“In 1995 Raekwon the Chef was just one man in a crew of goons from Staten Island called Wu-Tang Clan. Though he stood out when he got the chance on the groups classic debut album, “Enter the 36 Chambers” he wasn’t considered the hands down star of the group. That honor was placed on the crews designated front man, Method Man.

But in 1995, the purple tape changed all that. Along with his partner in rhyme and crime Ghostface Killah, the album “Only Built for Cuban Linx” was the album that made dope boys and b-boys nod to the same beat. “Ice Cream” “Incarcerated Scarfaces” “Can it be so Simple” hit after hit came off this album.

Then, he was gone. Not gone like off the scene, but gone from what we knew. Rae went off on something else. Like the rest of the Wu, after traveling the world, selling millions of records and meeting new people, Rae had grown past his Park Hill up-bringing. His subsequent albums “Immobilarity” and “The Lex Diamond Story” reflected his change in venue. Neither disc held the weight that OB4CL did. Fans of “Only Built For Cuban Linx” waited patiently for a return to the kitchen for hip-hop’s most well known Chef.

14 years later our prayers have been answered. After some label issues and reuniting with his old group members, Rae is back along with Ghostface Killah for “Only Built for Cuban Linx 2” And just like the sequel to an epic movie, OB4CL2 picks up where the first one left of.

Wordonthestreetsmag.com sat down with Raekwon the Chef days before his new album drops to talk about OB4CL2, Dr. Dre and what happened with Joe Budden.

Only Built for Cuban Linx 2 is ready to drop. Are you excited?

Raekwon: I’m just glad its done. It’s been a longtime coming. It’s been a longtime coming and it’s just good to know a lot of people have been waiting for this project and its finally here. It’s a sharp album. It’s the album that you been looking for. We’re going to flash you back to the time when you felt like real hip-hop was back on the set. It’s yours in the next few days so you get to rock with it.

What has been more stressful, creating the 1st Only Built for Cuban Linx or the sequel?

Raekwon: The stress was a little heavy on this one. Back then the Wu-Tang was doing things project per project meaning that we would all get into a room and do everything as a whole. Now, everybody is moving in their own direction and that had me really having to get up and go follow dudes to make sure that we really had shit done. Of course RZA produced the first one and he’s real busy right now, so it wouldn’t be possible for me to get him to do his own thing. And that’s not really how I wanted to do it anyway. I wanted one to be in its own box and I wanted 2 to be in its own box. It got a little hectic because we’re all in so many places.

With this album, you worked with your Wu-Tang members but you also worked with more outside artists. Jadakiss, Beanie Sigel, Bun B. Was it hard trying to blend in their styles?

Raekwon: First and foremost to put them on album, I felt like it was a long time coming. It was cool to open up the doors. I definitely look up to them in hip-hop as being some of the dudes at the top of the elite. You always hear people in the hood like, “You need to do a record with such and such” so I try to go after a dudes favorite and I feel it makes it more interesting when they’re more compatible. Kiss is a big purple tape fan so I felt it was good to tap into his world and Beans. And I always wanted to work with them. When you look at statistic wise, bat for bat, they’re average is up there with mine.

And you’re working with Dr. Dre with this album. How did you hook up with Dr. Dre?

Raekwon: Busta is on Dre’s label and he told him about the project we were working on. So as excited I was to get him on the project, he was equally as excited to get on the project. I finally had the chance to meet up with him in the studios. When I went to this mans studio, he got speakers bigger than cars. Me and him was just vibing off the beat and it made me feel like it was a new C.R.E.A.M record all over again. We went in and made the joint. I contacted Lyfe Jennings and we allowed him to come in and do his thing.

Dre is one of the producers who prides himself on perfection and he came through and did his thing. He did 2 records on the album, but Catalina is one of my favorite records.

At one point it was said you were signed to Flipmode, then I heard Aftermath. What label is the new album dropping on and what happened to those other deals?

Raekwon: It was never a Flipmode deal. We never actually had the opportunity to discuss that, it was only on some “that’s my friend I’m going to lookout for you no matter what” type shit. We never did any paperwork. The Aftermath situation was a verbal agreement, it was never really written in stone. Basically, we were working on everything and it started to become a long process. I already know Dre had mad things to do and it would’ve been a brilliant move, but Allah didn’t let it happen like that. At the end of the day, we was going to get him involved with the record anyway. Dre respected what I had to do, he said, “if it ain’t comfortable then you gotta do what you got to do.” He was like, “if you do it independent then let me know because I want to be an investor”. We was just talking like real niggas, it didn’t matter if it was on his label. And being that we did it like that, we decided to put it on my label so that’s what its coming out on, Ice H20 Records. Everything worked out for the better, I own my own shit now.

What happened with you and Joe Budden?

Raekwon: First and foremost, it’s a wrap. All that’s past tense.

How did it all start up? The internet has been shooting out their own stories about the situation

Raekwon: He was running his mouth and not being sincere to what he was saying. And I’m on the road at the time with this dude so I’m having to swallow my tongue with certain things because Meth wanted to handle it himself. He was saying little things about me, but this isn’t the energy I was getting from him in person. In person he was one way then he goes back on Youtube and he talking like niggas ain’t who they are. It was just enough is enough. For the record I didn’t put my hands on him. Dudes around me, they like to do things for me. I just wanted to talk to him on some real G shit and whatever came with the territory we both knew what it was. I was like put it under the rug now, it is what it is. You gotta really watch your mouth when you’re talking about dudes who really paved the way and did a lot for the game and for you.

Only Built for Cuban Linx part. 2 drops September 8th and listen for the single “Catallina” ft. Lyfe Jennings”.

COURTESY OF: http://wordonthestreetsmag.com