A STORY 30 YEARS IN THE MAKING
Third Eye Films is proud to announce the upcoming release of The Purple Tape Files, a powerful new documentary chronicling the making and legacy of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, the groundbreaking solo debut by Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan.
On August 1st, 1995, Raekwon (coming off the success of the Wu-Tang Clan - over 50 Million Albums sold, worldwide) released his first solo album, “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.” Dubbed “The Purple Tape” because of its unique purple cassette coloring. The groundbreaking concept album delivered a gritty, cinematic, and unforgettable tale of survival on the streets. Within a year, it had sold over a million copies, with no radio play, and ushered in the “Mafioso” subgenre of Hip Hop. Featuring Ghostface Killah as Raekwon’s lyrical co-star and produced by the visionary RZA, the album set a new standard for storytelling in Hip Hop.
Rolling Stone Magazine listed it as one of the “Top 500 Albums Of All Time” and “Top 5 Hip Hop Albums Of All Time,” and Harvard University inducted it into its Official Hip Hop Archives. The Purple Tape laid the blueprint for other classic albums to follow, and today it is still loved by fans, celebrated by music critics, and studied by Hip Hop scholars.
But to truly understand a classic album, you have to understand where it really came from. “The Purple Tape Files,” is an in-depth look at the culture, music, and life that bred one of rap’s superheroes. The documentary features a combination of never before seen archival footage, plus one-of-a-kind interviews with many of hip hop’s all time legends. Told through the eyes of Raekwon, “The Purple Tape Files” takes you on a journey through hip hop, told by hip hop.