Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Artist: Raekwon
Release Date: August 1, 1995
Genre: Rap
Length: 1:13:25
Label: Loud Records & RCA Records
Producer: RZA/Mitchell Diggs/Oli Grant
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2012): #480
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2020): #219
1,001 Album Book: Yes
An auditory storybook and crime documentary all-in-one...
Debut album of Wu-Tang Clan member, Raekwon, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... was popular upon release, topping the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at #2 and eventually would go on to certify Gold.
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is an album that tells an overall story with Raekwon as the main character. Each song seamlessly goes into the next, and tells the story of Raekwon's life dealing with the "hood mentality". With lyrics alluding to hustling drugs, street life, and the overall effect it has on his family, this album is a deep and personal look at the life of a lot of rappers that perfected the so-called "gangster rap" and what they dealt with in the 90s.
Even though this is an album technically by Raekwon, each member of the Wu-Tang Clan is featured on a song, except for Ol' Dirty Bastard. This helps give the album a comfortable feel as you can hear the chemistry between Raekwon and the other members of the Clan, especially Ghostface Killah. Ghostface has the most features on the album, giving off a guest star on this album that could be made into a movie.
The story of the entire album starts off with two characters, Ghostface and Raekwon realizing the life they've been carrying out on the streets is far from what they actually want. Finally deciding to leave this life, they decide to execute one last job. Each song visualizes the crime being planned by Raekwon and Ghostface while also looking into the life of the individuals that were on the outside that were affected by their decisions.
One song that stands out about this realization of how the life they live is affecting their families is the song "Rainy Dayz". The female vocalist, Blue Raspberry, provides an outsider's view of the life her man is carrying out and how much he has changed. Even with this, Raekwon and Ghostface still decide to carry out this final heist.
While the album does carry out this overall story and each song continues to build this story, the lyrics can be somewhat confusing to understand. In order to keep the flow and style, each verse in the album never simply states what the album is about. It is hard to understand as a lot of it are things only Raekwon and the other members would know. This doesn't make the album any less entertaining but it does make it more difficult to appreciate the story being told.
Sometimes, 90s rap can fall into a realm of sounding repetitive. The beats created by RZA can definitely get repetitive, but the overall uniqueness of them keeps them exciting throughout the song, no matter how long. In the song "Guillotine (Swordz)", the punchy bass in the background of the consistent, dark guitar riff keeps the listener engaged due to the mysteriousness surrounding the entire song.
In between some songs, it feels like you're almost eavesdropping on some private conversations between Raekwon and other members in Wu-Tang Clan. These conversations, while they may be acted, highlight the fear of the life they lead. Along with these, each verse, chorus and any other ad-lib sections exude an emotion that is rare to find in a lot of music now.
As the album plays on, the overarching story continues to unfold, all the way through to the final song "North Star (Jewels)". This song recaps the events that took place throughout the record, and gives a look at the ideologies Raekwon and the other members carry with them.
This album, while not necessarily the greatest rap album in history, definitely deserves its spot in the hall of fame. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... brings to the world a perfect look at the 90s gangster rap world. Even though Wu-Tang Clan was at the top of the genre at the time, Raekwon continues to revolutionize the genre with this album. The overall story, the beats, the emotion. Everything in this album combines together to give one of the most interesting looks at the life of these rappers during the times and helps the listener sympathize with them. Some lines are hard to understand and it helps when you can read and understand what each line represents so I highly recommend listening to this album with lyrics pulled up so you can read along...
Favorite Songs: "Guillotine (Swordz)", "Rainy Dayz", "Ice Cream"
Least Favorite Song: "Wisdom Body"
Production Quality:
Mix = 8/10
Innovation = 9/10
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 7.5/10
Lyricism = 10/10
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 9/10
Instrumental Timbre = 8/10
Group Chemistry = 10/10
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 8/10
Overall Rating: 8.55/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at my "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!