Cuban Link | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Felix Delgado [1] |
Also known as |
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Born | Havana, Cuba | December 18, 1974
Origin | The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1995–present |
Labels |
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Formerly of | Terror Squad |
Felix Delgado (born December 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Cuban Link, is a Cuban-American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx, he came to prominence upon discovery by fellow Bronx rapper Fat Joe and mentorship from his close friend Big Pun, and thereafter guest appeared on Pun's 1998 album Capital Punishment. He is also known for being a member of the Bronx-based rap group Terror Squad.
In 1997, Cuban Link made his first on-record performance on the single "Off the Books" by The Beatnuts.
Delgado was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1974. He and his family emigrated to the United States in 1980 during the Mariel boatlift, settling in the South Bronx in New York City in 1984 when he was nine years old. [2]
When Delgado was growing up, hip hop music was rising in popularity in his neighborhood. Delgado took on the stage name Cuban Link and associated with fellow rappers Big Pun, Triple Seis and Prospect in a group under the name Full-A-Clips. He originally went by the moniker Lyrical Assassin but eventually changed his stage name to Cuban Link. [3]
During the late 1980s, Cuban began writing rap lyrics and formed the underground rap group Full-A-Clips with Big Pun, Triple Seis and Prospect. Cuban made a number of recordings with the group in the 1990s, which are currently unreleased. At this point, Cuban was performing under the alias Lyrical Assassin. After changing his stage name to Cuban Link, he met fellow Latino rapper Fat Joe in 1995, which helped the crew get discovered and made his commercial debut in 1997 on the song "Off the Books" by The Beatnuts. He also appeared in the Big Pun song "Glamour Life" from Pun's debut studio album Capital Punishment.
After Fat Joe discovered Full-A-Clips, signed to Atlantic Records and launched Terror Squad Productions in 1997, he signed Big Pun, which led to the formation of the Bronx-based rap group Terror Squad, which consisted of Fat Joe, Big Pun, Cuban Link, Triple Seis, Prospect and Armageddon. Following this, Cuban Link was signed to Atlantic and Terror Squad and contributed guest appearance vocals to Fat Joe's September 1998 album Don Cartagena on the songs "Bet Ya Man Can't (Triz)", "The Hidden Hand", and "Terror Squadians".
On September 21, 1999, Link and the Terror Squad released their self-titled debut album which reached number 20 on the Billboard 200. Cuban contributed vocals on seven tracks, some of them being "In For Life", "Pass the Glock", "As the World Turns", and "Tell Me What U Want". After signing to Atlantic and Terror Squad, Cuban Link continued recording for his debut LP 24K which he originally started working on in 1997.
In 1997, Cuban began recording songs for his debut album 24K. One of the first songs he recorded was "Toe to Toe" with Big Pun. He recorded songs with Pun, Angie Martinez, SunKiss, Ja Rule, Triple Seis and many other artists. During the process, Big Pun passed away on February 7, 2000, due to a heart attack caused by weight issues. This led to Cuban writing and releasing "Flowers For The Dead" in Pun's honor. Three singles were released from the album: "Flowers For The Dead", "Still Telling Lies", and "Why Me?". The songs "Play How You Want" and "Toe to Toe" were released as promotional singles by Atlantic Records. In addition, "Why Me?" was featured in the 2000 action-comedy film Bait and another song from the album, "Project Party" was featured in the 2000 sports drama film Girlfight. The album was scheduled to be released in the summer of 2000 but changed to January of 2001. However, without Pun's mediation, personal tension between Fat Joe and Cuban Link, problems with Atlantic and bootlegging prevented the release of 24K. 24K is now available for digital download on Amazon Music, but has not been released physically. Cuban Link's feud with Fat Joe led to him being blacklisted from the music industry and forced to go underground.
After his career derailed, Link was still recording music despite the 24K album being shelved by Joe and Atlantic Records. In addition, Cuban guest appeared on Triple Seis' debut studio album Only Time'll Tell, which was released on July 20, 2004 through Madd Records. Cuban featured on the tracks "Drinks Up", "Hustler" and "Be About It".
In 2004, a few years after leaving Terror Squad, Cuban joined independent label Men of Business and released Chain Reaction on August 16, 2005. It included singles "Sugar Daddy" (featuring Mýa) and "Scandalous" (featuring Don Omar) with influence from reggaeton. It was the largest independent deal ($2MM) for a single album and an unsigned act at the time and a joint venture with Universal. Cuban linked up with several producers and artists such as Eliel, Swizz Beatz, Mr. Porter and Syleena Johnson. In addition, Cuban released two promotional singles: "Shakedown" and "Talk About It" featuring Jadakiss. [4]
Capital Punishment is the debut studio album by American rapper Big Pun, released by RED, Loud Records and Fat Joe's Terror Squad Productions. Released on April 28, 1998, it is the only album released during his lifetime and is regarded as a hip-hop classic, described by Black Thought of the Roots as "super groundbreaking" upon release. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 charts and number one on the Top R&B Albums chart for two weeks. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1999 Grammy Awards, but lost to Jay-Z's Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life. It was also the first solo Latin hip hop record to go Platinum.
Terror Squad was an American hip hop collective that was first established in 1998. Based in the Bronx in New York City, the members of Terror Squad collectively debuted on a song in member Fat Joe's albums Jealous One's Envy and Don Cartagena. Terror Squad released its debut album, Terror Squad: The Album, in 1999, with its first major hit "Whatcha Gon' Do", credited mostly to Big Pun, who died of a heart attack in 2000. After Big Pun's death, his longtime partners Cuban Link and Triple Seis left the group and were subsequently replaced by Remy Martin and Tony Sunshine. In 2004, their song "Lean Back" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Antonio Cruz, known professionally as Tony Sunshine, is an American R&B singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known as a member of Fat Joe's hip hop group Terror Squad in the late 1990s, and notably guest featured on group cohort Big Pun's 2000 single, "100%" and has also appeared on Cuban Link's single "Still Telling Lies". His guest appearance alongside Armageddon on Fat Joe's 2003 single, "All I Need" peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, while his guest appearance on Lumidee's 2007 cover "She's Like the Wind" peaked at number 43 on the chart. He was led by Joe to sign with Jive Records to release his 2004 debut single "Oh My God", which failed to chart.
Loud Records, LLC. is a record label founded by Steve Rifkind and Rich Isaacson in 1991. Rifkind served as the chief executive officer while Isaacson served as the president of the label.
Terror Squad: The Album is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Terror Squad. It was released on September 21, 1999 through Atlantic Records. Production was handled by Armageddon, The Alchemist, Buckwild, Dirtman, DJ Noodles, Don "A.P." Sellers, JuJu, LA' Smouve, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, The Infinite Arkatechz, V.I.C., Yogi "Sugar Bear" Graham and Younglord, with Craig Kallman, Fat Joe and Greg Angelides serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Buju Banton, Keith Nut and The Bleach Brothers, as well as contributions from Tony Sunshine, who will subsequently join the group's line-up.
There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story is the only studio album by American rapper Remy Ma. It was released on February 7, 2006, by SRC Records, Terror Squad Entertainment and Universal Records. The album's release date served as the sixth anniversary of her mentor Big Pun's death. The title and cover art coincides with the 1998 film There's Something About Mary. The album sold over 35,000 copies in its first week and as of 2007, has sold over 160,000 copies.
Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz were an American hip hop duo, composed of rappers Sean "Lord Tariq" Hamilton and Peter "Peter Gunz" Pankey, from The Bronx, New York. They are best known for their 1997 single "Deja Vu ", which reached the top ten on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Joseph Antonio Cartagena, better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a solo career with the release of his debut studio album, Represent (1993) the following year. Cartegena formed the hip hop group Terror Squad and its namesake record label in the late 1990s, through which he has signed fellow New York artists including Big Pun, Remy Ma, Tony Sunshine, and Cuban Link, as well as then-unknown producers DJ Khaled and Cool & Dre.
Showbiz and A.G. is an American hip hop duo from The Bronx borough of New York City, composed of record producer Rodney "Showbiz" Lemay and rapper Andre "A.G." Barnes. The duo formed soon after their debut on the song "Back to Back Rhyming" from Lord Finesse's Funky Technician album and joined the hip hop collective D.I.T.C. along with Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Fat Joe, O.C., Buckwild and Big L.
Yeeeah Baby is the second and final studio album by rapper Big Pun, released April 4, 2000 through Columbia Records, SRC Records, Loud Records and Fat Joe's Terror Squad Productions. It debuted and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200, selling 179,000 units during the first week. It was subsequently certified gold in July 2000, and received platinum certification on October 31, 2017. Fat Joe served as the executive producer of the album.
Don Cartagena is the third studio album by American rapper Fat Joe. It was released on September 1, 1998 through Atlantic Records, Big Beat, Mystic Entertainment Group and Fat Joe's Terror Squad Productions. Production was handled by Armageddon, Baby Paul, Buckwild, Curt Gowdy, Dame Grease, DJ Premier, JAO, L.E.S., Mack 10, Marley Marl, Rashad Smith, Ski Beatz, Spunk Bigga, V.I.C. and Younglord, with Craig Kallman, Fat Joe and Greg Angelides serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from fellow Terror Squad members Big Punisher, Armageddon, Prospect, Cuban Link and Triple Seis, as well as Charli Baltimore, Jadakiss, Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Nas, Noreaga, Puff Daddy, Raekwon and Rell.
Chain Reaction is the second studio album and official debut by Cuban-American rapper Cuban Link. It was released on August 16, 2005 via Men of Business Records. Production was handled by Big Humma, Swizz Beatz, Falling Down, Kon Artis, SPK and Tiger, with co-producers Big Menz, Eliel and Ken Lewis. It features guest appearances from Avant, Cap.One, Don Omar, Jadakiss, Mýa, Syleena Johnson, Zion and One Solo.
"Make It Rain" is a song by American rapper Fat Joe, released in 2006 as the first single from his seventh album Me, Myself & I. It features American rapper Lil Wayne, who only raps the chorus, and was produced by Scott Storch. The song peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was released through EMI, Virgin Records, and Fat Joe's Terror Squad Entertainment.
Stone Crazy is the second studio album by American hip hop duo The Beatnuts. It was released on June 24, 1997, via Relativity Records. Recording sessions took place at Worldwide Studios. Produced solely by the Beatnuts, it features guest appearances from Big Pun, Blaq Poet, Cuban Link, Don Gobbi, Gab Gotcha, Horny Man and Hostyle. Member Fashion left the group to pursue a solo career and is not featured on the album.
"What's Luv?" is a song by American rapper Fat Joe, released through Atlantic Records and Fat Joe's Terror Squad Productions as the second single from his fourth studio album, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) (2001). The song features additional vocals from singer Ashanti and from rapper Ja Rule on the remix and album version on the song. "What's Luv" was produced by Irv Gotti and Chink Santana. The lyrics of the song's chorus are based in part on the title refrain of the 1984 Tina Turner hit "What's Love Got to Do with It". The song additionally includes a lyric that references the 1998 song "Still Not a Player" by Big Pun. Fat Joe, Ja Rule, and the song's two producers are credited as the writers of "What's Luv", as are Big Pun and the lyricist of "What's Love Got to Do with It", Terry Britten.
"Still Not a Player" is the second single from Big Pun's debut album Capital Punishment. The song was produced by Knobody and features R&B singer Joe.
"Off the Books" is the third single from Stone Crazy, a 1997 album by East Coast hip hop group the Beatnuts.
Christopher Lee Rios, better known by his stage name Big Pun, was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx, he came to prominence upon discovery by fellow Bronx rapper Fat Joe, and thereafter guest appeared on his 1995 album Jealous One's Envy.
"I'm Not a Player" is the debut single from rapper Big Pun, produced by Minnesota. The song peaked at number 57 of the Billboard Hot 100. "I'm Not a Player" helped the album become number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling more than one million copies in America.
Terror Squad Productions is an American Hip hop and Rap record company founded by Fat Joe in 1997. The label has been distributed by Atlantic, Virgin Records, and Columbia Records. The label's flagship artist was Big Pun.