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The RZA and Raekwon will unite to perform the iconic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… album with a live orchestra next week.
Fans of the Wu-Tang Clan and Raekwon will get to hear his iconic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx album in a unique way – performed with the RZA and the Colorado Symphony. The veteran MC announced the news through his Instagram account with a dramatically styled poster of himself and the RZA poised behind a depiction of an orchestra.
“A NIGHT AT THE OPERA !!!!! In two weeks experience myself & @rza and the @coloradosymphony perform Only Built 4 Cuban Linx,” Raekwon wrote in the post’s caption. The two-night event will take place on Feb. 16 & 17 at the Boettcher Concert Hall at the Denver Performing Arts Complex in Denver, Colorado.
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“Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… is a landmark Hip-Hop album released by rapper Raekwon who rose to prominence as a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Produced by fellow Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA, this record is a cornerstone of East Coast Hip-Hop and a quintessential piece of the genre’s golden era, thanks in part to RZA’s extraordinary beats and the introduction of Raekwon and Ghostface Killah as a legendary rap duo,” the event announcement on the Colorado Symphony’s website read.
“With its gritty storytelling, intricate lyricism, and cinematic production, Cuban Linx offers listeners a vivid glimpse into the street life of 1990s New York City. Together with the Colorado Symphony, this legendary duo will reimagine their timeless album that continues to inspire and shape the sound of contemporary Hip-Hop today,” the statement continued.
The RZA also spoke of the event’s significance in his statement: “Continuing the collaboration with the Colorado Symphony as an Imagination Artist, we are presenting Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…. The album was always intended to give audiences a ‘cinematic’ experience. These new orchestrations will give fans a new experience through imagination and creativity that was not possible with our early recordings.”
The two-night event is part of RZA’s continued partnership with the Colorado Symphony as an “Imagination Artist.” The Imagination Artist Series was started by the Colorado Symphony in 2022 to reimagine the American symphony through the creative visions of three vanguard musicians from diverse backgrounds. There is no hint – yet – that Ghostface Killah will make an appearance given his presence on the album. Tickets are available at the symphony’s website.
