 50 Cent And Game". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  17. ^ "Raekwon The Chef on Twitter: "Check the fly shit I'm pushing my album #fila back to next year, to put all my energy into the wu tang album. #FILA just wait on it!!!"". Twitter.com. 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  18. ^ "iTunes - Music - All About You (feat. Estelle) - Single by Raekwon". Itunes.apple.com. 2013-08-20. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  19. ^ "Premiere: Raekwon & Estelle "All About You" Video - Fuse Premiere - Fuse". Fuse.tv. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  20. ^ "Raekwon, Estelle "All About You"". Complex. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  21. ^ "Raekwon f. Melanie Fiona - Soundboy Kill It". HipHop DX. 2013-06-06. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  22. ^ "New Music: Raekwon f/ Melanie Fiona – 'Soundboy Kill It'". Rap-Up.com. 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  23. ^ "Raekwon Classes It Up in 'All About You' Video With Estelle". Thedrop.fm. 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  24. ^ "iTunes - Music - Soundboy Kill It (feat. Melanie Fiona & Assassin) - Single by Raekwon". Itunes.apple.com. 2013-12-10. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  25. ^ "Wall To Wall [feat. Busta Rhymes] [Explicit]: Raekwon: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  26. ^ Jeffries, David (2015). "Review: Raekwon Fly International Luxurious Art". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  27. ^ a b Reiff, Corbin (2015-04-28). "Review: Raekwon reaches back, but maybe not far enough on Fly International Luxurious Art". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  28. ^ a b Coplan, Chris (2015-04-24). "Raekwon – Fly International Luxurious Art". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  29. ^ a b Johnsen, Homer (2015-04-27). "Raekwon - Fly International Luxurious Art". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 2015-04-29. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  30. ^ "NME Reviews - Raekwon - 'Fly International Luxurious Art'". Nme.Com. 2015-04-14. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  31. ^ Phil Mongredien. "Raekwon: Fly International Luxury Art review – memories of past glories cut with too much filler | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  32. ^ Raekwon Fly International Luxurious Art. Q. June, 2015. Page 111.
  33. ^ Weingarten, Christopher R. (2015-04-28). "Raekwon's New Album: Fly International Luxurious Art". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  34. ^ a b "Raekwon: Fly International Luxurious Art | Album Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  35. ^ Weiss, Dan (2015-04-28). "Review: Raekwon, 'Fly Luxurious International Art'". SPIN. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  36. ^ "Reviews for Fly International Luxurious Art by Raekwon". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  37. ^ "Raekwon Is Lyrically Sharp as Ever on 'FILA' - XXL". Xxlmag.com. 2015-04-29. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  38. ^ "Raekwon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  39. ^ "Raekwon Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  40. ^ "Raekwon Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  41. ^ "Raekwon Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  42. ^ "Raekwon Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
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