It's About Time: Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II" Finally Set for Release!!
Some good news has finally arrived this morning for all of you Wu-Tang fans out there... me included.
2006 was the year that word began to spread about the follow-up to The Chef's 1995 hip-hop classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. And two years later, silence has since swarmed amongst all awaiting Wu-Tang fans who pretty much gave up on the empty promise that was deemed-- up until now-- broken. Before present time, the only hype left was the two-year-old Myspace blog posted on Raekwon's page which said that the album was "about 96% complete."
If the album was practically done two years ago, why is this album-- which is already dubbed classic by way of its critically acclaimed predecessor-- just now recieving a release date?
"There was a lot of politics and mishap going on behind the scenes," the rep from Raekwon's camp, Ken Brunwick, stated to AP. "Originally, RZA had produced about half of the tracks on Cuban Linx II, but a lot took place in between Rae's Cuban Linx project and the release of the Wu's 8 Diagrams. Rae became a little disgruntled and uneasy about the way the whole Wu project went down-- as was widely publicized. So with that on his shoulders, he wanted to go through and rework the album... to say it lightly."
To refresh your memory, Raekwon expressed his displeasure with the Wu's latest group effort, 8 Diagrams, calling RZA a "hip-hop hippie" and saying that RZA's production was full of "too much guitar sh*t." Ghostface-- in his own words-- agreed, and at one point stated:
"Rza ain't listening. He wanted to make [8 Diagrams] how he wanted it and it ain't come out right. ... He wanna make his own instruments and sh*t and it sounded real horrible. ... we ain't taking the blame for that."
What's done is done. So now what?
"It's set," continued Brunwick. "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II will be in stores May 27th through a negotiated joint deal. The lead single, 'Ode to Shaolin,' which is a sure-to-be-classic produced by Kanye West, will be impacting radio in two weeks max. We've already linked with [director] Steven Tapia and have begun production for the video. Rae peeped the video for Staten Island rapper AC's 'Rae Told Me' and thought that what Tapia did with the video was clever. So we reached out, and it all came together.
"Expect that Raekwon classic material, but with a refreshing touch of today's hottest producers. Sure the RZA sound was-- and still is-- classic. And even RZA's production on the first Cuban Linx album was a shift from his signature sound. But what was hot back in the 90s doesn't necessarily do magic in today's musical climate, especially with the present digital takeover and the tastes of the younger music consumers. Still, innovative MCs like Raekwon posses the ability to keep in step with the changing faces of hip-hop. So expect nothing less than what made the first Cuban Linx... with an extra touch of current hip-hop influence."
It's about time! Two copies to that one. I hope you'll catch that.
http://www.wuforever.com/index.php?n...ticle&sid=2636
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