i'm not suprised that Raekwon's "F.I.L.A." is almost universaily shit at here, i've seen it compared to noice and sell-out nonsense... if you want your favorite artist to be stagnated and forgotten as a musician like Doug E. Fresh or Slick Rick i can see your coming from.... but damn "F.I.L.A." was a pretty damn hot fucing album. and unlike when Method Man was playing mr. popular wiith "Tical 0: The Prequel" or U-God did whatever uey did ith "Mr. Xxcitement", the difference is that Rae really pulled off that modern sound while not coming off as some sellout. He actually incorporated what was hot on the streets and on the billboardss and created a RAEKWON album around that, and for that he should be commended.
i heard it the first time it was so diferent from "Cl2" and "Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang", and obviously played on the "mainstream" hip hop of the day, with both produces and guest artists that i was a little taken a back.. but so what... "FILA" is a much more sonicallay relevant album than "Lex Diamond Srory" and the anajority of "Immobilarity":
And then you got "FILA", which is an equally important album. Rae today is by far the most important Wu member amongst the younger heads.He got that crazy crime-ridden flow, knows what beats knocks in the club and everyone wants him on a feature. For the most part Rae sounds great over these beats,no questions, and he is touching on a lot ot important topics whilel also just having fun iwht it.
Important topics over all original beats and hooks, making it front-to-back album and far from a mixtape. People here hate French Montana, but the song with him and Busta called "Wall to Wall" was a monster sngle that got HEAFY ROTATION over here.. "I Got Money" despite its assinine hook, his collaboration hee with Asap Rocky over Frank G's somewhat nursery school vibe that's saved by the hravy beat. But the best songs come when he's either going dolo or when he's building with original rhyme parters - I'm taling about "Nautilus", a Bob James song that has been sampled for decades, yet Rae and producer Scram Jones take it into the future. Or check how Ghost and Rick Ross killed it on that banger of a track called "Revnge" , same with album opener "4 in the Morning".
All in all I don't know how the fuck this album was kind of shit on but oh well, a lot of people have a hard time with their favorite artists trying something new, but this is certainly Raekwon. He proved with this last two albums that he can bring back the Wu sound full circle so fans should definitely let him experience. And when it's this good then hell yeah.
1. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Niggas
2. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Niggas Pt. II
3. Tbe Wild
4. Shsolin vs. Wu-Tang
5. F.I.L.A.
6. Immobilarity
7. LEX Diamond Story
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