The pair’s chemistry is exactly what any good rap duo needs. Purple Tape is an album by Lisa Loeb, self-released in 1992 on audio cassette only, used to pitch her to record companies.The record features mostly Loeb's voice accompanied by a guitar. Not only were they offering up gritty mafioso tales, but they were also putting in sex jams like “Wisdom Body” and “Ice Cream” almost seemingly purely as flexes, to show the strength of the Wu-Tang sound was more about than the right samples, taunting lyrics, or even rapping. Your email address will not be published. Copyright © 2020 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. Despite having come out of the gate with so much confidence, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… was arguably the most impressive project the Wu-Tang Clan had put out up to that point. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… is a supersized work of art that taught Raekwon’s contemporaries and legions of aspiring rappers about how much of a universe could be created with verses and beats. KRS-One & Lunar C) - Single, This Is What It Comes Too (Remix) [feat. Other moments, like Ghostface’s verses on “Rainy Dayz” and “Glaciers of Ice,” have more drama than others can pull off in a full album or in a furrowed-brow monologue. “Knowledge God” has verses where Raekwon knocks off a pair of addicts as well as a rival dealer. Best hip album of all time ? It was about just how much they dared to pull off. It’s visionary and collaborative power at work, with individual auteurs coming together for one amazing score. Cassettes were still one of the main sources for music to the avid hip-hop listener back then, and when this tape was released, it was deemed a classic from the get go, Raekwon at his live shows to this day still refers to his debut album as "the purple tape". It’s like they know what’s going to happen in the wake of this album’s release. Co-host is an accurate depiction of Ghost’s role here, the guesting MC appearing on 14 of Cuban Linx’s 18 tracks. The Wu-Tang leader was fashioned as a “director” for this album, and his production is like audio cinematography. Also notable was Raekwon's crackling chemistry with heavily featured collaborator Ghostface Killah, who enjoyed something of a coming-out party with all the exposure (he hadn't been nearly as much of a presence on Enter the Wu-Tang).After Raekwon was featured throughout Ironman, Ghostface's 1996 debut, Wu-Tang regrouped for the double-disc release Wu-Tang Forever in 1997. But while Raekwon sounds like he’s on his throne, musing about the tough times he’s experienced to get to get to the top, Ghostface is speaking as his teenage self, recently shot, and trying to make it through the night and beyond. This is definitely a classic tape to have in your collection, especially if you own a copy of the limited edition purple version from the first pressing. 2 (Bonus Track Version), Gonna Love Me (feat. When other Wu-Tang cohorts show up, it takes things in a new direction without being distracting. or the RZA-produced Deck album that floodwaters tragically prevented. He’s a man in total control. Raekwon Insists "The Purple Tape Files" Will Be On "The Last Dance" Level By Aron A. August 04, 2020 12:48. Nas & Raekwon The Chef], Right Back at You (feat. Raekwon compares Moët champagne to vomit and addresses anti-Blackness among cab drivers. Other moments, like Ghostface’s verses on “Rainy Dayz” and “Glaciers of Ice,” have more drama than others can pull off in a full album or in a furrowed-brow monologue. The three-song EP The Appetition appeared in 2020. General Manager & Advertising: Kevin Sanders, Raekwon “The Purple Tape” (Art: Ron Hart), All sorts of great lines are delivered on, : “He looks determined without being ruthless.”, This leads off the endlessly explosive “Incarcerated Scarfaces,” where Raekwon comes across as determined, ruthless. II back to 2009, two years after the release of the fifth Wu-Tang album, 8 Diagrams. There’s even a moment here, on “Ice Water,” where Ghostface manages to make rhyming “million” with “billion” sound innovative. is the fourth Wu-Tang-associated album and the one with the most outside involvement since. Raekwon “The Purple Tape” (Art: Ron Hart) All sorts of great lines are delivered on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx … but the most resonant doesn’t come from Raekwon the Chef, Ghostface Killah, any of his other Wu-Tang Clan affiliates, or even Nas. It’s both a culmination of hip-hop’s greatest qualities, as well as a new beginning for the genre, and crime sagas as a whole.