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When rappers get into the liquor game, they often think of Diddy and his partnerships with CÎROC Vodka and DeLeon Tequila, or they think of JAY-Z and his stake in D’USSE and Armand de Brignac.

For Wu-Tang Clan legend Raekwon, however, he decided to go all in for different spirit altogether: sparkling wine.

And his wine of choice was not the ubiquitous Moscato (that market has been all but dominated by Nicki Minaj, anyway), but rather, a sparkling wine called Lambrusco that, while well-known in Italy, is relatively unknown stateside.

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Raekwon’s Licataa Lambrusco — which originated in the Emilia-Romagna region of the north of Italy, but named for the city of Licata in the south of Sicily — was inspired by Italian culture, according to Rashida Walter, President of SuperFemina Entertainment, and Raekwon’s business partner & longtime manager, who was actively involved in the wine’s launch.

“We went to seek a vineyard and a manufacturer to make, and import, the wine,” she said. “But the name, the design, and the inspiration all came from the Italian lifestyle, as a whole.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Raekwon — born Corey Woods in Staten Island, NY — at the Licataa launch at Esther & Carol’s restaurant in New York City. “I knew that I was destined for something bigger than what it was. I just ain’t know when it was coming. I carried with me that same mentality as I grew into a man. A man who later became an artist, a hustler, an icon and lastly, but not least, a Hip Hop legend. As my career continues to evolve becoming involved in the world of wine, this was something I felt was a perfect fit,” he said to the crowd.

Guests at the event were treated to a five-course meal and unlimited cocktails made of the Lambrusco — the Red Velvet Guillotine combined the Lambrusco with cognac, Curacao, and Creme de Cacao; while the Peony combined the Lambrusco with rum, pineapple juice, and lime juice — and that gave the attendees a feeling of exclusivity and luxury. Whereas most rappers only spit a few bars about the high life, Raekwon and his inimitable team brought it in spades at the New York City launch.

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But the Only Built for Cuban Linx rapper-turned-entrepreneur says that he doesn’t want his target audience to feel as though his wine is out of reach. “What I choose to deliver here is an affordable luxury,” he said to us, exclusively, at the event. “Wine gives people a different feeling that ‘the liquor.’ It’s got a grown vibe. But I don’t believe you need to go into debt just to get a bottle of wine — I still want to reach those people who were with me from the jump — but I still want people to get an authentic experience of the high life.”

And it’s not just the attendees that got behind this ‘authentic experience.’

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“The wine community is elated,” Walter said. “because we’ve taken the correct approach. Raekwon sat down with a sommelier to be critiqued and guided.”

It’s this willingness to learn, and to provide authenticity, that’s a constant theme in Raekwon’s career, as he’s always been known as a rapper who constantly re-invents himself to adapt to the changing game of Hip Hop. He charmed and delighted both the music community, and the food & wine community, that were in attendance this evening, and presented himself with a grace that is woefully absent in the modern Hip Hop landscape.

But that’s just simply, and authentically, who he is. “As a kid, I always carried myself with a sense of prestige despite my grim circumstances,” he said.

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Licataa Wine has officially launched in New York City, and will launch in other markets — including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, and Las Vegas — early next year. For more information about Licataa Wine, click here.

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