Wu-Tang Clan’s style barbarian, Raekwon The Chef and top-selling backpack company Sprayground, have come together to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the legendary rhyme reciter’s classic debut album, Only Built For Cuban Links… To purchase the hot ticket item, retailed at $100, hit up sprayground.com at 3 pm today (July 23).
Released on August 1, 1995, the full-album, which also heavily featured Rae’s Wu-Tang group member Ghostface Killah, was deemed an instant classic in the world of Hip-Hop and beyond. The intricate slang, 5% Nation knowledge, fly style indicators, and street politics were coveted content during the mid-’90s where rhymes were valued at high-stakes.
Setting that high of a mark for beats and rhymes went hand-in-hand with the packaging of the Loud Records release, as the cassette tape was of a purple tint, rarely used in those times. It became the color of note when anyone referenced the album outside of its title and rechristened it universally as “The Purple Tape.”
Sprayground is honoring that design history with a special limited-edition backpack in the purple hue today that boasts lyrics on the outside, a 17-inch laptop compartment on the inside, and a slew of compartments for wires and accessories.
Sure to grab the attention of die-hard fans, Raekwon states, “I have been a buyer of Sprayground for a long time, and admire (founder and creative director, David Ben David’s) work. To get the opportunity to collaborate with a talented team of designers, and build a bag that encompasses me, is so dope. Looking forward to seeing it on the streets!”
Understanding the historic connection to such a heralded entity, David Ben David explained his feelings on the collab: “This collaboration has been iconic for me, I grew up listening to Wu-Tang, so this is pretty surreal! I loved tapping into the last two decades of content from him, to bring this bag to life and really show Raekwon’s unique style. Super excited to share this one with the fans.”