Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Only Built 4 Cuban Linxis arguably the best quasi-soloWu-Tangalbum (Ghostface Killahliterally gets equal billing). Most of contemporary hip-hop's Mafioso-inspired themes and MC street aliases are inspired by the "Wu-Gambinos" motif introduced on this 18-cut LP. As the Wu's preeminent storyteller, Raekwon (a.k.a. "The Chef") paints TechnicolorKool G Rap-style pictures of high-stakes drug trafficking on "Criminology," and then mixes his street sensibility with5% Nation of Islamreasoning on "Knowledge God." This album is loaded withRZA's finest production moments, as he samples a barrage ofkung-fu flicksound bites, plays discordant keyboards on "Incarcerated Scarfaces," and utilizes some eerie female vocals on "Rainy Dayz." Rae's timeless duet withNason "Verbal Intercourse" further cements the album's status as one of the best of all time.--Dalton Higgins