"Felix "Cuban Link" Delgado... determination has always been characteristic of the 25-year-old. When faced with a struggle, he doesn't back down. The most recent setback, of course, is the death of his fellow Terror Squad member and close friend of 11 years, Big Pun. Now with the Squad's biggest star gone, Cuban Link has the difficult task of carrying the weight of the crew with his long-awaited debut, 24-K. It won't be easy. Along with Pun, Cuban Link first caught the attention of the public with his appearance on the Beatnuts' 1997 hit "Off The Books." But instead of taking advantage of the track's huge buzz, Cuban was forced to wait for both Fat Joe's Don Cartagena and Terror Squad's self-titled debut to drop. While Joe struck gold, Terror Squad failed completely. "I feel like I missed my chance already," he says." Cont'd below with "Flowers For The Dead" ...
"But Cuba's not giving up on an album he knows is good and that Big Pun would be proud of. Fat Joe agrees, "His album is incredible," he says. "Ladies are gonna love him, but he keeps it real for the brothas, too." Following the CD's somber Pun tribute, "Flowers For The Dead," Cuban hopes to release the salsa-tinged party starter "Dame Un Beso," and win audiences over with 24-K's wide range of sentiments. "I tried to hit every emotion and mood," he says. "I'm talking about different aspects of life." He should know. Cuban has overcome bigger obstacles. Following the Refugee Act of 1980, Fidel Castro dumped Cuba's inmates onto boats and sent them to the States. One of those men was Cuban Link's father, who had been locked up for selling a pair of pants on the street. "It was hard times," Cuban says of their first few years in the South Bronx, N.Y. "Our whole family would go on field trips collecting cans." And although he faces an uncertain future in the tumultuous rap game, Cuban Link welcomes the challenge. "I'm like a clutch hitter," he says, confidently. "I like to be where the pressure's at." - Vibe, September 2000. (24-K never officially came out.) R.I.P. Big Pun.
