Zack Schlemmer 
For the younger readers out there that might think Drake, Big Sean, Kanye West, or whichever current names in rap are the only things out there, let’s lay down a little history lesson. Ever heard of the Wu-Tang Clan? OK, good, that’s a start. Back in 1995, one of the clan’s best solo albums released: Only Built for Cuban Linx by Raekwon (with plenty of help from Ghostface Killah and appearances by most of the rest of the clan). Back before MP3’s and Spotify, people used to get their music on CD’s, and before that, it was tapes. Maybe you’ve seen them in your parents’ basement or at a thrift store. Anyways, when Raekwon’s heralded solo album first released, it came on purple cassette tapes, which are now rare and valuable. What does all this have to do with sneakers? The legendary “purple tape” is the inspiration for the new collab from Packer Shoes, Diadora, and Raekwon, which was just teased with this Instagram post from Packer. The model will be the N.9000 built in purple suede, but that’s about all the information we have so far. Stay tuned to Sneaker News for more info on the upcoming collab, and go study up on the Only Built For Cuban Linx album in the meantime.
