Twenty-seven years ago today, one of the greatest conceptual albums in the history of Hip Hop was released. Raekwon The Chef released his debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, guest-starring his right-hand man, Ghostface Killahaka Tony Starks.
Released on the Loud/RCA imprint and produced exclusively by The Abbott himself, Only Built For Cuban Linx was available on cassette, which was manufactured and distributed in a violet casing, thus, spawning its nickname. The album’s influence was tremendous on other landmark LPs of that era including Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt and Nas’ It Was Written, with heavy mafia references, the introduction of Cristal to the hood, and constant usage of the 5% Nation’s language of Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabets in the lyrical content. The album also introduced the other WTC members via their aliases i.e. RZA is Bobby Steele, Ghost as “Tony Starks”, Deck is “Rollie Fingers”, Meth is, of course, “Johnny Blaze”, Masta Killa as “Noodles”, the Genius as “Maximillian” the Chef as “Lou Diamonds” and all together known as the “Wu-Gambinos”, which is the 16th track on the journey.
The Four and a Half Mic Classic’s(writer Nicholas Poluhoff) storyline plays out as a film, using many samples of John Woo’s Killer as an interlude between several tracks. The album contained several classic singles that had lives of their own in others spaces. The platinum-selling album yielded legendary hits such as the radio/female friendly “Ice Cream”, the inspirational “Glaciers Of Ice”, the genre sparking “Criminology”, which gave birth to many “Shark N****s”, which was an ode to biters and commanding them to “be original”. Ghost even shot a dart at the late B.I.G., accusing the slain legend of biting Nas’ pre-adolescent album cover concept. The album concludes with a positive build from the late Popa Wu aka Freedum Allah, which reminisces about the past life of a young, crime Raekwon who evolved into the multi-faceted individual seen today, which ironically is called “North Star(Jewels)”.
This platinum-selling time capsule is a must-have for all real Hip Hop fans, aficionados, critics, and historians. Salute to the entire Wu, especially Rae, Starks, and the RZA for this gem. We will forever be in debt to you guys for the “Purple Tape”.
On this day in 1970, rapper/actor Dennis Coles akaGhostface Killah was born. The chamber of eccentricity comes almost exclusively from Tony Starks, who has been compared to the likes of Slick Rick with his signature, six inch high eagle bracelet and other excessively gaudy jewels.
At the foundation of the Wu saga, Ghost’s face was unseen and wasn’t revealed until the Chef’s Only Built For Cuban Linx classic “Purple Tape”. With ten solid solo albums under his belt, Ghostdini continues to impact the game along with his WTC family.
The Source Magazine would like to send a super shout out to the “Ironman” of Hip Hop on his degree day! Enjoy!
For many people within Hip Hop circles, Raekwon The Chef’s debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx LP is the epitome of a perfect album among artists and critics alike. Harlem Def Jam signee Dave East sits down with Rae about the impact of OB4CL on him as an artist and a person.
East admits that he heard the stellar LP as early as 10 or 11 years of age, but didn’t understand the concept or the content until he was 18. The Chef shows and proves that the same objectives have existed in the game before the WTC’s apex, back when he looked at lyrical content from Rakim i in the same way.
Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah has a long and rich history with R&B music. The Staten Island, New York legend pivoted nearly a decade ago when he released Ghostdini: Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City. That ’09 album and its cast of guests blended Hip-Hop with R&B in its guest list, production, and song themes. Long before that, G.F.K. had channeled elements of the genre on his works, ranging gritty renditions of ’60s and ’70s Soul, to involving fellow Shaolin natives The Force M.D.’s on his Ironman debut, as well as later spots for Carl Thomas and Ne-Yo.
Top singers equally respect Ghost’s aesthetic too. Jodeci, Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, and Mary J. Blige are just some standout examples of elite artists seeking out the unconventional MC who regularly spits about matters of the heart. Recently, that was the case for Teyana Taylor, who tapped Ghost’, Raekwon, and Method Man for her video remix to “Gonna Love Me,” which referenced classic videos from the Wu-Tang MCs’ respective catalogs.
After putting a brief stamp on the song in the beginning, G.F.K. makes his presence felt after the 2:00-mark, dropping a full verse. As the beat quickly calls back to RZA’s spacey Purple Tape sound, the iconic MC spits, “Yo, Shaolin’s finest / What up, boo? Peace, your highness / Let’s rewind this / Both get naked and kill the shyness / Wu-Tang’s timeless / Blow out your sinus / Sweet-talk that ass into bed, kill it with kindness,” begins the MC, before getting a little more graphic. He shouts out Jeremih and Ty before closing out the track. The song also briefly references Ahmad’s “Back In The Day.”
#BonusBeat: The video to the original Jeremih & Ty Dolla $ign version:
Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah has a long and rich history with R&B music. The Staten Island, New York legend pivoted nearly a decade ago when he released Ghostdini: Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City. That ’09 album and its cast of guests blended Hip-Hop with R&B in its guest list, production, and song themes. Long before that, G.F.K. had channeled elements of the genre on his works, ranging gritty renditions of ’60s and ’70s Soul, to involving fellow Shaolin natives The Force M.D.’s on his Ironman debut, as well as later spots for Carl Thomas and Ne-Yo.
Top singers equally respect Ghost’s aesthetic too. Jodeci, Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, and Mary J. Blige are just some standout examples of elite artists seeking out the unconventional MC who regularly spits about matters of the heart. Recently, that was the case for Teyana Taylor, who tapped Ghost’, Raekwon, and Method Man for her video remix to “Gonna Love Me,” which referenced classic videos from the Wu-Tang MCs’ respective catalogs.
After putting a brief stamp on the song in the beginning, G.F.K. makes his presence felt after the 2:00-mark, dropping a full verse. As the beat quickly calls back to RZA’s spacey Purple Tape sound, the iconic MC spits, “Yo, Shaolin’s finest / What up, boo? Peace, your highness / Let’s rewind this / Both get naked and kill the shyness / Wu-Tang’s timeless / Blow out your sinus / Sweet-talk that ass into bed, kill it with kindness,” begins the MC, before getting a little more graphic. He shouts out Jeremih and Ty before closing out the track. The song also briefly references Ahmad’s “Back In The Day.”
Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah has a long and rich history with R&B music. The Staten Island, New York legend pivoted nearly a decade ago when he released Ghostdini: Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City. That ’09 album and its cast of guests blended Hip-Hop with R&B in its guest list, production, and song themes. Long before that, G.F.K. had channeled elements of the genre on his works, ranging gritty renditions of ’60s and ’70s Soul, to involving fellow Shaolin natives The Force M.D.’s on his Ironman debut, as well as later spots for Carl Thomas and Ne-Yo.
Top singers equally respect Ghost’s aesthetic too. Jodeci, Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, and Mary J. Blige are just some standout examples of elite artists seeking out the unconventional MC who regularly spits about matters of the heart. Recently, that was the case for Teyana Taylor, who tapped Ghost’, Raekwon, and Method Man for her video remix to “Gonna Love Me,” which referenced classic videos from the Wu-Tang MCs’ respective catalogs.
After putting a brief stamp on the song in the beginning, G.F.K. makes his presence felt after the 2:00-mark, dropping a full verse. As the beat quickly calls back to RZA’s spacey Purple Tape sound, the iconic MC spits, “Yo, Shaolin’s finest / What up, boo? Peace, your highness / Let’s rewind this / Both get naked and kill the shyness / Wu-Tang’s timeless / Blow out your sinus / Sweet-talk that ass into bed, kill it with kindness,” begins the MC, before getting a little more graphic. He shouts out Jeremih and Ty before closing out the track. The song also briefly references Ahmad’s “Back In The Day.”
#BonusBeat: The video to the original Jeremih & Ty Dolla $ign version:
Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah has a long and rich history with R&B music. The Staten Island, New York legend pivoted nearly a decade ago when he released Ghostdini: Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City. That ’09 album and its cast of guests blended Hip-Hop with R&B in its guest list, production, and song themes. Long before that, G.F.K. had channeled elements of the genre on his works, ranging gritty renditions of ’60s and ’70s Soul, to involving fellow Shaolin natives The Force M.D.’s on his Ironman debut, as well as later spots for Carl Thomas and Ne-Yo.
Top singers equally respect Ghost’s aesthetic too. Jodeci, Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, and Mary J. Blige are just some standout examples of elite artists seeking out the unconventional MC who regularly spits about matters of the heart. Recently, that was the case for Teyana Taylor, who tapped Ghost’, Raekwon, and Method Man for her video remix to “Gonna Love Me,” which referenced classic videos from the Wu-Tang MCs’ respective catalogs.
After putting a brief stamp on the song in the beginning, G.F.K. makes his presence felt after the 2:00-mark, dropping a full verse. As the beat quickly calls back to RZA’s spacey Purple Tape sound, the iconic MC spits, “Yo, Shaolin’s finest / What up, boo? Peace, your highness / Let’s rewind this / Both get naked and kill the shyness / Wu-Tang’s timeless / Blow out your sinus / Sweet-talk that ass into bed, kill it with kindness,” begins the MC, before getting a little more graphic. He shouts out Jeremih and Ty before closing out the track. The song also briefly references Ahmad’s “Back In The Day.”
If you’re a fan of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… then you should be already familiar with the movie The Killer. SUPREME has a new drop that honors the legendary flick.
The fashion giant announced a new collection that will feature some of the work’s most classic lines and moments. Their usual streetwear staples are represented including t-shirts, a hoodie and a skateboard. The standout piece though is an army jacket that features a screen capture of the gruesome hostage scene and the infamous “In our profession, we shouldn’t trust anyone” quote.
Originally released in 1989 the film was written and directed by John Woo and stars Chow Yun-Fat. Fat plays Ah Jong, an assassin who accidentally blinds a singer. In order to pay for the reparative surgery he must go one more hit. It is often referred to as a “bullet ballet” — revered for both its intricately choreographed battles and its notions of honor.
The SUPREME x The Killer collection will be available starting Thursday, October 25 on their online store here and at their Brooklyn, Los Angeles and Paris locations. Japan will get their chance to purchase on 10/27.
Supreme pays homage in the video below. Check detailed pics of the gear in the gallery.
You can find a small clip to reminisce over below.
