June 17, 2025
The album, featuring Ghostface Killah was released 30 years ago
As the Staten Island/Brooklyn collective Wu-Tang Clan is on the road for its last tour, two of its members, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, have released the trailer for one of the group’s more popular albums, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, titled The Purple Tape Files.
As each member of Wu started to release solo projects at the inception of the collective’s recording career, an unexpected solo project bubbled up throughout the hip-hop streets. And although it was a Raekwon project, the album felt more like a duo with his selected henchman by his side, Ghostface Killah. The album became an instant classic amongst hip-hop heads 30 years ago, in 1995.
Dubbed “The Purple Tape Files,” a documentary has been filmed to reveal the inner workings of Raekwon’s first solo project. The project is being released through Third Eye Films.
“A Story 30 Years In The Making. Coming soon.
“Third Eye Films is proud to announce the upcoming release of The Purple Tape Files, a powerful new documentary chronicling the making and legacy of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, the groundbreaking solo debut by Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan.”
According to Complex, some of hip-hop’s biggest names are featured in the doc with their takes on the classic hip-hop recording that still resonates with true hip-hop fans worldwide. Hip-hop luminaries such as Method Man, the RZA, Ghostface, as well as Kendrick Lamar, Busta Rhymes, The Alchemist, DJ Premier, Charlamagne Tha God, Nas, 9th Wonder, Fat Joe, N.O.R.E., Peter Rosenberg, and Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, to name a few.
Raekwon talked about his mindset while recording the album, “I put myself into a serious mind frame. A serious storytelling album. I had to make this product stand out.
“I knew that purple represents royalty, and that’s exactly what I was looking for.”
A release date has not been mentioned, but the album debuted on Aug. 1, 1995.
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