Free Download Lyrics 2024
Songs in the Album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
No | Song |
---|---|
1 | Can It All Be So Simple (remix) |
2 | Criminology |
3 | Glaciers Of Ice |
4 | Guillotinz (swordz) |
5 | Heaven & Hell |
6 | Ice Cream |
7 | Ice Water |
8 | Incarcerated Scarfaces |
9 | Knowledge God |
10 | Knuckleheadz |
11 | North Star |
12 | Rainy Dayz |
13 | Shark Niggas (biters) |
14 | Spot Rusherz |
15 | Striving For Perfection |
16 | Verbal Intercourse |
17 | Wisdom Body |
18 | Wu-gambinos |
19 | Ice Water |
20 | Striving For Perfection |
21 | Knuckleheadz |
22 | Knowledge God |
23 | Criminology |
24 | Incarcerated Scarfaces |
25 | Rainy Dayz |
26 | Guillotinz (swordz) |
27 | Can It All Be So Simple (remix) |
28 | Shark Niggas (biters) |
29 | Glaciers Of Ice |
30 | Verbal Intercourse |
31 | Wisdom Body |
32 | Spot Rusherz |
33 | Ice Cream |
34 | Wu-gambinos |
35 | Heaven & Hell |
36 | North Star |
Detailed information about album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Recording sessions began in late 1994, and proceeded midway through 1995 in RZA's basement studio in Staten Island, the same studio that many of the group's earlier albums were recorded in.[10] In regard to Raekwon and Ghostface Killah's original recording intentions, RZA recounted "They had wanted to go to Barbados. But when they got to Barbados, the racism was so crazy. It was on some slave mentality. The Blacks was being treated like shit. They stopped back, and everything was recorded in my basement. No engineer, no assistant engineer. I did everything on that shit. The only two albums I did with nobody fucking with me was Linx and Liquid Swords. I was on a mission. To make all those early albums took three and a half years of my life. I didn't come outside, didn't have too many girl relations, didn't even enjoy the shit. I just stayed in the basement. Hours and hours and days and days. Turkey burgers and blunts. I didn't know if it was working. But nobody could hear or say nothing, no comments, no touching the board when I leave. Everything was just how I wanted it."[10] Regarding the recording atmosphere, Raekwon stated "The way RZA had it poppin' back then, we would come into his spot. It was like dudes would come in on their own time and create stuff. I remember I just came in, and the beats was just pumpin'."[10] Seeking to musically express Raekwon's blend of Five Percenter creed and inner-city experience, producer RZA worked intensively on a polished sound, slower and more layered than that of Wu-Tang's previous efforts, using strings, piano loops and vocal samples from Kung Fu movies, and Mafia films. Due to Raekwon's storytelling, mobster-minded approach, the producer set up Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... to play like scenes in a crime movie.[10] RZA has cited soul musician Isaac Hayes as an influence on his orchestral approach to several of the album's tracks.[10] He also later revealed that several of the album's beats, such as "Incarcerated Scarfaces", were originally intended for Wu-Tang member GZA's Liquid Swords album, but because of Raekwon's timely writing approach, were used last minute for Cuban Linx.[10] In regard to this, Raekwon clarified "RZA's house was more or less like a candy store. You come in and have all kinds of shit to choose from. I would take stuff that I felt would suit my album correctly; others would take their own beats too. The beats were like a grab bag. If I came in and heard a beat that someone already claimed, then I just had to fall back. We almost never fought over beats or nothing. I'd tell RZA if I liked a certain beat, and he'd see if it would fit me or not."[3] Throughout the album, producer RZA sampled dialogue from various scenes in the John Woo film The Killer. RZA later recollected "I met John Woo that same year. He sent me a letter. He was honored that we did it. I felt confident we could settle anything that came up. You can usually settle that shit. It's part of the budget, man. But John Woo didn't want nothing, never no money for that. We actually became friends. He took me and Ghost to lunch and dinner many times. He gave me a lot of mentoring in film."[10] Gambinos[edit] The song "Wu-Gambinos" was one of the first songs recorded for the album, and marked the beginning of the Gambino aliases used for the members who appeared on the album,[10] and would eventually become highly influential on hip hop.[10] Raekwon later explained "The Wu-Gambinos aliases come from how I used to like that movie Once Upon a Time in America, with Robert De Niro and James Woods. I liked how these young little niggas grew up, from the ground up, not having nothing to start. And the names came. You know, "Tony Starks" came from Iron Man. "Lou Diamond" came from Louis Roederer who made Cristal, and from me being infatuated with the diamond world. Back then I was wearing a lot of ice, was calling shit ice. But then I started giving some of my niggas in the crew names. Being that it's my album, I wanted niggas to know, you gotta have a certain a.k.a. when you're on this track. This is a Gambino track. Wu-Gambinos. I would call Masta Killa "Noodles," call GZA "Maximillian." Inside the movie (Once Upon a Time in America), Noodles and Max was partners. I felt like GZA was like Maximillian because he was like the brains of the crew. He would say something real intellectual and smart. I called Deck "Rollie Fingers" cause of the way he roll blunts. So names just started fitting niggas."[10] Music and lyrics[edit] .mw-parser-output .quotebox{background-color:#F9F9F9;border:1px solid #aaa;box-sizing:border-box;padding:10px;font-size:88%;max-width:100%}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatleft{margin:.5em 1.4em .8em 0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatright{margin:.5em 0 .8em 1.4em}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.centered{overflow:hidden;position:relative;margin:.5em auto .8em auto}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatleft span,.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatright span{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .quotebox>blockquote{margin:0;padding:0;border-left:0;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-title{text-align:center;font-size:110%;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote>:first-child{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote:last-child>:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote.quoted:before{font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:large;color:gray;content:" “ ";vertical-align:-45%;line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote.quoted:after{font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:large;color:gray;content:" ” ";line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .left-aligned{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .right-aligned{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .center-aligned{text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .quote-title,.mw-parser-output .quotebox .quotebox-quote{display:block}.mw-parser-output .quotebox cite{display:block;font-style:normal}@media screen and (max-width:640px){.mw-parser-output .quotebox{width:100%!important;margin:0 0 .8em!important;float:none!important}} A lushly impenetrable jungle of sonic allusions transforms the nightmare of the crack era into a dream of cream skimmed and warmed for the bathtub—a dream with its own internal logic, moral weight, and commitment to beauty. It's an illusion, as any project denizen caught in the crossfire knows. But materially and metaphorically, Wu-Tang's power to create this illusion provides a way out of the hell underneath—especially, but not exclusively, for them. — Robert Christgau[11] Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is often commemorated for its introduction to a distinctive slang individual to Raekwon and Ghostface;[12] heavy use of the Supreme Alphabet and Supreme Mathematics, as often used by the Wu-Tang Clan, blended with terms picked up on the inner-city streets of New York, as well as several songs based around detailed, loosely-connected stories. In an article for XXL, RZA later illustrated "The theme of the album is two guys that had enough of the negative life and was ready to move on, but had one more sting to pull off. They're tired of doing what they doing, but they're trying to make this last quarter million. That's a lot of money in the streets. We gonna retire and see our grandbabies and get our lives together."[10] In keeping with this loose storyline, the album opens with the introduction track "Striving for Perfection", in which Raekwon and "co-star" Ghostface converse about visions and goals.[10] On the proceeding track "Knuckleheadz", Raekwon and Ghostface divide money in the song's intro, and then engage in a heist, with U-God's character being killed off at the end of his verse.[10] The reason for this elimination is because U-God was sentenced to serve several months in prison, which prevented subsequent participation on Cuban Linx.[10] U-God, however, recruited his lyric mentor and childhood friend Cappadonna to take his place later in the album.[10] .mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}.mw-parser-output .listen .side-box-text{line-height:1.1em}.mw-parser-output .listen-plain{border:none;background:transparent}.mw-parser-output .listen-embedded{width:100%;margin:0;border-width:1px 0 0 0;background:transparent}.mw-parser-output .listen-header{padding:2px}.mw-parser-output .listen-embedded .listen-header{padding:2px 0}.mw-parser-output .listen-file-header{padding:4px 0}.mw-parser-output .listen .description{padding-top:2px}.mw-parser-output .listen .mw-tmh-player{max-width:100%}@media(max-width:719px){.mw-parser-output .listen{clear:both}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .listen:not(.listen-noimage){width:320px}.mw-parser-output .listen-left{overflow:visible;float:left}.mw-parser-output .listen-center{float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}} "Verbal Intercourse" The much-revered collaboration between Raekwon and Nas portrays prophetic and criminal imagery.[13][14] Problems playing this file? See media help. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... features dialogue-driven interludes in the beginning of several tracks with Raekwon and Ghostface Killah conversing about money, life, crime, and hip hop, among other things. The introduction to "Glaciers of Ice", for instance, involves Ghostface addressing his plans and methods of dyeing Wallabee-styled Clarks.[10] In a 2005 interview, Ghostface Killah explained "We was in the car one day, driving around with the DAT machine with a microphone and we just started talking shit about how we're gonna do it this summer with the Clarks. The dyeing was something I was doing already. I'm an inventor. Niggas can't fuck with me when it comes to style. Only nigga that is right there with me is probably Slick Rick. Other than that, I'm boss."[10] The album ends with the song "North Star", which serves as a "closing credits" type of song. In regard to this track and Popa Wu's inclusion, RZA later remarked "The idea is Rae did everything he had to do. Everything is over now. The job is over. Mission is over, it's a perfect closing to the album. Popa Wu was a very smart mentor in the younger days to me and ODB. Everybody had dibs and dabs of knowledge of self, I brought him in to be a mentor to these men like, 'I love them and you the only person I know that have the intelligence to keep them in sync with knowledge.' It's very poisonous unless they got proper guidance. He was the smartest man I'd ever met at a certain time in my life."[10] Raekwon further commented "'North Star' was a track I really, really wanted on my album. It was a track that I felt a vibe of it was motion picture-like."[10] Singles[edit] "Criminology" The RZA-produced track has an uptempo beat and features a verse by Ghostface Killah, the album's "co-star".[13] Problems playing this file? See media help. Though several songs, such as "Glaciers of Ice" and "Incarcerated Scarfaces", received radio play and music video treatment, only four official singles were released for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.... The first of which was "Heaven & Hell", released October 24, 1994. Aside from being the album's first single, it was also the first song recorded for the album, serving as an installment to the soundtrack for the movie Fresh.[10] The song features the second recorded appearance of Wu-Tang affiliate Blue Raspberry, who provides backing vocals. In 1994, "Heaven & Hell" reached number 32 on the Hot Rap Singles chart, and number 34 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart. One year later, it re-entered the Hot Rap Singles chart, peaking at number 21.[15] With "Glaciers of Ice" as its B-Side, the album's second single "Criminology" was released June 26, 1995, almost one year after "Heaven and Hell." It had notable chart success, as it peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 5 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.[15] Producer RZA later illustrated "That was me trying to produce like a DJ, produce a breakbeat. Ghost actually asked me to make one of those beats. You listen to old DJ tapes. That's how I made that song, and he wanted this shit to sound like a breakbeat. He had a rhyme that he knew was going to change the game - that was the verse that got him recognized. Cypress Hill's DJ Muggs called up and was like 'Yo, he killed that shit. He ripped that shit.'"[10] Serving as the album's most radio-friendly track, "Ice Cream" was released September 25, 1995, with "Incarcerated Scarfaces" as its B-side. This proved to be the most successful single off the album, as it reached the 37th spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and the fifth spot on the Hot Rap Singles chart.[15] The song uses different flavor variants of ice cream as a metaphor for different races of women. Raekwon later commented "we wanted to reach out and let the women know that we respected them as queens. And queens, much like ice cream, come in all different flavors."[16] The song marks the second appearance of Cappadonna on the album, and serves as his break-through performance, as it would give him commercial exposure. In regard to his guest spot, Cappadonna later recalled "I had heard Rae's and Ghost's verses on there. And I had made a joke about me getting on the track, and RZA took it seriously and was like "Yo, go ahead. Lace that."[10] "Rainy Dayz" was the fourth and final single for the album, released as a Promotional recording on vinyl in early 1996. In regard to the song's lyrics, Raekwon summarized "this is for the struggling girl who can't understand her man and he a thorough nigga. We wanted to put a girl from the movie The Killer in the skit, at the start of the song, when she said 'I sing for him and he isn't here.' He ain't here, cause he makin' money! He trying to put some food on the table."[10] Producer RZA has stated that "Rainy Dayz" is one of his all-time favorite songs on the album.[10] Critical reception[edit] Contemporary professional reviewsReview scoresSourceRatingEntertainment WeeklyA−[17]Los Angeles Times[18]Muzik[19]NME8/10[20]The Source[21]Spin8/10[22] Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… was well received by contemporary critics. The Source magazine's Nicholas Poluhoff said "Raekwon has always brought his own special flavor to the Wu cipher: he sprays out lyrics like gunfire, forming vivid tales. What truly sets Cuban Linx apart is the sheer abundance of well-written, complex lyrics." Poluhoff also praised RZA's production, viewing it as his best yet: "The tracks are suited to the distinct flow of the Chef, who weaves in and out between beats."[21] Cheo H. Coker from Spin magazine found Raekwon to be as vivid a lyricist as Kool G Rap, "so vivid you smell the gunpowder and wipe the blood on your shirt", while crediting RZA for "taking the art form of production to new heights".[22] Los Angeles Times said the songs with other Wu-Tang Clan members are as good as anything on Enter the 36 Chambers and wrote of the music: "RZA's production sensibilities, sometimes minimal, other times symphonic, pull the listener in despite the chaos. In a genre characterized by singles, Cuban Linx is a full-blown album where the big picture is just as moving as the compositional stylistic elements."[18] In Vibe magazine, Dream Hampton was impressed by Raekwon and Ghostface Killah's use of cultural appropriation (as a type of "sweet vindication") in their lyrics and said they "bring the best in each other."[23] Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... has since been ranked by critics and publications as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.[24] The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) called it essential listening for anyone interested in the Wu-Tang Clan,[25] while Steve Huey from AllMusic said Raekwon is "arguably the Wu's best storyteller", crediting him for "translating epic themes and narratives of a mafia movie into a startlingly accomplished hip-hop album". Huey argued the record was possibly the "best Wu-Tang solo album", along with GZA's Liquid Swords, and wrote that like that album, "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx takes a few listens to reveal the full scope of its lyrical complexities, but it's immensely rewarding in the end."[14] Spin magazine labeled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx as the 83rd-best album of the 1990s, describing it as an "epic, cinema-scale crime drama" that was "far ahead of hip-hop's conceptual curve".[26] In 2012, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album number 480 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, saying that "the best Wu-Tang solo joint is a study in understated cool and densely woven verses" and that "Raekwon crafts breathtaking drug-rap narratives; it's a rap album that rivals the mob movies hip-hop celebrates.[27] In the 2020 reboot of the list, the album's rank shot up to number 219.[8] Legacy and influence[edit] Gambinos[edit] OB4CL popularized street-related, Mafioso rap on the east coast.[10] While this style was originated by Kool G Rap in the late 1980s, it didn't completely permeate the hip hop world until the release of OB4CL in 1995.[10] References to Cuban Linx could be heard heavily in following years with several notable changes in hip hop culture. For instance, the album refers to "Wu-Gambinos" in various occurrences; the term being a name for the 'alter-egos' of the rappers involved in Cuban Linx, and used on various later projects. These alter-egos inspired an already dissociative hip-hop world to adopt new names and personae, from Nas' Escobar moniker to Notorious B.I.G.'s Frank White counterpart, which he would go on to further utilize upon the release of OB4CL. A known fan of the Wu, Tupac Shakur began to refer to himself as Makaveli and gave his Outlawz crew new names, albeit with a militaristic, dictatorial theme. In regard to Raekwon's innovation of the gambinos, Method Man later affirmed "Raekwon started that. Rae always had that mobster mentality, always liked to watch gangster movies and read mob books and stuff like that, you know? So he pretty much knew the names of the cats and what they was about. He polished his whole style like that."[10] Ghostface Killah also touched base on the gambino influence stating "We done took that to the highest peak. We bonded as a tight family, so niggas is starting to try and do that right now. Everybody thinking they have a strong family. We opened up the door for a lot of niggas. The shit was just crazy on how it came together."[10] Cristal[edit] Another exemplification of Cuban Linx's influence is in the spike in popularity of Cristal, an expensive champagne, which was mentioned on the album and touted by Rae and Ghost. It has now become a staple in hip hop, with name-drops that continue to this day.[10] The brand even made its way into popular culture when director Quentin Tarantino, a known affiliate of RZA and the Wu-Tang Clan, goes on a rant about the champagne's quality in his segment of Four Rooms, a film released in the months after Raekwon's album. In regard to this trend, Raekwon later clarified "We was the first to be talking that Cristal shit. I know that for a fact. Back then we would go do dinners and sit with Loud Records president Steve Rifkind and them up at the label. And our mission would be like, when we sit at the table, we want the best fuckin' wine they got in the building. We might have asked for some Mo or something and they didn't have it. So we was like "What the fuck is the next best thing, Steve?" And Steve's like 'Give 'em the next best thing.' They came out with Cristal. Me and Ghost liked the bottle, and the name on the bottle was Louie Roederer. I was like, I'm Lou Diamond, Louie Roederer. Me and Ghost is loving how the bottle looked. It cost more than the muthafuckin' other, so we was like, Cristal, nigga! That's our new shit!"[10] Hip hop albums[edit] Retrospective professional reviewsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusic[14]Christgau's Consumer GuideA−[11]Encyclopedia of Popular Music[28]Mojo[29]MusicHound R&B5/5[30]Pitchfork9.5/10[31]The Rolling Stone Album Guide[25]Tom Hull – on the WebA−[32] Ironically enough, despite Raekwon and Ghost's warning on "Shark Niggas (Biters)" to "be original", OB4CL's influence spawned a countless number of albums with many of the adopted principles that it set in place. The year following its release, in 1996, Jay-Z released his debut album Reasonable Doubt, which describes a lavish, Cristal-drinking mobster persona and deals with the subjects of street crime and getting out of drug-dealing and into the rap game, much like the topics covered on OB4CL.[10] Jay-Z would later reference Cuban Linx in his 2009 song "A Star Is Born" by stating "Wu-Tang gangbanged it, Meth ate / Rae took on a date with the Purple Tape / passed it on to Ason, then Ghostface / they had a hell of a run, stand and ovate." Raekwon later commented in an interview "Jay was a student of our shit and what we accomplished in those days. He'll tell you that himself."[3] The same year, highly acclaimed rapper Nas released It Was Written, revising his image to incorporate the Mafia posturing of Raekwon; adopting the Mafioso moniker "Nas Escobar" bestowed upon him by his guest appearance on Cuban Linx. 1996 also saw the releases of Ghostface Killah's debut album Ironman, which loosely covers some of the topics on Cuban Linx, and also Mobb Deep's second major-label album, Hell on Earth, which showcased the duo's interpretation of the Cuban Linx demeanor, and featured contributions from Raekwon, Method Man, and Nas. In 1997, The Notorious B.I.G. revamped his image into that of a gun-toting, big-money making, mob-commanding kingpin, most notably on the songs "Niggas Bleed", "What's Beef", "My Downfall", and "I Love the Dough" featuring Jay-Z (previously mentioned); Nas, then with The Firm, put out a similarly minded album that year in The Firm: The Album. The influence of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... continued through into the 2000s with other albums, such as Rick Ross' Deeper Than Rap and Jay-Z's American Gangster, continuing to find success following the album's overall structure and premise. Though Cuban Linx would prove to be highly influential, Raekwon later revealed that he had no intentions for this impact, stating "Really, I was just trying to make something worth purchasing and worth respecting."[3] Sequel[edit] After two solo projects that were both critically and commercially unsuccessful, Raekwon announced a sequel to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in late 2005. The sequel was highly anticipated for nearly four years since its original announcement and fourteen years after the release of the original, appearing in XXL's top 10 list of most anticipated albums in 2007.[33] Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II was released in 2009 to critical acclaim.[34] Track listing[edit] Track listing and credits adapted from Tidal.[35] All tracks produced by RZA, and written by Corey Woods and Robert Diggs; except where noted. .mw-parser-output .tracklist{border-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .tracklist tr{background-color:var(--background-color-base,#fff)}.mw-parser-output .tracklist tr:nth-child(2n-1){background-color:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .tracklist caption{text-align:left;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .tracklist td,.mw-parser-output .tracklist th[scope="row"]{vertical-align:top}.mw-parser-output .tracklist th[scope="col"]{text-align:left;background-color:var(--background-color-neutral,#eaecf0)}.mw-parser-output .tracklist th.tracklist-length-header,.mw-parser-output .tracklist th.tracklist-number-header,.mw-parser-output .tracklist th[scope="row"],.mw-parser-output .tracklist-length,.mw-parser-output .tracklist-total-length td{padding-right:10px;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tracklist th[scope="row"]{font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .tracklist-number-header{width:2em;padding-left:10px}.mw-parser-output .tracklist-length-header{width:4em}.mw-parser-output .tracklist tr.tracklist-total-length{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tracklist .tracklist-total-length th{padding:0;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .tracklist-total-length th>span{float:right;padding:0 10px;background-color:var(--background-color-neutral,#eaecf0)}.mw-parser-output .tracklist-total-length td{background-color:var(--background-color-neutral,#eaecf0);font-weight:bold;padding:0 10px 0 0}No.TitleWriter(s)Length1."Striving for Perfection" 1:432."Knuckleheadz" (featuring Ghostface Killah and U-God) 4:033."Knowledge God" 4:244."Criminology" (featuring Ghostface Killah)WoodsDiggsDennis ColesLeroy BurgessPatrick AdamsRussell PattersonStuart Bascombe3:475."Incarcerated Scarfaces"WoodsDiggsAbrim Tilmon4:426."Rainy Dayz" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Blue Raspberry) 6:027."Guillotine (Swordz)" (featuring Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and GZA) 4:228."Can It Be All So Simple (Remix)" (featuring Ghostface Killah)WoodsDiggsColesClifford SmithGary GriceJason HunterLamont HawkinsRussell JonesAlan BergmanMarilyn BergmanMarvin Hamlisch5:389."Shark Niggas (Biters)" 1:3810."Ice Water" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Cappadonna) 3:3811."Glaciers of Ice" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Masta Killa)WoodsDiggsColesElgin Turner5:2012."Verbal Intercourse" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Nas)WoodsDiggsDavid PorterRonald Williams3:3113."Wisdom Body" (featuring Ghostface Killah) 2:3814."Spot Rusherz" 3:1315."Ice Cream" (featuring Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Cappadonna) 4:1316."Wu-Gambinos" (featuring Ghostface Killah, Method Man, RZA and Masta Killa) 5:3917."Heaven & Hell" (featuring Ghostface Killah) 4:56Total length:69:30 Bonus trackNo.TitleWriter(s)Length18."North Star (Jewels)"WoodsDiggsBarry White3:58Total length:73:35 Notes "Striving For Perfection" and "Shark Niggas (Biters)" contain additional vocals from Ghostface Killah. "Glaciers of Ice" contains additional vocals from Blue Raspberry and 60 Second Assassin. "Heaven and Hell" contains additional vocals from Blue Raspberry. "North Star (Jewels) contains additional vocals from Popa Wu and Ol' Dirty Bastard. Sample credits "Criminology" contains samples from "I Keep Asking You Questions" by Black Ivory. "Can It Be All So Simple (Remix)" contains a sample from "The Way We Were" by Gladys Knight & the Pips. "Verbal Intercourse" contains a sample from "If You Think It (You May As Well Do It)" by The Emotions. "Heaven & Hell" contains a sample from "Could I Be Falling in Love" by Syl Johnson. "North Star (Jewels)" contains a sample from "Mellow Mood Part One" by Barry White. Personnel[edit] .mw-parser-output .col-begin{border-collapse:collapse;padding:0;color:inherit;width:100%;border:0;margin:0}.mw-parser-output .col-begin-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .col-break{vertical-align:top;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .col-break-2{width:50%}.mw-parser-output .col-break-3{width:33.3%}.mw-parser-output .col-break-4{width:25%}.mw-parser-output .col-break-5{width:20%}@media(max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .col-begin,.mw-parser-output .col-begin>tbody,.mw-parser-output .col-begin>tbody>tr,.mw-parser-output .col-begin>tbody>tr>td{display:block!important;width:100%!important}.mw-parser-output .col-break{padding-left:0!important}} Raekwon as Lex Diamond – performer Ghostface Killah as Tony Starks – performer, executive producer RZA as Bobby Steels – performer, arranger, producer, engineer, mixing, executive producer Cappadonna as Cappachino – performer Masta Killa as Noodles – performer Method Man as Johnny Blaze – performer U-God as Golden Arms – performer GZA as Maximillion – performer Inspectah Deck as Rollie Fingers – performer Nas as Nas Escobar – performer Blue Raspberry – vocals Ol' Dirty Bastard – vocals Popa Wu – vocals 60 Second Assassin – vocals 4th Disciple – mixing Islord – arranger, assistant engineer Mitchell Diggs – executive producer Oli Grant – executive producer Tom Coyne – mastering Schott Free – A&R Matt Life – A&R Daniel Hastings – photography Miguel Rivera – design Christian Cortes – design Charts[edit] Weekly charts[edit] Chart (1995) Peakposition UK Albums (OCC)[36] 79 US Billboard 200[37] 4 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[38] 2 Year-end charts[edit] Chart (1995) Position US Billboard 200[39] 129 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[40] 23 Certifications[edit] Region Certification Certified units/sales United Kingdom (BPI)[41] Silver 60,000* United States (RIAA)[42] Platinum 1,100,000[6] * Sales figures based on certification alone. Accolades[edit] Location Country Accolade Year Rank Ego Trip Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–98 1999 Exclaim Canada 100 Records that Rocked 100 Issues 2000 * Face United Kingdom Top Albums of the Year 1995 6 Hip-Hop Connection The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995–2005 2005 1 Mix Mag Top Albums of the Year 1995 12 Muzik Top Albums of the Year 1995 3 New Musical Express Top Albums of the Year 1995 29 New Nation Top 100 Albums By Black Artists 2005 20 New York Times United States Neil Strauss' Top 10 Albums of '95 1996 * NME Top 50 Albums Of The Year 1995 1995 29 OOR Netherlands Albums of the Year 1995 20 Pitchfork Media United States Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s 2003 99 Pop Sweden Albums of the Year 1995 2 Rhapsody United States The A's, B's and Kilos of Coke Rap[43] 2010 * Robert Dimery 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die[44] 2005 * Rolling Stone The Essential Recordings of the 90s 1999 * 100 Best Albums of the Nineties[45] 2011 62 The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[9] 2012 480 2020 219 Select United Kingdom Albums of the Year 1995 1996 8 The Source United States 100 Best Rap Albums[46] 1998 * The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time[47] 2006 20 Spex Germany Albums of the Year 1995 17 Spin United States Top 100 (+5) Albums of the Last 20 Years 2005 72 Top 90 Albums of the 90s 1999 83 The 20 Best Albums Of '95 1995 14 Stylus Top 101–200 Albums of All time 2004 123 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll 1996 15 The Wire United Kingdom Best Records of 1995[48] 1996 7 See also[edit] Album era References[edit] .mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman} ^ .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}"50 Greatest East Coast Hip-Hop Albums of the 1990s". The Boombox. October 20, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2024. ^ "What's Love Got to Do With It?". Vibe. New York: 84. March 2006. Retrieved September 23, 2013. ^ a b c d e f Ma, David. Cuban Linx Revisited (page 1). Wax Poetics. Retrieved 2010-07-27. ^ DeRosa, robin. "Toppin' the Charts". USA Today. August 10, 1995. ^
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