BGDB Music Review: Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
I met Shallah Raekwon at SXSW in the Spring of 2005. He had just finished performing with his Wu brethren and I caught up with him and had a quick word with him congratulating him on the show. At the end of our brief exchange I complimented him on the just freshly released "State of Grace" and asked him when Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II would be released...his answer? "Soon."It's almost the Fall of 2009 now and "soon" is finally here. Push back, after push back, after push back...internal beefs with the Clan and external beefs with those who thought they could begin to challenge the clan...and "soon" is finally here. And now that "soon" is finally here the question of whether or not the wait has been worth it can finally be answered...
Emphatically, YES.
Advertantly or inadvertantly, Raekwon has taken it back to the days when an artist would actually take their time to craft an album in the hopes that it would one day be called a classic. Be prepared to be taken on an audio journey as soon as you start up the album.
You'll instantly be brought into a Cuban Linx frame of mind as the last track from the original Purple Tape blends into the first track on the Purple Re-Up. Papa Wu drops knowledge on Rae..."it's your time man, go get that paper...it belongs to you..." It is indeed Rae's time on this one...and then...a Wu Banger punches you square in the face like your name was Joe Budden or some sh!t. Inspectah Deck is one of the all-time greatest lead off hitters in hip hop history, Raekwon's darts are sharp as ever, Ghostface comes through like a tornado, Method Man rips his verse with ease and with GZA on hook duty (for now), this is an instant classic Wu Banger. And on the boards? No, that's not RZA...that's J Dilla out-RZA-ing RZA on this one. This isn't fair to other rappers...at all.
Next up, Raekwon jumps into story telling mode; you can just see the blood splattered, the smoke in the air from a fresh lit blunt...walk with Rae as he details the unfortuate demise of a poor young chump. "Sonny's Missing" and he ain't coming back. Why Raekwon teased us with "Pyrex Vision", we'll never know, but it allows us to take a brief glimpse in the Chef's kitchen as he cooks up some of that uncut raw. I recognize where I've heard this beat before...
This next track is a slow banger from Lex Diamonds and Tony Starks . Sugar Bang's crooning on "Cold Outside" sets the stage for R.A.G.U. to walk you through the hood and show the harsh realities found in Everyhood, USA. From seeing the fiends cop their next high to dead kids being found, this ain't for the faint of heart. In case you haven't been able to tell yet, this is a street album so if you expect to dance you're in the wrong place. "Black Mozart?" The only dancing that's gonna happen on this one is Deck's word play tap dancing on this RZA beat...effortless.
Necro's beat on "Gihad" is ridiculous and combine that with Rae and Ghost, you've got yet another heater. Ghost's raps in particular are rated X on this one as his story telling gets supergraphic. The moral of Ghost's story is bros over hoes, of course.
If this is what the New Wu sounds like, then other rappers better find something else to do.
Yeah, that's RZA on the boards.
Step inside the clink with Rae and Ghost on "Penitentiary" and get back in the kitchen with the Chef and start "Baggin' Crack" and when you're done with that you can throw on your "Surgical Gloves." Alchemist should be locked up for this beat. You can't tell me this doesn't want to make you want to have fun doing bad things (word to Tari Milton) when you hear this track. "Sellin' white Kit-Kats?" Yeah, the hip hop fiends just need to hear this one track to go crazy. By the way, this album is ridiculous thus far.
"F*ck savin' hip hop, we bringin' the streets back!" My sentiments exactly, Jada. When you have every MC on a track breaking their neck to slay a beat, you're only going to end up with a dope product. Jada, Rae, and Styles P each take turns performing lyrical homicide on "Broken Safety." My speakers are bleeding at this point. Run up to "Canal Street" but try not to get your melon splattered.
Let's pause for a moment to remember Ol' Dirty Bastard and J Dilla.
Back to business with Beanie Sigel and Blue Raspberry on "Have Mercy." Beanie also trys his hand at spitting verses from the perspective of a prisoner who's on a long bid while Rae details what's going on in the streets. This is a combination that should occur more often.
On "10 Bricks" we're treated to another banger out of J Dilla's massive beat stash. Cappadonna, Raekwon and Ghostface have no problem doing justice to beat with Ghost in particular going in on this beat somethin' serious. "Fat Lady Sings" is equal parts song and skit; Raekwon's story telling is as vivid today as it was when he first let us know that he grew up on the crime side.
On "10 Bricks" we're treated to another banger out of J Dilla's massive beat stash. Cappadonna, Raekwon and Ghostface have no problem doing justice to beat with Ghost in particular going in on this beat somethin' serious. "Fat Lady Sings" is equal parts song and skit; Raekwon's story telling is as vivid today as it was when he first let us know that he grew up on the crime side.
The good Dr. Dre blessed Raekwon with two heaters in the form of "Catalina" featuring Lyfe Jennings on the hook and "About Me" which features Busta Rhymes. Shout out to Busta Rhymes (the former executive producer of OB4CL2) for inspiring Raekwon to go back in the lab and cook up a classic follow up to the original Purple Tape classic. By the way, Rae really kept that Wu-Tang money up in the family as "We Will Rob You" is produced by GZA's son Justice. Masta Killa, GZA, and Slick Rick all lace the track with their darts. "Kiss The Ring" is the audio version of Jordan's shot in Utah. The perfect album closer... and the two bonus tracks, the Scram Jones produced "Walk Wit Me" and "The Badlands" are dope as well.
From the features, to the rhymes, to the production, there isn't a better product on the block.
From the features, to the rhymes, to the production, there isn't a better product on the block.
This is the album that hip hop has been waiting for.
The cipher is complete.
01 "Return Of The North Star" (ft. Papa Wu)
02 "House Of Flying Daggers" (ft. Inspectah Deck aka Rollie Fingers, GZA aka Maxamillion, Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks & Method Man aka Johnny Blaze)
03 "Sonny's Missing"
04 "Pyrex Vision"
05 "Cold Outside" (ft. Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks & Sugar Bang)
06 "Black Mozart" (ft. RZA aka The Abbott & Inspectah Deck aka Rollie Fingers)
07 "Gihad" (ft. Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks)
08 "New Wu" (ft. Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks & Method Man aka Johnny Blaze)
09 "Penitentiary" (ft. Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks)
10 "Baggin' Crack"
11 "Surgical Gloves"
12 "Broken Safety" (ft. Jadakiss aka Montega Jada & Styles P aka Styles Pinero)
13 "Canal Street"
14 "Ason Jones"
15 "Have Mercy" (ft. Beanie Sigel aka Mack Mittens & Blue Raspberry)
16 "10 Bricks" (ft. Cappadonna aka Cappachino & Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks)
17 "Fat Lady Sings"
18 "Catalina" (ft. Lyfe Jennings)
19 "We Will Rob You" (ft. Slick Rick, Masta Killa aka Noodles & GZA aka Maxamillion)
20 "About Me" (ft. Busta Rhymes)
21 "Mean Streets" (ft. Inspectah Deck aka Rollie Fingers & Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks)
22 "Kiss The Ring" (ft. Inspectah Deck aka Rollie Fingers & Masta Killa aka Noodles)
23 "Walk Wit Me"
24 "The Badlands" (ft. Ghostface Killah aka Tony Starks)
Flawless Victory.
Labels: E's Music Reviews, Raekwon
Yes indeed, The Chef is what the genre needs, no gimmicks!
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cheers.yo