RZA & RAEKWON SET TO PERFORM 'ONLY BUILT 4 CUBAN LINX' LIVE BACKED BY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

[Jet Set]

RZA must have struck up quite the collaboration with the people in Colorado. This will be nice for them both, maybe get them closer again. Fucking knuckleheadz with their own vision of course. But that last tour might have helped. Hopefully Ghost can make it, between his coffee sales and what not.

RZA & RAEKWON SET TO PERFORM 'ONLY BUILT 4 CUBAN LINX' LIVE BACKED BY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
by SAM MOORE
Published on: Feb 4, 2024, 2:00 PM PST

RZA and Raekwon are set to perform Only Built 4 Cuban Linx in its entirety along with a symphony orchestra.
RZA announced the special two-date event on social media with the concerts coming to the Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver, Colorado on February 16 and 17.
It is not yet known if Ghostface Killah — who played a prominent role on the album and appeared on 12 of the17 tracks — will be appearing alongside Raekwon and RZA.
The concerts will find the Colorado Symphony reinterpreting the production on Raekwon’s debut album.

In two weeks experience the RZA, @raekwon and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra perform Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Get your tickets now to witness this legendary event on February 16 & 17, 2024 at Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver, CO.
Get your tickets here: https://t.co/w1PdiTbNu9pic.twitter.com/VwnxGwJxgy
— RZA! (@RZA) February 2, 2024

A synopsis for the show reads: “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 description continues: “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.”
RZA previously put together a trio of shows to commemorate the 30th anniversay of Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).


He also brought 36 Chambers of Shaolin and a Ballet Through Mud to the same venue in Denver.
The Abbot narrated and live-scored a condensed version of the 1978 kung fu film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin that inspired the name of Wu-Tang Clan’s first album, before premiering A Ballet Through Mud that combined spoken word, ballet and live orchestration.
Recent years have seen a number of rap performances with an orchestra including Jeezy who performed his debut album Thug Motivation 101 with a symphony last year.
Nas also performed the entirety of his seminal album Illmatic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall backed by a full orchestra to honor his debut’s 24th birthday in 2018.
That wasn’t the first time Nas performed with an orchestra. The rap legend previously ran through his 1994 debut with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center back in 2014 to commemorate the album’s 20th anniversary. The performance was later aired on PBS in its entirety as part of their Great Performance series in 2018.

HHDX: https://hiphopdx.com/news/rza-raekwo...hony-orchestra

[Kutman]

Probably will lack the atmosphere of the original, like always with live instruments, but we'll see... I wanna see that...

[ForensikZ]

My boys going. Im jealous. I mean i could go but i need to use the bread elsewhere.

[Jet Set]

Probably will lack the atmosphere of the original, like always with live instruments, but we'll see... I wanna see that...

Can we talk more about this? How hiphop with live instruments is often done in such a way that it lacks the power of the original music? Take that El Michaels Affair. Nice record and all, maybe great for a coffeeshop or something. But it ain't banging, like the original. It lack body and impact. Though it could work, like with Rivers of Blood. In my opinion a banging track.

​So how do you properly convert from a sampling based beat to live instrumentation?

[ForensikZ]

Can we talk more about this? How hiphop with live instruments is often done in such a way that it lacks the power of the original music? Take that El Michaels Affair. Nice record and all, maybe great for a coffeeshop or something. But it ain't banging, like the original. It lack body and impact. Though it could work, like with Rivers of Blood. In my opinion a banging track.

​So how do you properly convert from a sampling based beat to live instrumentation?

yea but this an orchestra bro not a 4 piece band. This should be lush as fuck. I wan go just for rainy dayz n northstr. I cant even begin to think what glaciers of ice will sound like. I can hear it in my head.


tickets 200 a piece. Id have to fly get a hotel eat and cab. Prolly cost me 700 to do this but i dont think ima be able to


plus blue rasp is gonna be there as well.

[soob]

RZA must have struck up quite the collaboration with the people in Colorado. This will be nice for them both, maybe get them closer again. Fucking knuckleheadz with their own vision of course. But that last tour might have helped. Hopefully Ghost can make it, between his coffee sales and what not.


HHDX: https://hiphopdx.com/news/rza-raekwo...hony-orchestra

A few months ago there was a concert in Poland which was done by Jimek who is a big-ass musician. He scored and wrote all Polish hip-hop classic for a 70-people national orchestra and believe me. It was one of the best shows I've ever been to. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing. It was obviouysly different from a typical hip-hop concert but it was amazing.
For those interested Jimek had a show with American hip-hop as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0aLMsh4mvU

[ForensikZ]

My boy met rae backstage. I knew i shoulda gave him those 5 beats since raes ice water email is down and whomever runs the account knows and isnt working. Morherfucker

[Jet Set]

yea but this an orchestra bro not a 4 piece band. This should be lush as fuck. I wan go just for rainy dayz n northstr. I cant even begin to think what glaciers of ice will sound like. I can hear it in my head.

tickets 200 a piece. Id have to fly get a hotel eat and cab. Prolly cost me 700 to do this but i dont think ima be able to

plus blue rasp is gonna be there as well.

If you write it out like that, the price is insane if you ask me. I get that you pay for what you get. But this is not at all accessible to your average joe, or the children. So it better be worth it, because this is a small investment to most fans.

A few months ago there was a concert in Poland which was done by Jimek who is a big-ass musician. He scored and wrote all Polish hip-hop classic for a 70-people national orchestra and believe me. It was one of the best shows I've ever been to. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing. It was obviouysly different from a typical hip-hop concert but it was amazing.
For those interested Jimek had a show with American hip-hop as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0aLMsh4mvU

Ah cool, thansk for the heads up. I am going to check this out later.

[Kutman]

GZA murdered it last friday in Gdańsk with The Phunky Nomads. Live instruments & rap DO work (miracles).

[Jet Set]

GZA murdered it last friday in Gdańsk with The Phunky Nomads. Live instruments & rap DO work (miracles).

Also saw him live during the European Liquid Swords tour with the Phunky Nomads, which had Dirty's oldest brother on the drums.

The show works, and is a lot better for GZA. Also taking time out to do stuff sitting down. The show was supposed to be Liquid Swords, but he threw in a lot of other cuts, Crash Your Crew, Animal Planet, Publicity, Legend of the Liquid Sword. Maybe even something from Pro Tools. Plus just his verse from Guillotine (Swordz). What was also remarkable, was that he was able to do most of the verses on Triumph and Protect Ya Neck by himself without a backup. As a 50+ year old, that is damn impressive.