August 1, 1995 · Raekwon built a Wu-Tang solo album with the detail and momentum of a crime film.
1995 – Raekwon releases Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…
Ghostface Killah is all over the record, and RZA supplies the beats. “Criminology” charges forward on clipped voices and percussion. “Rainy Dayz,” with Blue Raspberry, lets the cost of the stories settle in.
The slang works like dialogue among people who already know each other. Raekwon lets the listener piece together relationships and stakes across songs, one reason the album became a reference point for later street-rap storytellers.
“Verbal Intercourse” puts Nas beside Raekwon and Ghostface, a crossover between two distinct New York schools of writing. The performance fits because all three know how to let a concrete detail carry the weight of a larger scene.
Release date and album details · Hear a track on Apple Music.
2000 – Big L’s The Big Picture is released
Big L’s second studio album arrived after his death, collecting tracks that carried his Harlem punchline style into the new decade. Producers including DJ Premier and Lord Finesse helped frame performances that could land a joke and a threat in the same bar. It gives August 1 a second New York milestone alongside Raekwon’s solo debut.
Read next · Browse Today in Rap History or explore Raptology documentaries.
Natalia is a Rap and Hip Hop enthusiast. After graduating from The New School of New York’s Public Relations Program and taking a course in Journalism at Michigan State University, she decided to dedicate her life to the music publishing business and to the discovery of new talent. She helps new artists gain exposure to the masses via online marketing and publications.
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