Raekwon or �Masta Killa� as his friends call him was born in Detroit back in �75 at the city�s Grace Hospital on the northwest side. His parents devote Muslims attempted to raise their son to be a strong man, in both mind and body. Going into early adolescence they thought that they had succeeded Only to wind up bailing the young man out of jail after a crack house raid.
Raekwon, despite what his parents believed, had not started �slingin� but instead had joined the company of his best friend Jordan Knight. It was Jordan that had been the dealer. Raekwon was just hanging out. The young man�s family would have none of it, especially with a younger brother now watching every step Rae took, and sent Raekwon away.
Military school only seemed to strengthen Rae�s natural toughness. He did exceptional in his classes maintaining a 4.00 with ease, but getting into trouble repeatedly for disobeying his superior�s orders. This continued until he was finally expelled. Upon his expulsion, Raekwon took off�running away and living on his own in Ypsilanti for a year. It was here that the 16-year-old met history teacher Gina Brewster.
Brewster, a teacher at University of Michigan, took the headstrong youth under her wing. She helped him finish high school and got him into the university. She also reunited him with his parents. In time Gina grew closer still to her charge, falling deeply in love with him as she gave him direction. There were many nights of awkwardness before she eventually slipped betraying her true feelings to him. Once revealed Rae returned her affection and they became lovers. She also shared her secret with him�that she was kindred.
It took some time for him to come to terms with her revelation, but he did not run from her. He did however refuse her the �gift� she offered him. Together, she promised they would make him all that he could have ever wanted to be.
Rae did very well in Ypsilanti, but eventually his old friends caught up with him. One night he received a visit from Jordan. The two met again at a hip-hop concert. Raekwon had become a fan and rapped a bit himself. He had noticed Jordan and his girl from the stage while freestyling. After leaving the stage the old friends hugged and talked, renewing their childhood bonds. Jordan told Rae that he was on the run from his former boss because of a money dispute. As the trio talked of possible ways out, the hitmen for Jordan�s boss did a drive-by on the restaurant. Jordan died in Rae�s arms�Jordan�s girl also a old friend, followed a few hours later in surgery.
Raekwon�s group took the name the �Rough Riders� and tried to take control of the city�s Davison-Linwood area, fighting often. Eventually they won out after much blood shed and many tears. Raekwon was nicknamed the �Masta Killa� by his peers (who knew of his years studying the martial art Ishin-ryu) and continued to go to school leading a double life.
On the day of his graduation fate stepped in once more as an assassin�s bullet pierced Rae�s lungs at his graduation party. The man had been mingling with the guests and no one saw the fateful shot coming. Raekwon fell onto his mother with whom he�d been dancing. The killer would have escaped if not for running into Raekwon�s enraged lover. She was far less merciful than a bullet. As he lay there dying in front of his parents who had no clue as to why this was happening, Raekwon tried to laugh at the irony�it was 2 years ago to the day that Jordan had died like this in Rae�s arms. Gina & his parents called for help, but worried that it wouldn�t make it in time they put him in her car rushing him to Sinai hospital.