RZA and Raekwon are set to perform Only Built 4 Cuban Linx in its entirety along with a symphony orchestra.
RZA announced the special two-date event on social media with the concerts coming to the Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver, Colorado on February 16 and 17.
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It is not yet known if Ghostface Killah — who played a prominent role on the album and appeared on 12 of the17 tracks — will be appearing alongside Raekwon and RZA.
The concerts will find the Colorado Symphony reinterpreting the production on Raekwon’s debut album.
A synopsis for the show reads: “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.”
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The description continues: “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.”
RZA previously put together a trio of shows to commemorate the 30th anniversay of Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
He also brought 36 Chambers of Shaolin and a Ballet Through Mud to the same venue in Denver.
The Abbot narrated and live-scored a condensed version of the 1978 kung fu film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin that inspired the name of Wu-Tang Clan’s first album, before premiering A Ballet Through Mud that combined spoken word, ballet and live orchestration.
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Recent years have seen a number of rap performances with an orchestra including Jeezy who performed his debut album Thug Motivation 101 with a symphony last year.
Nas also performed the entirety of his seminal album Illmatic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall backed by a full orchestra to honor his debut’s 24th birthday in 2018.
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That wasn’t the first time Nas performed with an orchestra. The rap legend previously ran through his 1994 debut with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center back in 2014 to commemorate the album’s 20th anniversary. The performance was later aired on PBS in its entirety as part of their Great Performance series in 2018.
