after "only built 4 cuban linx...", raekwon appeared on a track by the r&b group allure from the group's self-titled debut in 1997. he also appeared on fat joe's song "john blaze" alongside nas, jadakiss, and big pun; "john blaze" also had a music video. raekwon's next effort, "immobilarity", came out in 1999 to mixed reviews, which were mainly attributed to the absence of rza and ghostface killah. "the lex diamond story" followed in 2003 on universal records, to mixed reviews as well (generally lukewarm critical reviews and wildly varying public reviews) and moderate success. raekwon later voiced his distaste for the album's lack of promotion and budget and vowed that future releases would not suffer the same fate.