Nas Praises Raekwon On "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" 25th Anniversary

Nas commemorates the release of an LP that "changed the game."

BYAron A.Aug 01, 20207.4K Views

The term "classic" gets thrown around frivolously these days. Any time a rapper drops an album, fans call it a classic within half an hour of its release of DSPs, though it only takes a little over two weeks for fans to forget about its very existence. There's an argument to be made that the use of the term "classic" devalues actual classics that have pushed the game forward.

Today marks 25 years since the release of Raekwon's debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. The album played out more like a movie than an actual album with RZA serving as the director, Raekwon as the star and Ghostface as the supporting role. Mafioso rap probably wouldn't be where it's at today if it were not for this very album. With a tracklist that includes a large number of features from the Wu-Tang Clan, one of the few non-Wu appearances came from Nas. The Illmatic rapper swapped bars with Ghostface and Rae on "Verbal Intercourse," one of the many highlights off of the project.

Nas hit the 'Gram where he sent his congratulations to Raekwon. Calling the Wu member "one of the greatest to touch a mic," Nas praised Raekwon and Ghostface for shifting the rap game in a new direction.

"Yo @raekwon Peace Beloved. My brother. I Salute you on this Classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx aka The Purple Tape. 25 Years Club General. You one of the greatest to touch a mic. Great times when @realghostfacekillah and us recorded Verbal Intercourse. This Lp changed the game. Thank you King. Congrats," he wrote.

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Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.