Raekwon's Masterclass Album "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." Turns 25

"Let's connect. Politic. Ditto."

1995.

For those who still remember, it was a pivotal year in America. The Oklahoma City bombing occurred. The O.J. Simpson verdict of “Not Guilty” was read invoking a sense of rugged justice for Black America.

But sonically, the world was still in the rapture the creatively diverse crew from Staten Island known collectively as the Wu-Tang Clan.

After dropping their classic debut album, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” in 1993, heads were salivating over the possibility of the endless solo projects that could emanate from the group.

First there was standout artist, Method Man, who had the most pop appeal in the group. He dropped his debut solo album “Tical” and the world was on notice with singles like “Bring The Pain” and eventually the remixed “I'll Be There for You / You're All I Need to Get By" featuring Mary J. Blige.

But 1995 was the watershed year for the Wu.

Robert Diggs aka RZA had a creative blitzkrieg that led to three releases from Raekwon, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and GZA.

However, it was the cinematic August 1st, 1995 release by Raekwon that exercised a lyrical ability unmatched at the time.

In Rebuke of Shiny Suits

Remember, this was the Bad Boy era where nostalgia, opulence and braggadocio were the wave. Craig Mack’s “Flava in Your Ear” was followed up by a Brooklyn MC then named Biggie Smalls who would dominate the airwaves and be hailed a King of Hip Hop to this day.

But the God from Shaolin was undeniable.

Replete with his own language and a healthy dose of The Nation of Gods & Earth aka 5 Percenter catechisms, the album took the uninitiated into a brand new world.

It is easy to understand now, but back then, this was a whole new experience in sound.

“Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…” interweaved mafioso credos with a DIY outlook on survival through the concrete jungles of Gotham City’s furthest outpost.

Loosely composed to play like a film, Raekwon is the "star," with fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah as the "guest-star."

Album producer RZA plays Scorcese as the "director" and track-after-track It features appearances from every member of the Wu-Tang Clan except for Ol' Dirty Bastard.

We are also introduced to debut appearances from Wu-affiliates Cappadonna and Blue Raspberry.

The album holds 18 tracks all produced by the RZA with standouts like “Incarcerated Scarfaces,” which is where POLITIC gets its signature slogan “politic ditto” from, “Rainy Dayz,” “Ice Cream,” “Criminology,” “Glaciers of Ice” and more.

The signature track “Verbal Intercourse” pitted Nas against the tag team of Raekwon and Ghostface for a carousel of NYC poor righteous teachers. Like a car ride across the Verrazano bridge and up the B-Q-E Expressway into the coastal housing projects of Queens Bridge and back again.

The samples tell the tale as RZA used dialogue from movies The Mack, Scarface and Carlito’s Way, while repurposing tracks from golden era soul artists.

The Dramatics, The Detroit Emeralds, The Emotions, Booker T & the M.G.’s to Bing Crosby were all enlisted for to add context to vivid street tales of graft, drug-dealing, and associated elements exhibiting Rae’s PTSD.

The Purple Tape Finesse

Then there was the initial packaging: The Purple Tape.

The Purple Tape refers to first 10,000 purple-tinted cassette pressings of “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...”

At the time, Raekwon wasn't at the top of the Wu-Tang pecking order and he wanted his album to stand out against the typical pile of tapes that collected on the floors of people's cars.

Loud Records honored Rae's request cementing The Purple Tape as a collector’s only edition if you are lucky enough to own one now.

Even Nas mentions The Purple Tape on his 2002 song "Last Real N---- Alive." He also shared an insider’s secret of how Raekwon and Ghostface accused The Notorious B.I.G. of stealing his debut album cover concept from Nas' Illmatic cover.

In Prodigy's autobiography, My Infamous Life, he writes about how "Raekwon's Purple Tape had me wanting to drive fast," almost getting him into an accident.

The Young OG’s OG

25 years ago, Raekwon released a sonic masterclass in boom bap meets gangsta rap. It was a nod to Rakim and Kool G. Rap’s influence while expanding the signature sound Robert Diggs created and layering the bedrock for a new culture with uniquely weaved vocals.

True hip hop heads can always go back to this material to understand where the game should be.

It is an instantaneous time machine that proves good music is timeless. Raekwon is now an elder statesman in hip hop culture and his impact is undeniable.

With a style that has never been matched, “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…” joins a select few bodies of work as the litmus test for a concrete album.

If you have a chain, put it on. If you have a grill open your mouth. Celebrate the God-Body who has forever given us a home in the bowels of Shaolin.