Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
Encyclopedia
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II is the fourth studio album
by American hip hop
artist, and Wu-Tang Clan
-member Raekwon
, released September 8, 2009, on Ice H2O/EMI Records in the United States. The album experienced numerous delays to its release due to Raekwon's approach of continual re-writing and shaping, and distribution issues with his record labels. Serving as the sequel to his critically acclaimed debut album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
(1995), Pt. II maintains many of the topics and themes covered on its predecessor, and features guest appearances from several Wu-Tang members, as well as Busta Rhymes
, Jadakiss
and Beanie Sigel
, among others.
The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200
and at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart, while selling near 68,000 copies in its first week. It received favorable reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 88/100 from Metacritic
, and is ranked number 45 on the site's list of best-reviewed albums. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II was included on several notable publisher's Album of the Year lists, including Rolling Stone
magazine, which ranked it the twenty-fifth best album of 2009, and Time
, which ranked it the seventh best album of 2009.
would be executive producer on the album. Although Raekwon would spend several years re-working and writing the album, it was announced in January 2006 that it was finished, with production being largely credited to RZA
, with RZA and Busta Rhymes as executive producers. Later in 2006, it was revealed that Wu-Tang Clan members GZA
and Inspectah Deck
would be featured, returning with their Wu-Gambino personas.
Busta Rhymes' influence on the project became more solidified when it was announced that Raekwon had signed a contract with Dr. Dre
's label Aftermath Entertainment
, to which Busta was signed. The deal was structured so that the release would be a joint venture between Wu-Tang Records and Aftermath Entertainment
. After a period of time and reported delays in the recording process, the two parties eventually separated from the original agreement. The decision came after it was revealed that Dr. Dre had reportedly become creatively tied up with his personal Detox record. Raekwon revealed in an interview that Cuban Linx Pt. II would not be released on Aftermath, stating "Dr. Dre is a busy man and may not have the time to give the album his full attention." An insider from Aftermath spoke on this matter, stating "The Raekwon album came in done. It’s finished! It’s a finished record. Dre did two records. We were doing the deal, and during the deal the Christmas break came. We took a break for two weeks—came back—Dre acted like we never spoke! I was like, ‘All right, this Raekwon thing,’ and he’s like, 'Nah, I ain’t fuckin’ with that no more.' In a Complex
track interview, Raekwon reveals that a 3rd Dr. Dre track was made for the album but it did not make the final but wishes to possibly put it on one of his future albums.
By 2007, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II had still not been released, and was ranked the sixth most anticipated album of 2007 by XXL
magazine. The album would be pushed back several more times, and numerous changes would be made to its release date. By mid-2007, the songs "Baggage Handlers" (produced by J Dilla
) and "State of Grace" (produced by RZA) were leaked on the internet. Although they were originally intended to be included on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II, they were cut from the final version.
Near the end of 2007, the Wu-Tang Clan
began writing and recording their fifth studio album 8 Diagrams
, which slowed the recording process even further for Cuban Linx… Pt. II. Wu-Tang group leader RZA came under attack from members Ghostface Killah
and Raekwon over 8 Diagrams production, with Raekwon going as far as to say that he would not include any of RZA's production on the album. In an interview with AllHipHop
, Raekwon commented "(On 8 Diagrams), whatever else he wanted to grow on, we weren’t crazy over it. And that’s the whole thing people took out of context. No one tried to take anything away from RZA as a producer. It was more or less you can’t be selfish, and have to work with everybody’s ears and eyes on something. Him being the dude that he is with mad platinum albums, some n*ggas be super cocky. ‘I don’t wanna hear nothing, I got this.’ That’s what happened in that situation." By early 2008, Raekwon and RZA settled their creative differences, with Raekwon choosing to work with RZA again.
While the album was not talked about much in 2008, Raekwon stated in an interview with DJ Semtex
that it was set for release in February 2009, as he claimed it could be ready at that point. This release date, however, would prove to be once again post-poned as he would continue to fine-tune and add more material.
The album's first single, originally entitled "Wu Ooh" and later retitled "New Wu", was released for playback on various radio mixshows, including New York's Hot 97, with an official video being released on the internet in May 2009. The video features Ghostface Killah and Method Man
, who rap their verses respectively, as well as guest appearances from The Alchemist, RZA, Cappadonna
, Inspectah Deck and other Wu-Tang affiliates such as Popa Wu. Around this time, Raekwon announced that the album would be released through his own label, Icewater Records, with him later confirming EMI
as another label that the album would be released on.
According to an April 2009 report by XXL on Busta Rhymes leaving Aftermath and the album project, Busta Rhymes "was originally slated to executive produce the project, although he no longer holds the position". Raekwon said in an interview for XXL, "Busta left after our situation was already not gonna happen. Busta might have felt like he was getting the proper energy he needed to get, so really one ain’t have nothing to do with two, but you never know at the end of the day, you know what I mean. I don’t know, I can’t call that". However, Busta Rhymes received credit for executive producer on the album. Raekwon In the same interview, it was stated that the album would be released on August 11, 2009. Raekwon later announced that due to a leak of the song "Surgical Gloves," as well as sample clearance issues, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II would be pushed back once again to September 8, 2009.
Expectations grew high for the album as music writers reported various guests and producers to the project. An all-star cast of rappers and producers appeared on the record, but several of these reported collaborations did not come to fruition or did not make the final cut. Among these are the Bun B
(of UGK
) collaboration "Never Use To Matter," the Nas
collaboration to commemorate his appearance on the first Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
, and also, guest appearances from The Game
and Travis Barker
.
crime boss, as told mainly from the first person point of view. This is combined with carefully placed skits weaved into the beginnings and ends of songs.
In contrast to the first album/story where the main character is attempting to leave behind a criminal life, here, he has seemingly embraced this life. The narrative has these older characters taking a look back at their pitfalls and spoils as they have finally risen to the top. In his review for Los Angeles Times
, Jeff Weiss wrote "While many of their '90s peers recycle toothless tautologies
about bringing New York back or vainly wrestle with advanced age by collaborating with flavor-of-the-minute flotsam and jetsam, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah refuse to stay forever young. Proudly profane, the two come off as salty mafia dons
with long memories, too old to change their ways but with the narrative skill and eye for detail of master storytellers in their prime."
The album's final track, "Kiss The Ring," has Wu-Tang member Masta Killa
summarizing the loose concept of the story and closing the album in a film-like fashion.
, Mathematics
; Marley Marl
, Scram Jones
, Pete Rock
and The Alchemist.
Initially, there was speculation as to what RZA's role would be on Pt. II, being that he was the only producer and executive producer on the first Cuban Linx album. Raekwon had commented early on that the sequel would be different in this light, stating "(RZA) definitely put his two cents in and made his elements, and that’s what it’s about. But I can’t allow one man to lead my destiny no more." Raekwon spoke on the difficulties of working on the project with the legendary producer:
During the 2009 Rock the Bells
festival, Raekwon discussed the importance of getting the right producers on board with the project, "I allowed myself to track down some of the finest niggas in the game that done it and basically get them involved with the project. RZA was always there to do whatever, whatever... but at the same token I wanted more. You know what I mean, I wanted to go out and challenge myself even more with different production and different producers."
Raekwon spoke on what it was like getting the opportunity to rhyme over the late J Dilla's production, commenting "He's like a Dre and a RZA, like a combo. You know what I mean and I think that he didn't really get the full fledged support that he's supposed to get. But, in my book, he's that Nigga. And he came with the flamers!" He also stated in an interview with Okayplayer
"Dilla, he’s a musical maestro, a Quincy Jones
in his own world. I did not know his power until I listened to his catalog. He played his part in hip-hop. I’m glad to be involved with him. It was a blessing. He stepped his grizzly up for me. He gave the tracks that special blend. Thanks to Busta for making it happen. I got this while Dilla was still alive. I worked with the best, it was bound to happen. I really appreciated his energy."
"Criminology 09" featuring Ghostface Killah, and "Rock Stars" featuring Inspectah Deck and GZA were the only songs listed in the report that did not make the final line-up. "Criminology 09" had been earlier leaked and discussed by Raekwon as being included on the album. It would, however, be included on the Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon collaboration album Wu-Massacre
, with Raekwon's verse cut in place of a new verse by Method Man. An additional song was added to the August report and remained on the final line-up, titled "Baggin Crack," which was produced by Erick Sermon
. It is only available on the explicit version of the album.
As the supporting single for the album, an animated video for "House of Flying Daggers" was released. The video was illustrated by 1000styles, animated by Ryan Johnson and Drew Taylor and directed by "The Chain Gang" (Erick Sasso and Brian Wendelken). The video is based on the 1978 cult classic film Five Deadly Venoms
. In the video, RZA and J Dilla (portrayed as monks) are given word of a massacre at Shaolin. They tell the messenger that it was not the work of thousands of warriors or The Hunter; it was only five. The song then starts, depicting Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, GZA, Ghostface Killah and Method Man destroying evil warriors. They then defeat the hunter, who is killed by RZA. The "House Of Flying Daggers" video was ranked #1 in TIME Magazine
's "Best Videos of 2009."
A week before the album's release, the video for "Walk Wit Me" was released. Several other music videos have been made since, such as "Catalina," "Have Mercy," "Surgical Gloves", "Pyrex Vision", "Canal Street", and "Ason Jones."
for the first three days of its release. It debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200
and at number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart, the same positioning as the original Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., while selling near 68,000 copies in its first week. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II has sold 132,000 copies in the United States as of November 12, 2009, according to SoundScan.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 88, based on 19 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". According to the site, it was the fourth-best reviewed album of 2009, and it is listed as the forty-sixth best reviewed album on the site. Allmusic gave it 4 out of 5 stars and lauded Raekwon's lyrical ability, writing that he is "in top form, spitting out rhymes worthy of the Wu logo", while calling its production "equally magnificent". The A.V. Club
s Nathan Rabin it an A- rating and praised the album's "vivid crime-world narratives rich in pulpy detail". Giving it a 4½ out of 5 star rating, Tiny Mix Tapes
wrote that the album meets the "charged" expectations of a sequel to the original and called it "dense, dignified" and "flat-out SOLID". The New York Times
s Jon Caramanica called the album "impressive" and stated "That it’s inconsistent with everything in hip-hop that surrounds it only adds to the album’s charm". Michael Saba of Paste
gave it a rating of 87/100 and called it "a classic, and one of the best albums to come out of the New York rap scene in the last decade". Toronto Star
writer Corey Mintz gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and commended Raekwon for his ability as an emcee, writing "Raekwon still simmers with the same confident tempo, as if never breathing in or out". Sobhi Abdul-Rakhman of Sputnikmusic
gave the album a rave review and found it accomplished in all its aspects, stating:
Los Angeles Times
writer Jeff Weiss commended the album's incorporation of various producers, noting its effect as "analogous to the hip-hop version of The Departed
: filled with virtuosic star-studded performances, heavily indebted to Asian cinema, and tweaking rather than transforming a timeless aesthetic". Steve Jones of USA Today
gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and called its cinematic crime narratives "rivetting". Henry Adaso of About.com
commended Ghostface Killah for his contributions to the album and gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Chris Ryan of Spin
gave the album 3½ out of 5 stars and praised Raekwon's lyricisim, writing that the album's songs "contain some of his most rewind-worthy bars in years". The University of California, Berkeley's student publication, The Daily Californian, complimented the album's production as diverse but seamless, writing that "Pt. II displays a dizzying roster of 13 producers ... each with well-established and distinct takes on their craft. Rather than playing out as some sort of haphazard compilation, the album flows seamlessly. The myriad of producers didn't work together, but somehow they all managed to end up on the same page. If anything, this is what makes Only Built 4 Cuban Linx ... Pt. II so fantastic". Rob Browning of PopMatters
praised its cohesive structure and wrote that it "is intended to be listened to as a single entity". Pitchfork Media
's Nate Patrin called Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II "as good as fans have been hoping for" and compared it to Ghostface Killah's Fishscale
(2006), writing that "Like Ghostface's modern classic, this album defies hip-hop's current atmosphere of youthful cockiness and aging complacency".
and The New York Times
both named it the eighth-best album of the year. In December 2009, Pt. II was chosen as 'Album of the Year' in the Hip Hop DX countdown, and was described as "...the Hip Hop equivalent to The Godfather 2, with Rae as revitalized as Marlon was." Raekwon himself was selected as Best Emcee of 2009 (fellow New Yorker Nas
won in 2008.) The DX staff justified this pick with this description of Raekwon's career in 2009. PopMatters
ranked Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II at number seven on their 60 Best Albums of 2009 (making it the highest ranked Hip hop album on the list), and commented; "Everyone here is at the top of their game, leading by example and calling out to the rest of mainstream hip-hop. Really no other hip-hop album stood a chance up against Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Part II." The popular Norwegian
news-paper Dagbladet
named it the ninth international album of 2009. Also the music retail company Platekompaniet ranked the album sixteenth album of 2009.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist, and Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
-member Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
, released September 8, 2009, on Ice H2O/EMI Records in the United States. The album experienced numerous delays to its release due to Raekwon's approach of continual re-writing and shaping, and distribution issues with his record labels. Serving as the sequel to his critically acclaimed debut album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is the solo debut album of American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, released August 1, 1995, on Loud Records in the United States...
(1995), Pt. II maintains many of the topics and themes covered on its predecessor, and features guest appearances from several Wu-Tang members, as well as Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Jadakiss
Jadakiss
Jason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...
and Beanie Sigel
Beanie Sigel
Dwight Grant , also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers...
, among others.
The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart, while selling near 68,000 copies in its first week. It received favorable reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 88/100 from Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, and is ranked number 45 on the site's list of best-reviewed albums. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II was included on several notable publisher's Album of the Year lists, including Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine, which ranked it the twenty-fifth best album of 2009, and Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, which ranked it the seventh best album of 2009.
Background
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II was originally announced in late 2005, when it was stated that Busta RhymesBusta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
would be executive producer on the album. Although Raekwon would spend several years re-working and writing the album, it was announced in January 2006 that it was finished, with production being largely credited to RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
, with RZA and Busta Rhymes as executive producers. Later in 2006, it was revealed that Wu-Tang Clan members GZA
GZA
Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
and Inspectah Deck
Inspectah Deck
Jason Hunter, better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and member of the Wu-Tang Clan...
would be featured, returning with their Wu-Gambino personas.
Busta Rhymes' influence on the project became more solidified when it was announced that Raekwon had signed a contract with Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's label Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
, to which Busta was signed. The deal was structured so that the release would be a joint venture between Wu-Tang Records and Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
. After a period of time and reported delays in the recording process, the two parties eventually separated from the original agreement. The decision came after it was revealed that Dr. Dre had reportedly become creatively tied up with his personal Detox record. Raekwon revealed in an interview that Cuban Linx Pt. II would not be released on Aftermath, stating "Dr. Dre is a busy man and may not have the time to give the album his full attention." An insider from Aftermath spoke on this matter, stating "The Raekwon album came in done. It’s finished! It’s a finished record. Dre did two records. We were doing the deal, and during the deal the Christmas break came. We took a break for two weeks—came back—Dre acted like we never spoke! I was like, ‘All right, this Raekwon thing,’ and he’s like, 'Nah, I ain’t fuckin’ with that no more.' In a Complex
Complex
A complex is a whole that comprehends a number of intricate parts, especially one with interconnected or mutually related parts; for example, a complex of buildings.Complex may refer to:-Biology:...
track interview, Raekwon reveals that a 3rd Dr. Dre track was made for the album but it did not make the final but wishes to possibly put it on one of his future albums.
By 2007, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II had still not been released, and was ranked the sixth most anticipated album of 2007 by XXL
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
magazine. The album would be pushed back several more times, and numerous changes would be made to its release date. By mid-2007, the songs "Baggage Handlers" (produced by J Dilla
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
) and "State of Grace" (produced by RZA) were leaked on the internet. Although they were originally intended to be included on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II, they were cut from the final version.
Near the end of 2007, the Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
began writing and recording their fifth studio album 8 Diagrams
8 Diagrams
8 Diagrams is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released December 11, 2007 on SRC/Universal Motown Records. The album was released three years after the passing of Ol' Dirty Bastard, and six years after the group's previous LP Iron Flag, for which many group members...
, which slowed the recording process even further for Cuban Linx… Pt. II. Wu-Tang group leader RZA came under attack from members Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
and Raekwon over 8 Diagrams production, with Raekwon going as far as to say that he would not include any of RZA's production on the album. In an interview with AllHipHop
AllHipHop
AllHipHop.com is a hip hop news website. It was founded in 1998. At five million visitors a month, it is the world's most popular hip hop website. Essence magazine has dubbed it "the CNN of hip-hop". In 2006, AllHipHop won the Rising Stars Award from Black Enterprise magazine. In 2007, PC Magazine...
, Raekwon commented "(On 8 Diagrams), whatever else he wanted to grow on, we weren’t crazy over it. And that’s the whole thing people took out of context. No one tried to take anything away from RZA as a producer. It was more or less you can’t be selfish, and have to work with everybody’s ears and eyes on something. Him being the dude that he is with mad platinum albums, some n*ggas be super cocky. ‘I don’t wanna hear nothing, I got this.’ That’s what happened in that situation." By early 2008, Raekwon and RZA settled their creative differences, with Raekwon choosing to work with RZA again.
While the album was not talked about much in 2008, Raekwon stated in an interview with DJ Semtex
DJ Semtex
DJ Semtex is a disc jockey and presenter for BBC Radio 1Xtra digital radio station, presenting the flagship hip-hop shows, the Friday and Saturday Night Mixtapes from 19:00-22:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.-Biography:...
that it was set for release in February 2009, as he claimed it could be ready at that point. This release date, however, would prove to be once again post-poned as he would continue to fine-tune and add more material.
The album's first single, originally entitled "Wu Ooh" and later retitled "New Wu", was released for playback on various radio mixshows, including New York's Hot 97, with an official video being released on the internet in May 2009. The video features Ghostface Killah and Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
, who rap their verses respectively, as well as guest appearances from The Alchemist, RZA, Cappadonna
Cappadonna
Darryl Hill best known by his stage name Cappadonna, is an American rapper and oftentimes member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is also a member of rap duo Wu South, along with Ratchet Rush.-Biography:...
, Inspectah Deck and other Wu-Tang affiliates such as Popa Wu. Around this time, Raekwon announced that the album would be released through his own label, Icewater Records, with him later confirming EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
as another label that the album would be released on.
According to an April 2009 report by XXL on Busta Rhymes leaving Aftermath and the album project, Busta Rhymes "was originally slated to executive produce the project, although he no longer holds the position". Raekwon said in an interview for XXL, "Busta left after our situation was already not gonna happen. Busta might have felt like he was getting the proper energy he needed to get, so really one ain’t have nothing to do with two, but you never know at the end of the day, you know what I mean. I don’t know, I can’t call that". However, Busta Rhymes received credit for executive producer on the album. Raekwon In the same interview, it was stated that the album would be released on August 11, 2009. Raekwon later announced that due to a leak of the song "Surgical Gloves," as well as sample clearance issues, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II would be pushed back once again to September 8, 2009.
Expectations grew high for the album as music writers reported various guests and producers to the project. An all-star cast of rappers and producers appeared on the record, but several of these reported collaborations did not come to fruition or did not make the final cut. Among these are the Bun B
Bun B
Bernard Freeman better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK . He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas...
(of UGK
UGK
UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...
) collaboration "Never Use To Matter," the Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
collaboration to commemorate his appearance on the first Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is the solo debut album of American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, released August 1, 1995, on Loud Records in the United States...
, and also, guest appearances from The Game
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
and Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
.
Structure and lyricism
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II follows a similar crime laced cinematic approach as the original Cuban Linx. In maintaining the structure and concept of its predecessor, Pt. II contains a loose storyline of a mafiosoMafioso
Mafioso may refer to:* Mafioso , a 1962 Italian crime comedy film* Mafioso , a member of an Italian mafia clan* Mafioso rap, a hip hop sub-genre...
crime boss, as told mainly from the first person point of view. This is combined with carefully placed skits weaved into the beginnings and ends of songs.
In contrast to the first album/story where the main character is attempting to leave behind a criminal life, here, he has seemingly embraced this life. The narrative has these older characters taking a look back at their pitfalls and spoils as they have finally risen to the top. In his review for Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Jeff Weiss wrote "While many of their '90s peers recycle toothless tautologies
Tautology (rhetoric)
Tautology is an unnecessary or unessential repetition of meaning, using different and dissimilar words that effectively say the same thing...
about bringing New York back or vainly wrestle with advanced age by collaborating with flavor-of-the-minute flotsam and jetsam, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah refuse to stay forever young. Proudly profane, the two come off as salty mafia dons
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
with long memories, too old to change their ways but with the narrative skill and eye for detail of master storytellers in their prime."
The album's final track, "Kiss The Ring," has Wu-Tang member Masta Killa
Masta Killa
Jamel Arief , better known as Masta Killa, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan...
summarizing the loose concept of the story and closing the album in a film-like fashion.
Production
Announced producers were confirmed to include RZA, J Dilla, Dr. Dre, Erick SermonErick Sermon
Erick Sermon , in Bay Shore, New York is an American rapper, musician, and producer.Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.- Career :...
, Mathematics
Mathematics (producer)
Mathematics, also known as Allah Mathematics, is a hip hop producer and DJ for the Wu-Tang Clan. As well as producing many tracks for the Wu-Tang Clan and for its solo and affiliate projects, Math has released two solo albums.-Biography:Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, New York Mathematics was...
; Marley Marl
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
, Scram Jones
Scram Jones
Marc Shemer, better known by his stage name Scram Jones, is a producer, DJ and emcee from New Rochelle, New York. He has produced music for the Wu-Tang Clan. Mariah Carey, Jae Millz, Saigon, and Lloyd Banks. As an emcee he has been featured alongside Nas, Saigon, Styles P, Kool G Rap and Immortal...
, Pete Rock
Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
and The Alchemist.
Initially, there was speculation as to what RZA's role would be on Pt. II, being that he was the only producer and executive producer on the first Cuban Linx album. Raekwon had commented early on that the sequel would be different in this light, stating "(RZA) definitely put his two cents in and made his elements, and that’s what it’s about. But I can’t allow one man to lead my destiny no more." Raekwon spoke on the difficulties of working on the project with the legendary producer:
During the 2009 Rock the Bells
Rock the Bells
Rock the Bells is an annual hip hop festival that originally took place in Southern California only, but has since toured throughout the world. The concert features a lineup of high-profile alternative hip hop artists, often headlined by a more mainstream artist...
festival, Raekwon discussed the importance of getting the right producers on board with the project, "I allowed myself to track down some of the finest niggas in the game that done it and basically get them involved with the project. RZA was always there to do whatever, whatever... but at the same token I wanted more. You know what I mean, I wanted to go out and challenge myself even more with different production and different producers."
Raekwon spoke on what it was like getting the opportunity to rhyme over the late J Dilla's production, commenting "He's like a Dre and a RZA, like a combo. You know what I mean and I think that he didn't really get the full fledged support that he's supposed to get. But, in my book, he's that Nigga. And he came with the flamers!" He also stated in an interview with Okayplayer
Okayplayer
Okayplayer.com is an online hip-hop and alternative music website and community, described by Rolling Stone as a "tastemaker" and "an antidote to dull promotional Web sites used by most artists". The group was co-founded by The Roots' drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson as a loose musical...
"Dilla, he’s a musical maestro, a Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
in his own world. I did not know his power until I listened to his catalog. He played his part in hip-hop. I’m glad to be involved with him. It was a blessing. He stepped his grizzly up for me. He gave the tracks that special blend. Thanks to Busta for making it happen. I got this while Dilla was still alive. I worked with the best, it was bound to happen. I really appreciated his energy."
Release
On July 22, 2009, a report was published which claimed numerous collaborations, final track names, and producers. A month later on August 27, another report was published featuring the final track listing. The two reports listed most of the same tracks, but with slight differences in names, producers, and featured guests. The change lead to the perception that there were many tracks cut from the final listing, however it is more likely that the details were transcribed incorrectly as most of the tracks listed were released in some form. The final album differed from the initial report as follows:- "Godfather" was retitled "Black Mozart" (was previously a solo track called "Secret Indictment").
- "40 Deuce" was retitled "Broken Safety".
- "Wu Ooh" was retitled "New Wu".
- "Nigga Me" was retitled "About Me".
- "Catalina" was originally "Congo".
- "Kareem Khan" was retitled "We Will Rob You".
- "Walk Wit Me" was changed to a European/iTunes Bonus track.
- "Sonny’s Missing” was originally the Pete RockPete RockPeter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
track “Questions,” which featured vocals by Royal FlushRoyal Flush (rapper)Royal Flush is an American East Coast rapper from Flushing, New York. He is a friend of Mic Geronimo and appeared on many songs with him. His 1997 debut album, Ghetto Millionaire, featured production from Buckwild, L.E.S., Da Beatminerz and some verses from Noreaga in various songs...
, from the album NY's FinestNY's FinestNY's Finest is a studio album by hip hop producer and emcee Pete Rock. The album was Rock's first studio album since 2004's Soul Survivor II, and was released on February 26, 2008 through the Nature Sounds record label. The album's cover art was created by Fuse Green and inspired by the cover of...
. - "10 Bricks" was originally the MadlibMadlibOtis Jackson Jr. in Oxnard, California, known professionally as Madlib, is a Los Angeles-based DJ, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and music producer...
remix track to Jaylib's "The Red", from the album Champion SoundChampion SoundChampion Sound is an album by the duo Jaylib . Half of the songs are produced by Madlib and feature J Dilla on vocals, and the other half are produced by J Dilla and feature Madlib on vocals...
.
"Criminology 09" featuring Ghostface Killah, and "Rock Stars" featuring Inspectah Deck and GZA were the only songs listed in the report that did not make the final line-up. "Criminology 09" had been earlier leaked and discussed by Raekwon as being included on the album. It would, however, be included on the Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon collaboration album Wu-Massacre
Wu-Massacre
Wu-Massacre is a collaboration studio album by American rappers and Wu-Tang Clan members Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, released March 30, 2010 on Def Jam Recordings...
, with Raekwon's verse cut in place of a new verse by Method Man. An additional song was added to the August report and remained on the final line-up, titled "Baggin Crack," which was produced by Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon , in Bay Shore, New York is an American rapper, musician, and producer.Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.- Career :...
. It is only available on the explicit version of the album.
Video
A music video was released of "New Wu" months before the release of the album. Two different versions of the video were made, both of a similar style. The first official video has Raekwon and several Wu-Tang members interrogating a suspicious man thought to be an undercover cop.As the supporting single for the album, an animated video for "House of Flying Daggers" was released. The video was illustrated by 1000styles, animated by Ryan Johnson and Drew Taylor and directed by "The Chain Gang" (Erick Sasso and Brian Wendelken). The video is based on the 1978 cult classic film Five Deadly Venoms
Five Deadly Venoms
Five Venoms aka Five Deadly Venoms is a cult 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chang Cheh, starring the Venom Mob, and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, about five kung-fu fighters with unique animal styles: The Centipede, The Snake, The Scorpion, The Lizard and The Toad...
. In the video, RZA and J Dilla (portrayed as monks) are given word of a massacre at Shaolin. They tell the messenger that it was not the work of thousands of warriors or The Hunter; it was only five. The song then starts, depicting Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, GZA, Ghostface Killah and Method Man destroying evil warriors. They then defeat the hunter, who is killed by RZA. The "House Of Flying Daggers" video was ranked #1 in TIME Magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
's "Best Videos of 2009."
A week before the album's release, the video for "Walk Wit Me" was released. Several other music videos have been made since, such as "Catalina," "Have Mercy," "Surgical Gloves", "Pyrex Vision", "Canal Street", and "Ason Jones."
Gold Edition
A bonus version entitled "Gold Edition" was released on August 17, 2010 as an iTunes exclusive. It includes the original album, plus remixes of "Broken Safety", "New Wu", "Penitentiary" — titled "Penitentiary (Travis Barker Mix)" — and "About Me" featuring The Game. As bonus tracks, it includes the Scram Jones-produced "Never Used to Matter" featuring Bun B and the RZA-produced "Rock Stars" with GZA and Inspectah Deck.Commercial performance
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II was released on September 8, 2009 and was ranked the number one downloaded album available on iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
for the first three days of its release. It debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and at number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart, the same positioning as the original Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., while selling near 68,000 copies in its first week. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II has sold 132,000 copies in the United States as of November 12, 2009, according to SoundScan.
Critical response
Upon its release, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II received general acclaim from most music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 88, based on 19 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". According to the site, it was the fourth-best reviewed album of 2009, and it is listed as the forty-sixth best reviewed album on the site. Allmusic gave it 4 out of 5 stars and lauded Raekwon's lyrical ability, writing that he is "in top form, spitting out rhymes worthy of the Wu logo", while calling its production "equally magnificent". The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
s Nathan Rabin it an A- rating and praised the album's "vivid crime-world narratives rich in pulpy detail". Giving it a 4½ out of 5 star rating, Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
wrote that the album meets the "charged" expectations of a sequel to the original and called it "dense, dignified" and "flat-out SOLID". The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
s Jon Caramanica called the album "impressive" and stated "That it’s inconsistent with everything in hip-hop that surrounds it only adds to the album’s charm". Michael Saba of Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
gave it a rating of 87/100 and called it "a classic, and one of the best albums to come out of the New York rap scene in the last decade". Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
writer Corey Mintz gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and commended Raekwon for his ability as an emcee, writing "Raekwon still simmers with the same confident tempo, as if never breathing in or out". Sobhi Abdul-Rakhman of Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
gave the album a rave review and found it accomplished in all its aspects, stating:
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer Jeff Weiss commended the album's incorporation of various producers, noting its effect as "analogous to the hip-hop version of The Departed
The Departed
The Departed is a 2006 American crime thriller film, fashioned as a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan...
: filled with virtuosic star-studded performances, heavily indebted to Asian cinema, and tweaking rather than transforming a timeless aesthetic". Steve Jones of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and called its cinematic crime narratives "rivetting". Henry Adaso of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
commended Ghostface Killah for his contributions to the album and gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Chris Ryan of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
gave the album 3½ out of 5 stars and praised Raekwon's lyricisim, writing that the album's songs "contain some of his most rewind-worthy bars in years". The University of California, Berkeley's student publication, The Daily Californian, complimented the album's production as diverse but seamless, writing that "Pt. II displays a dizzying roster of 13 producers ... each with well-established and distinct takes on their craft. Rather than playing out as some sort of haphazard compilation, the album flows seamlessly. The myriad of producers didn't work together, but somehow they all managed to end up on the same page. If anything, this is what makes Only Built 4 Cuban Linx ... Pt. II so fantastic". Rob Browning of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
praised its cohesive structure and wrote that it "is intended to be listened to as a single entity". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Nate Patrin called Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II "as good as fans have been hoping for" and compared it to Ghostface Killah's Fishscale
Fishscale
FishScale is the fifth studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, released March 28, 2006 on Def Jam in the United States. The album features guest appearances from every member of the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as Ghostface Killah's Theodore Unit...
(2006), writing that "Like Ghostface's modern classic, this album defies hip-hop's current atmosphere of youthful cockiness and aging complacency".
Accolades
The album was named one of the top-ten best albums of the year by several publications. It was ranked number five on Pitchfork Media's list of Top 50 Albums of 2009. Slant MagazineSlant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
both named it the eighth-best album of the year. In December 2009, Pt. II was chosen as 'Album of the Year' in the Hip Hop DX countdown, and was described as "...the Hip Hop equivalent to The Godfather 2, with Rae as revitalized as Marlon was." Raekwon himself was selected as Best Emcee of 2009 (fellow New Yorker Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
won in 2008.) The DX staff justified this pick with this description of Raekwon's career in 2009. PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
ranked Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II at number seven on their 60 Best Albums of 2009 (making it the highest ranked Hip hop album on the list), and commented; "Everyone here is at the top of their game, leading by example and calling out to the rest of mainstream hip-hop. Really no other hip-hop album stood a chance up against Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Part II." The popular Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
news-paper Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
named it the ninth international album of 2009. Also the music retail company Platekompaniet ranked the album sixteenth album of 2009.
Track listing
Album credits extracted from liner notes as shown on Discogs.com.| # | Title | Performer(s) | Producer(s) | Samples | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Return of the North Star" |
|
BT |
Barry White Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring... |
2:39 |
| 2 | "House of Flying Daggers" |
Inspectah Deck Jason Hunter, better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and member of the Wu-Tang Clan... Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success... Method Man Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man... GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career... |
J Dilla J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan... |
Eleanor Rigby "Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, simultaneously released on the 1966 album Revolver and on a 45 rpm single. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney... " by Four Tops Four Tops The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes... Shaolin Vs Lama Shaolin vs Lama is a kung fu film starring Alexander Lo.-Plot:Lo Jui plays Sun Yu Ting, a kung fu fanatic in search of a teacher. After five years of challenging masters but never being beaten he runs into Hsu Shi , a young Shaolin monk who stole money from a gambling match in order to acquire meat... |
3:51 |
| 3 | "Sonny's Missing" |
|
Pete Rock Pete Rock Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth... |
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson was an innovative American composer whose interests spanned the worlds of jazz, dance, pop, film, television, and classical music.Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson was Afro-American... (from the soundtrack to the film, The Education of Sonny Carson The Education of Sonny Carson The Education of Sonny Carson is a 1974 film based on the best-selling autobiography of Sonny Carson, who joined a gang and committed petty crime before being sent to prison... ) |
2:28 |
| 4 | "Pyrex Vision" |
|
Marley Marl Marley Marl Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:... |
|
0:54 |
| 5 | "Cold Outside" |
|
Icewater Productions | 4:40 | |
| 6 | "Black Mozart" |
RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost... , Tash Mahogany |
RZA RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost... |
|
3:24 |
| 7 | "Gihad" |
|
Necro | 2:57 | |
| 8 | "New Wu" |
|
RZA |
|
3:50 |
| 9 | "Penitentiary" |
|
BT |
Odetta Odetta Holmes, known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals... |
2:35 |
| 10 | "Baggin Crack" |
|
Erick Sermon Erick Sermon Erick Sermon , in Bay Shore, New York is an American rapper, musician, and producer.Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.- Career :... |
1:58 | |
| 11 | "Surgical Gloves" |
|
The Alchemist The Alchemist (producer) Alan Daniel Maman , better known as The Alchemist, is an American hip hop producer, DJ and rapper. He hails from Beverly Hills, California... |
Styx (band) Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater.... |
3:24 |
| 12 | "Broken Safety" |
Jadakiss Jason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle... Styles P David Styles better known by his stage name, Styles P, is an American rapper, author, and entrepreneur. He is prominently known as a member of Hip Hop group The LOX and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop group, and in addition has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a solo... |
Scram Jones Scram Jones Marc Shemer, better known by his stage name Scram Jones, is a producer, DJ and emcee from New Rochelle, New York. He has produced music for the Wu-Tang Clan. Mariah Carey, Jae Millz, Saigon, and Lloyd Banks. As an emcee he has been featured alongside Nas, Saigon, Styles P, Kool G Rap and Immortal... |
2:45 | |
| 13 | "Canal Street" |
|
Icewater Productions |
Stop! In the Name of Love "Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Stop! In the Name of Love" held the number-one position on the Billboard pop singles chart in the United States from March 21, 1965... " by Margie Joseph Margie Joseph Margaret Marie "Margie" Joseph is an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. Her greatest success came in the 1970s, with her biggest hits being her version of Paul McCartney's "My Love", her version of The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love" and her duet with Blue Magic... |
3:37 |
| 14 | "Ason Jones" |
|
J Dilla |
|
3:06 |
| 15 | "Have Mercy" |
Beanie Sigel Dwight Grant , also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers... Blue Raspberry (singer) Blue Raspberry is a singer affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan. Her stage name was given to her by Killah Priest, who said she reminded him of a blue raspberry.-Biography:... |
MoSS MoSS Jason Connoy, better known as MoSS, is a Canadian hip-hop producer from Toronto, Ontario.Rapper Obie Trice recently released Special Reserve, a collection of previously unreleased and rare tracks produced by MoSS. He is also co-credited on Eternia's 2010 album At Last, an album which was named as a... (uncredited) |
|
3:51 |
| 16 | "10 Bricks" |
Cappadonna Darryl Hill best known by his stage name Cappadonna, is an American rapper and oftentimes member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is also a member of rap duo Wu South, along with Ratchet Rush.-Biography:... |
J Dilla |
Billy Paul Billy Paul is a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, most known for his 1972 number-one single, "Me and Mrs. Jones" as well as the 1973 album and single "War of the Gods" which blends his more conventional pop, soul and funk styles with electronic and psychedelic influences... |
3:16 |
| 17 | "Fat Lady Sings" |
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True Master True Master True Master is an American hip-hop producer and very occasional rapper. He is closely affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan and an original member of its production team, sometimes referred to as Wu-Elements. He derives his rap nom de plume from the martial arts movie of the same name... |
Zulema Zulema Cusseaux was an American disco and rhythm & blues singer and songwriter. Aside from her solo career, she was a member of an early line up of Faith, Hope and Charity and worked as a backing vocalist and songwriter with Aretha Franklin.-Biography:... |
2:17 |
| 18 | "Catalina" |
Lyfe Jennings Lyfe Jennings is a platinum-selling American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and instrumentalist. He plays the guitar, bass, and piano which he integrates into his music... |
Dr. Dre Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records... , Mark Batson Mark Batson Mark Batson is an American record producer, arranger, and songwriter from Bushwick, Brooklyn, now based in Los Angeles.As a co-writer and producer with Dr. Dre, he is responsible for Jay-Z's 2006 single "Lost One", as well as tracks for Eminem, 50 Cent, Game and Snoop Dogg. As a co-writer and... |
Rainy Dayz (Raekwon song) "Rainy Dayz" is the fourth single from Raekwon's debut album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., released as a promotional single in 1996, backed with "Rainy Dayz ". The song features fellow Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killah in the first verse and its in-house affiliate singer Blue Raspberry in the... by Raekwon |
3:28 |
| 19 | "We Will Rob You" |
Masta Killa Jamel Arief , better known as Masta Killa, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan... Slick Rick Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper... |
Allah Justice |
Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40... Baby Huey (singer) Baby Huey was an American rock and soul singer, born in Richmond, Indiana. He was the frontman for the band Baby Huey & The Babysitters, whose single LP for Curtom Records in 1971 was influential in the development of hip hop music.-Biography:A native of Richmond, Indiana, James Ramey moved to... |
3:15 |
| 20 | "About Me" |
Busta Rhymes Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes... |
Dr. Dre, Mark Batson |
3:59 | |
| 21 | "Mean Streets" |
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Mathematics Mathematics (producer) Mathematics, also known as Allah Mathematics, is a hip hop producer and DJ for the Wu-Tang Clan. As well as producing many tracks for the Wu-Tang Clan and for its solo and affiliate projects, Math has released two solo albums.-Biography:Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, New York Mathematics was... |
The Dramatics The Dramatics are an American soul music vocal group, formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1962. They are best known for their 1970s hit songs "In the Rain" and "Whatcha See is Whatcha Get", both of which were #1 R&B and Top 10 Pop hits.-Career:The Dramatics originally formed in 1962 recording as the... |
4:29 |
| 22 | "Kiss the Ring" |
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Scram Jones |
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (song) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a ballad performed by musician Elton John. The song was written by Bernie Taupin and composed by John for his album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Its musical style and production is heavily influenced by 1970s soft rock... " by Elton John Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... |
4:09 |
| Bonus track Bonus track In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already... s |
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| 23 | "Walk Wit Me" |
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Scram Jones |
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4:18 |
| 24 | "The Badlands" |
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BT | 2:30 | |
| Gold Deluxe/iTunes ITunes iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.... Bonus tracks |
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| 25 | "About Me (Original)" |
The Game (rapper) Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations... |
Dr. Dre Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records... , Mark Batson Mark Batson Mark Batson is an American record producer, arranger, and songwriter from Bushwick, Brooklyn, now based in Los Angeles.As a co-writer and producer with Dr. Dre, he is responsible for Jay-Z's 2006 single "Lost One", as well as tracks for Eminem, 50 Cent, Game and Snoop Dogg. As a co-writer and... |
4:16 | |
| 26 | "New Wu (Remix)" |
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BT |
Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success... |
3:59 |
| 27 | "Broken Safety (Remix)" |
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BT | 2:37 | |
| 28 | "Penitentiary (Travis Barker Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with... Mix)" |
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Travis Barker Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with... , BT |
2:37 | |
| 29 | "Never Used To Matter" |
Bun B Bernard Freeman better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK . He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas... Raekwon Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with... |
Scram Jones | 2:33 | |
| 30 | "Rockstars" |
Inspectah Deck Jason Hunter, better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and member of the Wu-Tang Clan... GZA Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career... |
RZA RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost... |
Otis Clay Otis Clay is an American R&B and soul singer, who started in gospel music.-Life and career:... |
4:13 |
Personnel
Credits for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II adapted from liner notes.- RaekwonRaekwonCorey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
as Lex Diamonds - performer, executive producer - Ghostface KillahGhostface KillahDennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
as Tony Starks - performer - RZARZARobert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
as Bobby Steels - performer, producer, executive producer - Inspectah DeckInspectah DeckJason Hunter, better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and member of the Wu-Tang Clan...
as Rollie Fingers - performer - Masta KillaMasta KillaJamel Arief , better known as Masta Killa, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan...
as Noodles - performer - Method ManMethod ManClifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
as Johnny Blaze - performer - GZAGZAGary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...
as Maximillion - performer - CappadonnaCappadonnaDarryl Hill best known by his stage name Cappadonna, is an American rapper and oftentimes member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is also a member of rap duo Wu South, along with Ratchet Rush.-Biography:...
as Cappachino - performer - JadakissJadakissJason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...
as Montega Jada - performer - Beanie SigelBeanie SigelDwight Grant , also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers...
as Mack Mittens - performer - Styles PStyles PDavid Styles better known by his stage name, Styles P, is an American rapper, author, and entrepreneur. He is prominently known as a member of Hip Hop group The LOX and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop group, and in addition has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a solo...
as Styles Pinero - performer - Busta RhymesBusta RhymesTrevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
- performer - Blue RaspberryBlue Raspberry (singer)Blue Raspberry is a singer affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan. Her stage name was given to her by Killah Priest, who said she reminded him of a blue raspberry.-Biography:...
- vocals - Popa Wu - vocals
- Slick RickSlick RickRichard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
- vocals - Suga Bang Bang - vocals
- Tash Mahogany - vocals
- Lyfe JenningsLyfe JenningsLyfe Jennings is a platinum-selling American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and instrumentalist. He plays the guitar, bass, and piano which he integrates into his music...
- vocals - Sean Cruse - bass
- Dawaun Parker - keyboards
- Che Pope - keyboards
- J DillaJ DillaJames Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
- producer - Icewater Productions - producer
- Dr. DreDr. DreAndre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
- producer
- Mark BatsonMark BatsonMark Batson is an American record producer, arranger, and songwriter from Bushwick, Brooklyn, now based in Los Angeles.As a co-writer and producer with Dr. Dre, he is responsible for Jay-Z's 2006 single "Lost One", as well as tracks for Eminem, 50 Cent, Game and Snoop Dogg. As a co-writer and...
- producer, keyboards - BT - producer, engineer
- Scram JonesScram JonesMarc Shemer, better known by his stage name Scram Jones, is a producer, DJ and emcee from New Rochelle, New York. He has produced music for the Wu-Tang Clan. Mariah Carey, Jae Millz, Saigon, and Lloyd Banks. As an emcee he has been featured alongside Nas, Saigon, Styles P, Kool G Rap and Immortal...
- producer, engineer - True MasterTrue MasterTrue Master is an American hip-hop producer and very occasional rapper. He is closely affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan and an original member of its production team, sometimes referred to as Wu-Elements. He derives his rap nom de plume from the martial arts movie of the same name...
- producer - MathematicsMathematics (producer)Mathematics, also known as Allah Mathematics, is a hip hop producer and DJ for the Wu-Tang Clan. As well as producing many tracks for the Wu-Tang Clan and for its solo and affiliate projects, Math has released two solo albums.-Biography:Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, New York Mathematics was...
- producer - Pete RockPete RockPeter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
- producer - Marley MarlMarley MarlMarlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
- producer - Erick SermonErick SermonErick Sermon , in Bay Shore, New York is an American rapper, musician, and producer.Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.- Career :...
- producer - The Alchemist - producer
- MoSSMoSSJason Connoy, better known as MoSS, is a Canadian hip-hop producer from Toronto, Ontario.Rapper Obie Trice recently released Special Reserve, a collection of previously unreleased and rare tracks produced by MoSS. He is also co-credited on Eternia's 2010 album At Last, an album which was named as a...
- producer - Allah Justice - producer
- Necro - producer
- Travis BarkerTravis BarkerTravis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
- producer - Glen Marchese - mixing
- Kareem Woods - co executive producer
- Mel Carter - co executive producer
- Mark B. Christensen - master
- Ted Michaels - A&R
- Jon Prince - A&R
- Stan Beatty - A&R
- Danny Hastings - photography
- Tom Medevich - photography
- Sean Frigot - design
- Metro Ink - album layout
Chart history
Album| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rap Albums Top Rap Albums Top Rap Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks Rap and hip-hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart began publication for the week of November 13, 2004.... |
2 |
External links
- Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...