In honor of his performing Only Built 4 Cuban Linx in its entirety at Rock the Bells 2011, Raekwon reminisced on recording one of its standout tracks. In an interview with Reebok Classics, the Chef recalled laying down “Verbal Intercourse”
at RZA’s home studio and how he first heard of Nas.
“When Nas came aboard the Cuban Linx record, it was because when we all came out, we was familiar with certain cats in different places that was hot,” he said. “We seen him in the video and we was diggin’ him. We would hear more things in the street about this record. Actually, these girls we knew, they had a CD of the shit. It’s so crazy, they was European, that’s how you know a lot.”
After the German natives put Rae onto him, Nasir took a trip to RZA’s studio in Staten Island to record “Verbal Intercourse,” which proved to be a more difficult task than anticipated
“He came to the Island, boom, we set up, we was at RZA’s crib. Next thing you know, he just up in there vibin’, RZA’s on his RZA shit, hair out, dirty Timberlands on, eating noodles and all that, ordering mad pizza. Now we hear the ‘Verbal Intercourse’ beat, and I’m like, ‘This the track I want you on.’ He was with it, but he didn’t know what rhyme to spit. So I’m like, I’ma play the A&R role right now. ‘Go in the booth, do what you want to do.’ He was just throwing different occasional rhymes and all of that. The next thing you know, I heard the ‘Through the lights, camera and action’ and I was automatically like, ‘Stop! Do that one right there!’”
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Watch the full interview below.
