With Raekwon’s highly anticipated album nearing release, we were blessed to have the Chef stop by Noisemakers in late July. In addition to debuting his Dilla-produced single “House of Flying Daggers,” Raekwon dropped other Wu gems about his beginnings:

Last night’s guest, Raekwon, dished it out with the swagger of an unflappable rap god. Recounting the much-mythologized history of Wu-Tang Clan, the Chef dropped a few choice tidbits about the group’s early days, as well as hilarious anecdotes about Wu legends RZA and Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

At first, rather than a master plan to dominate the hip-hop industry, the Clan was a “you get $100 and then you can come into the studio” concept. Recording was more of a refuge from harsh Staten Island drug-dealing conditions than any sort of lifetime dream, and the group’s first advance (from Steve Rifkind’s Loud Records) was a mere $60,000 for all nine members.

Read: Raekwon dishes Wu-Tang dirt..

If you missed Raekwon’s session at Noisemakers, here’s your chance to get a taste of the goodies that you missed.