Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

Limited 180gm audiophile vinyl LP pressing. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995) is the solo debut of rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon. Produced by RZA and starring Ghostface Killah, it features appearances from every other member of the Wu-Tang Clan. It also features an acclaimed guest appearance from rapper Nas, which marked the first collaboration with a non-affiliated artist on a Wu-Tang related album. The album has received acclaim from music critics over the years, with many lauding it as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. With it's emphasis on American Mafia insinuations and organized crime, the album is widely regarded as a pioneer of the mafioso rap sub-genre. Along with GZA's Liquid Swords, Cuban Linx... is widely classified as the best solo Wu-Tang material. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and has sold 1.1 million copies in the United States alone.

First released in 2009, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II stands as Raekwon's celebrated sequel to the Purple Tape, expanding his cinematic mafioso rap universe. This newly designed instrumental edition removes the vocals to place full focus on the album's production, featuring beats by J Dilla, Dr. Dre, RZA, Pete Rock, The Alchemist, and more. For the first time ever on vinyl, the instrumentals are presented as a standalone listening experience, revealing the album's grit, mood, and layered sound design. Pressed on classic black vinyl and housed in a heavy matte-finish jacket with spot gloss text, the Shaolin Noir Edition keeps the spotlight on the music itself, serving as a clean, essential companion to one of Raekwon's most acclaimed releases.