Time really does fly, especially when the original release of our favorite albums is put on display. Aside from marking the eleven-year anniversary of Jay-Z's Blueprint 3, it also happened to boast the drop of Raekwon's classic sequel Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2..., a project whose classic status is all the more surprising given the pedigree of its predecessor. Featuring appearances from RZA, Method Man, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Ghostface Killah, Necro, The Alchemist, and many more, the album earned instant acclaim upon its release, making it arguably stand as the greatest hip-hop sequel of all time -- but that's surely another conversation.
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In the meantime, Raekwon took a moment to reflect on his album, penning a nice message on Instagram in its honor. "11 yrs old today !" he begins. "This classic was a skillful , .. handcrafted piece of art that was designed to be part of the linx series. Wasn’t easy but was well worth it .. thanks to my family and peers who got bizzy on this."
Clearly understanding the significance of the Linx projects, the future of the recently-announced third installment certainly bodes well. In the meantime, take a moment to show some love to one of hip-hop's best lyricists, Raekwon. Though he seldom finds himself included in GOAT discussion, few can conjure such striking depictions of street politics as he can, his legendary catalog featuring a plethora of key examples. Many of them can be found across Cuban Linx 2, an album that subverted all expectations regarding hip-hop sequels. Are you still bumping it all these years later?