Wu-Tang
Clan rapper Raekwon the Chef has officially signed with Aftermath Entertainment
and will serve up his highly anticipated album Only Built for Cuban Linx II
under the label founded by West Coast rapper/producer Dr. Dre.
The announcement
ends months of speculation as to whether or not the album would be released on
the powerhouse label, which is also home to Eminem, Eve, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent,
and G-Unit. According
to a statement on Wu-Tang Clan’s official site Wu-Tang
Corp., Raekwon is currently in the studio recording new material for the new
disc, which is rumored to feature production by Dr. Dre and the RZA and appearances
from the Wu-Tang Clan. "Rae
isn’t taking this album lightly and it will be released on Aftermath Records,
not on the Wu Music Group as originally scheduled," said a statement on the
site. "It will be an instant classic!" Raekwon’s
solo debut Only Built For Cuban Linx was released in 1995 on Loud Records
and set the Hip-Hop world a buzz with songs like "Ice Cream," "Criminology,"
"Incarcerated Scarfaces," and "Can It Be All So Simple."
His next efforts,
however, failed to match the commercial success as its predecessor–the gold-selling
Immobilarity was released in 1999 via Epic while 2003’s The Lex Diamonds
Story was issued by Motown/Universal. In
a recent interview with AllHipHop.com, Raekwon talked about the pressure associated
with recording the follow-up to Only Built for Cuban Linx.
"It feels
good to know that I achieved a mark that I always felt I could," Raekwon
told AllHipHop.com. "For the most part, I tend to stay humble and respect
that and not be overwhelmed with the love. It just makes me stronger as an artist
because I know that people watch what I put out. So it’s kind of a double-edged
sword where it’s a good thing and a bad thing only because–the bad thing about
it is that you have to stay on that level as being one of the best, because if
you don’t, then why’d you make that? It keeps me on my toes."
No release
date has been set yet for Only Built for Cuban Linx II.Representatives
for Aftermath Entertainment were not available for comment at press time.