State Champ Radio only built 4 cuban linx
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Hip-Hop’s extended golden era was riddled with many memorable moments and innovative creations from the dawn of the double-CD albums in Hip-Hop (y’all kids don’t know anything about that) to rappers proudly wearing iced-out logos of their record labels on their person. But Raekwon might’ve beaten them all to the creative punch when he released his debut solo album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, in the now classic purple plastic cassette tape.
All these decades later that tape and album holds a special place in the hearts of OG Hip-Hoppers across the globe.
Looking to revisit that moment in time and era in Hip-Hop, Raekwon and his co-host on his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… album, Ghostface Killah, have released a trailer for their upcoming documentary, Purple Tape Files, which takes us back to the summer of 1995 when the Wu-Tang Clan were the hottest group in the rap game and Raekwon and Ghostface had the streets on lock with their classic purple tape.
Featuring interviews with their fellow Hip-Hop peers such as Nas, Kendrick Lamar, DJ Premier and others, the trailer will give OG Hip-Hoppers all the nostalgic feelings that come with listening to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx in 2025, and we can’t wait to watch and hear our favorite artists from yesteryear and today speak on the impact that Raekwon and Ghostface’s project had on them personally.
“I remember literally n*ggas was getting stabbed in the jail for misplaced purple tapes,” recalled Noreaga in his interview.
We totally believe that. It was that real back in the day.
Continuing with Raekwon saying he put himself in a Martin Scorsese mind frame when he was penning his now classic album, Purple Tape Files seems like a must-watch for any Hip-Hop fan who not only loved Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, but also might appreciate a little history lesson on what went into the making of such a timeless album.
Check out the trailer for Purple Tape Files below and let us know if you’ll be watching it when it premiers sometime in the near future.
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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
The RZA and Raekwon will unite to perform the iconic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… album with a live orchestra next week.
Fans of the Wu-Tang Clan and Raekwon will get to hear his iconic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx album in a unique way – performed with the RZA and the Colorado Symphony. The veteran MC announced the news through his Instagram account with a dramatically styled poster of himself and the RZA poised behind a depiction of an orchestra.
“A NIGHT AT THE OPERA !!!!! In two weeks experience myself & @rza and the @coloradosymphony perform Only Built 4 Cuban Linx,” Raekwon wrote in the post’s caption. The two-night event will take place on Feb. 16 & 17 at the Boettcher Concert Hall at the Denver Performing Arts Complex in Denver, Colorado.
“Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… is a landmark Hip-Hop album released by rapper Raekwon who rose to prominence as a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Produced by fellow Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA, this record is a cornerstone of East Coast Hip-Hop and a quintessential piece of the genre’s golden era, thanks in part to RZA’s extraordinary beats and the introduction of Raekwon and Ghostface Killah as a legendary rap duo,” the event announcement on the Colorado Symphony’s website read.
“With its gritty storytelling, intricate lyricism, and cinematic production, Cuban Linx offers listeners a vivid glimpse into the street life of 1990s New York City. Together with the Colorado Symphony, this legendary duo will reimagine their timeless album that continues to inspire and shape the sound of contemporary Hip-Hop today,” the statement continued.
The RZA also spoke of the event’s significance in his statement: “Continuing the collaboration with the Colorado Symphony as an Imagination Artist, we are presenting Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…. The album was always intended to give audiences a ‘cinematic’ experience. These new orchestrations will give fans a new experience through imagination and creativity that was not possible with our early recordings.”
The two-night event is part of RZA’s continued partnership with the Colorado Symphony as an “Imagination Artist.” The Imagination Artist Series was started by the Colorado Symphony in 2022 to reimagine the American symphony through the creative visions of three vanguard musicians from diverse backgrounds. There is no hint – yet – that Ghostface Killah will make an appearance given his presence on the album. Tickets are available at the symphony’s website.
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