Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mafioso rap | ||||
Length | 69:30 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | RZA | |||
Raekwon chronology | ||||
| ||||
Wu-Tang Clan solo chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… | ||||
|
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (commonly referred to as the Purple Tape) is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon, released on August 1, 1995, by Loud Records and RCA Records.[1] The album was loosely composed to play like a film with Raekwon as the "star", fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah as the "guest-star", and producer RZA as the "director".[2] It features appearances from every member of the Wu-Tang Clan. The album also features debut appearances from affiliates Cappadonna and Blue Raspberry, and an acclaimed guest appearance from rapper Nas, which marked the first collaboration with a non-affiliated artist on a Wu-Tang related album.
Upon its release, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... debuted at number four on the
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... has received acclaim from music critics and writers over the years, with many lauding it as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. With its emphasis on
Background
Raekwon released Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... as his first solo album, and the third seen from the Wu after the release of their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), with Method Man's Tical and Ol' Dirty Bastard's Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version released prior. The song "Can It Be All So Simple", from 36 Chambers, marked the first recorded exhibition of Raekwon and Ghostface Killah as a duo, as the two would further establish this alliance on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.... Much of the content on the album deals with real life topics and situations that both Raekwon and Ghostface Killah commonly encountered and experienced while growing up in Staten Island, New York.[9] In an interview with Wax Poetics, Raekwon explained "I grew up in the street, so I talked about the shit I knew and saw. We did the hustlin' thing, we did the crime thing; we did all the things that made us feel like mobsters or Mafiosos in some way."[2] In a different article, Ghostface Killah recollected "Back then I was punchin' a lot of rap niggas in their face, and niggas was getting beat up in the clubs. We were banned from everything. They wouldn't even let me in the Tunnel. Niggas was scared to death when I was out there wilding. I was fucking niggas up, robbing niggas, fucking a lot of bitches, just doing dumb shit."[9]
In regard to his and Ghostface's partnership, Raekwon later commented "Ghost and me, especially at the time, had this identical-twin effect on each other. We would joke about the same things and laugh at the same shit. We were into the same clothes and shit. We were like the EPMD of the crew."[2] Producer RZA also commented on the duo's congruency:
Rae and Ghost together, those two right there were notorious kids from two different
crack generation - that real gritty, rough project shit. We was on corners at 15, 16, doing shit you couldn't imagine.[9]— RZA
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... features a wide array of Wu-Tang members, as well as Wu-Tang affiliates
Title significance
The album's title serves as "a warning of its musical potency to those not prepared for the uncut raw contained within."[9] Although the original intended title was "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Niggaz", this idea was eventually dismissed in favor of a more market-friendly one.[9] Ghostface Killah later specified "We already had the title. The chain we used to rock back in the days was Cuban links. So Rae came up with the theory, like a Cuban link is one of the roughest chains to break. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Real niggas, strong niggas."[9]
The album is also commonly referred to as "The Purple Tape" because the original cassette's plastic was entirely purple; Raekwon marked the tape distinctively as a reference to drug dealers' method of tagging their product, to distinguish it from that of others.[9] "I wanted to portray an image that if I was selling crack or dimes in the street, you would recognize these dimes from other niggas' dimes."[9]
Recording and production
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.
Seeking to musically express Raekwon's blend of
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."[9]
Gambinos
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,[9] and would eventually become highly influential on hip hop.[9] 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."[9]
Music and lyrics
A lushly impenetrable jungle of sonic allusions transforms the nightmare of the
projectdenizen 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.
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is often commemorated for its introduction to a distinctive
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.[9] 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.[9] The reason for this elimination is because U-God was sentenced to serve several months in prison, which prevented subsequent participation on Cuban Linx.[9] U-God, however, recruited his lyric mentor and childhood friend Cappadonna to take his place later in the album.[9]
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
The album ends with the song "North Star", which serves as a "
Singles
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 "
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.[14] 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.'"[9]
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.[14] 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."[15] 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."[9]
"
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Entertainment Weekly | A−[16] |
Los Angeles Times | [17] |
Muzik | [18] |
NME | 8/10[19] |
The Source | 4.5/5[20] |
Spin | 8/10[21] |
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."[20] 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".[21] 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."[17] 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."[22]
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... has since been ranked by critics and publications as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.[23] The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) called it essential listening for anyone interested in the Wu-Tang Clan,[24] 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."[13] 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".[25]
In 2012,
Legacy and influence
Gambinos
OB4CL popularized street-related,
Cristal
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.[9] 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
Hip hop albums
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [27] |
Mojo | [28] |
MusicHound R&B | 5/5[29] |
Pitchfork | 9.5/10[30] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [24] |
Tom Hull – on the Web | A−[31] |
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.[9] 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."[2]
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."[2]
Sequel
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.[32] Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II was released in 2009 to critical acclaim.[33]
Track listing
Track listing and credits adapted from Tidal.[34] All tracks produced by RZA, and written by Corey Woods and Robert Diggs; except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Striving for Perfection" | 1:43 | |
2. | "Knuckleheadz" (featuring Ghostface Killah and U-God) | 4:03 | |
3. | "Knowledge God" | 4:24 | |
4. | "Criminology" (featuring Ghostface Killah) | 3:47 | |
5. | "Incarcerated Scarfaces" |
| 4:42 |
6. | "Rainy Dayz" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Blue Raspberry) | 6:02 | |
7. | "Guillotine (Swordz)" (featuring Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and GZA) | 4:22 | |
8. | "Can It Be All So Simple (Remix)" (featuring Ghostface Killah) | 5:38 | |
9. | "Shark Niggas (Biters)" | 1:38 | |
10. | "Ice Water" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Cappadonna) | 3:38 | |
11. | "Glaciers of Ice" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Masta Killa) |
| 5:20 |
12. | "Verbal Intercourse" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Nas) |
| 3:31 |
13. | "Wisdom Body" (featuring Ghostface Killah) | 2:38 | |
14. | "Spot Rusherz" | 3:13 | |
15. | "Ice Cream" (featuring Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Cappadonna) | 4:13 | |
16. | "Wu-Gambinos" (featuring Ghostface Killah, Method Man, RZA and Masta Killa) | 5:39 | |
17. | "Heaven & Hell" (featuring Ghostface Killah) | 4:56 | |
Total length: | 69:30 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
18. | "North Star (Jewels)" |
| 3:58 |
Total 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
|
|
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] | Silver | 60,000* |
United States (RIAA)[41] | Platinum | 1,100,000[5] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Accolades
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[42] | 2010 | * |
Robert Dimery | 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die[43] | 2005 | * | |
Rolling Stone | The Essential Recordings of the 90s | 1999 | * | |
100 Best Albums of the Nineties[44] | 2011 | 62 | ||
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[8]
|
2012 | 480 | ||
2020 | 219 | |||
Select | United Kingdom | Albums of the Year 1995 | 1996 | 8 |
The Source
|
United States | 100 Best Rap Albums[45] | 1998 | * |
The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time[46] | 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[47] | 1996 | 7 |
See also
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "American album certifications – Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ a b Concepcion, Mariel. Raekwon Announces 'Linx 2' Date, Says Budden 'Copied' Method Man. Billboard. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Wu-Tang Clan : Biography. AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ a b "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020.
- ^ a b The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Rolling Stone. Page 113. Special Collectors Issue (2012). Retrieved 2012-04-24.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an Arnold, Paul W.; et al. (May 2005). "The Making of 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx'". XXL. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- ^ ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ Article. Raekwon @ Apollo Theater. wutang-corp.com. Retrieved on 2010-03-01.
- ^ a b Mr. S (February 3, 2001). Raekwon the Chef :: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... :: Loud/RCA. RapReviews. Retrieved on 2011-05-31.
- ^ a b c Huey, Steve. "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… – Raekwon". AllMusic. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ a b c Billboard singles chart positions. AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
- ^ Ma, David. Cuban Linx Revisited (page 3). waxpoetics.com. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
- ^ Mukherjee, Tiarra (August 18, 1995). "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ a b Coker, Cheo H. (August 20, 1995). "Raekwon the Chef Has the Hip-Hop Recipe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ Ashon, Will (September 1995). "Raekwon The Chef: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." (PDF). Muzik. No. 4. p. 65. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2022.
- ^ "Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…". NME. August 19, 1995. p. 51.
- ^ a b Poluhoff, Nicholas (September 1995). "Raekwon the Chef featuring Ghost Face: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". The Source. No. 72. p. 97. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ a b Coker, Cheo H. (November 1995). "Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…". Spin. Vol. 11, no. 8. p. 125. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- hampton, dream (September 1995). "Raekwon the Chef: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". Vibe. Vol. 3, no. 7. p. 180. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ Adaso, Henry. About.com's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums. about.com. Retrieved on 2010-03-01.
- ^ ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ "The 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s". Spin. September 1999.
- ISBN 978-7-09-893419-6
- ^ Larkin (2002), p. 1020.
- ^ Cowan, Andy (February 2016). "Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". Mojo. No. 267. p. 51.
- ISBN 1-57859-026-4.
- ^ Bromwich, Jonah (May 27, 2018). "Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
- ^ Hull, Tom. "Grade List: Raekwon". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ Remedy: The Top 10 Most Anticipated Albums of 2007. XXL (January 30, 2007). Accessed December 8, 2007.
- CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
- ^ "Credits / Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... / Raekwon". Tidal. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ "Raekwon | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved August 1, 1995.
- ^ "Raekwon Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 1995.
- ^ "Raekwon Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 1995.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "British album certifications – Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
- ^ "American album certifications – Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- Rhapsody. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
- ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
- ^ 100 Best Albums of the Nineties. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
- The Source. Retrieved on 2010-03-01.
- The Source. Retrieved on 2010-03-01.
- ^ "Blessed Releases: Records of the Year". The Wire. No. 143. London. January 1996. p. 32 – via Exact Editions. (subscription required)
Sources
- Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ISBN 1-85227-923-0.