Chef Raekwon* – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... "THE PURPLE CD"

THE PURPLE CD - Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx

On August 1, 1995, just as quickly as the first fans copped Raekwon's "Only Built For Cuban Linx", it became known colloquially as "The Purple Tape" - CD versions would similarly come to be known as "The Purple CD".

* The first pressing of the CD boasts a “Shallah Raekwon” (facsimile) signature on the disc-front.
* Both the first and second CD pressings feature a translucent purple tray.
* Later pressings would replace these with black or off-white trays.
* A Forbes Magazine article puts the purple cassette figure at 10,000, and many believe that the figure for CDs corresponds.
* Out of those 10,000 it is unclear how few were printed with the "Shallah Raekwon" signature.

“The Purple CD” - First Pressing - [Purple Tray / Autographed Version]
The first and scarcest release of OB4CL was printed in very small quantities d to be signed by Raekwon himself, the CD was instead released with a printed facsimile of his “Shallah Raekwon” autograph.

“The Purple CD” - Second Pressing - [Purple Tray / Non-Autographed Version]
This second version is nearly identical to the original. The only observable difference is that this version omits the “Shallah Raekwon” facsimile autograph on the disc-front.

Raekwon marked this release with its purple hue in homage to the ways that he saw drug dealers brand their own product: "I wanted to portray an image that if I was selling crack or dimes in the street, you would recognize these dimes from other n****s’ dimes."
Source: http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=39731

Source for production figure of 10k: https://www.forbes.com/sites/leorgalil/2012/09/28/raekwons-purple-tape-re-issue-and-the-price-of-new-cassettes/#:~:text=According%20to%20NPR%20the%20rapper,tape%E2%80%9D%20a%20rare%20collectors%20item.