Years and years after Wu Tang Clan changed the game, its top-tier MCs like Raekwon the Chef are still getting their flowers from hip-hop's current elite. Or links, in this case. Atlanta icons Quavo and Takeoff referenced The Chef in the title for their upcoming album Only Built For Infinity Links, set to drop on October 7th, and Quavo recently told TMZ that they were blessed by the New York native himself.
The Migos members now known as Unc and Phew announced their album's release back in September, a few months after dropping the single "Hotel Lobby" in May. The title is a reference to Raekwon's classic 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., which is considered by many to be one of the best hip-hop albums of the '90s and the pinnacle of the era's mafioso rap. With all of Migos' bars about whipping in the kitchen and putting masks down, it's not hard to see the lineage that Unc and Phew are honoring.
“We most definitely hollered at Raekwon,” Quavo told TMZ at Los Angeles International Airport. “It was all love. We gave him respect. We told him it would be an honor, and we’re dropping this album called Only Built For Infinity Links, and it’s inspired by y’all. So we just wanted to let you know we respect the OG’s and we most definitely love Wu-Tang, got respect for Wu-Tang, but right now this is what it’s about.”
He also proclaimed the project to be "the greatest album of all time." The duo dropped the tracklist for the presumed masterpiece in early September, and it boasts 21 tracks and features from Young Thug, Gunna, NBA YoungBoy, Summer Walker, and more. Despite stirring some pots when he posted a picture kicking it and smoking with Quavo back in August, the Wu Tang clansman is unfortunately not on the album.
As for the missing third of Migos, Offset is unsurprisingly not on Infinity Links, but will be dropping a solo project of his own on November 11th. We're still not super sure if the rap trio had a falling out or not, but some comments that Quavo made to GQ don't indicate any bad blood.
“It was all about Migos, Migos, Migos. The three of us,” he said about the group's early career. “I feel like every group member has to establish themselves. Their own body of work. If not, you start losing members.”
All the Migos have done so, with solo projects being celebrated parts of their respective trajectories. It's similar to how Raekwon carved his name into the hip-hop books beyond his contributions to the Wu and continues to work on new material. Cuban Linx went platinum in February, its 2009 sequel was also well-received, and teases of a third installment are practically integral to Raekwon's social media presence at this point.
“Right now, I’m going to give you another project before we actually give you the III,” he told HipHopDX back in November. “Because the III, we’re still curating that to make it strong. But being that time is really moving, I already have something else on deck that’s going to open up the vessel for Cuban Linx III to come out down the line. So, just get ready though.”
History's repeating in the hip-hop game. WIth this cosign, Quavo and Takeoff are poised to deliver one of the most notable hip-hop releases for the rest of the year.
