Raekwon The Chef-The Lex Diamond Story

[Kool P Shook]

1-Lex Diamond Intro
2-Pitbull Fightas
3-Hitman Slary
4-King Of Kings
5-Missing Watch
6-All Over Again
7-Clientele Kidds
8-Smith Bros.
9-Restaurant
10-Robbery
11-Fuck You
12-Pa-Blow Escablow
13-Musketeers Of Pigs Alley
14-Ice Cream pt.II
15-The Hood
16-Wild Chimpazees
17-Planet Of The Apes
18-Wyld In Da Club
19-Once Upon A Time
20-Lex Diamond Outro

Well,after "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...",a classic wu tang solo album,and "Immobiliarity",a great wu-banga (underrated?),Raekwon returns with "The Lex Diamond Story" (2003).If y'all think that this is another classic,ehy,you are on the wrong way.Yes,because,nothwithstanding Rae's rhymes are still good,productions are not so explosive.Good tracks are "Pa-Blow Escablow",a kind of mafia-song ("Cuban Linx" time...),"Smith Bros.",,"Musketeers Of Pigs Alley"(wow!a great song featuring Masta Killa & Inspectah Deck,good ol' wu style,a real banga that sounds like 2Pac's "If My Homie Calls"),"Missing Watch" (a funny track with Ice Water Inc, & GhostFace,Raekwon must find his watch in a club...)...there are awful tracks like "Ice Cream Part II" featuring Methical & Cappadonna(no!Rae,why did you kill your best banger with a chickenheads anthem???There are Method Man and Cappadonna,but their rhymes aren't so good,this s**t can't be an "Ice Cream" episode!)and "The Hood",that is not so hot,it sounds like a pop-rap song (I call it "Spice Girls influence").Probably the best track is "Once Upon A Time",featuinrg Tekitha,a new mafia-style song that contains also emotions and give incredible sensations. It's probably one of the best Lexius' tracks of all the times.Real fans of Raekwon can feel that there is not RZA...sigh...we are lucky,beacuse the incredible duo GhostFace/Raekwo comes back in some track.Behind Wu-members,"Lex Diamond Story"sees collabos of Capone,Havoc of Mobb Deep,Fat Joe and entire Ice Water Inc. (Polite, P.C., Stumic, Cigars). The group appears on "Robbery",a rock-rap song,with criminal attitudes.So LDS is a good album,Raekwon strikes back.Maybe is not "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx",but Raekwon's style is Raekwon's style!

7/10

[SHEEPISH LORD OF CHAOS]

Yo It Was A Good Lp And People Need 2 Stop Comparing It To Cuban Linx Man It Ain't Take It Wit A Grain Of Salf For What It's Worth Man Shit Is A Banga Regardless I Love That Cd With The Exception Of Ice Cream Pt 2[too Me Is The Only Bad Song] Nahmean So I'm A Give It A 7/10

[Kool P Shook]

Yo It Was A Good Lp And People Need 2 Stop Comparing It To Cuban Linx Man It Ain't Take It Wit A Grain Of Salf For What It's Worth Man Shit Is A Banga Regardless I Love That Cd With The Exception Of Ice Cream Pt 2[too Me Is The Only Bad Song] Nahmean So I'm A Give It A 7/10

yeh,just like me.I dont like Ice Cream pt.II cuz it's probably the biggest bullshit that my wigga Rae have never create

[num2son]

It was a good album, I thought it was better than his second album.

[Kool P Shook]

Yo It Was A Good Lp And People Need 2 Stop Comparing It To Cuban Linx Man It Ain't Take It Wit A Grain Of Salf For What It's Worth Man Shit Is A Banga Regardless I Love That Cd With The Exception Of Ice Cream Pt 2[too Me Is The Only Bad Song] Nahmean So I'm A Give It A 7/10

wait...if I have compared it to Cuban Linx,is because I dont want that people think in a new classic.It's a good album,fo'sho.

[61stkillah]

its a nice album, if no1 herd it theres some tracks off the vatican from it..
________
Thai Girl Live

[ShaolinDarts]

My review:

1-Lex Diamond Intro N/A
2-Pitbull Fights 9/10 - This is the Raekwon street hustler type track. Very nice beat and lyrics and has an eagerness about it
3-Hitman Slary N/A
4-King Of Kings 7/10 - Raekwon flows very nicely over the beat and beat is decent too.
5-Missing Watch 7/10 - Rae and Ghost on a track. Its almost comical the way they speak of Rae's watch going missing. Its a nice track to put into an album.
6-All Over Again 6/10 - I like the idea behind this track and Rae says some meaningful things here. Its not a bad track at all but it eventually becomes borderline corny with the beat
7-Clientele Kidds 6/10 - Rae and Ghost are joined by Fat Joe. Rae is nice on this and Fat Joe and Ghost are overly violent. Ghost in partricular is very graphic and again he shows his skills as an emcee by delivering a hard verse but also at the same time having a very comical and almost relaxed element to it.. Could have been better though.
8-Smith Bros. 8/10 - Love this track. Rae is most telling of the past and talking about what goes on in his area
9-Restaurant N/A
10-Robbery 3/10 - No Raekwon and corny cliche lyrics from his Ice Water crew
11-Fuck You N/A
12-Pa-Blow Escablow 8/10 - Excellent story
13-Musketeers Of Pigs Alley - 9/10 A vintage Wu Tang track and Rae is accompanied by Masta and Deck. 3 excellent emcees just emceeing makes for an excellent track.
14-Ice Cream pt.II 0/10 - Horrible
15-The Hood 6/10 - Similar to track 6 I can see what Rae is trying but it just doesn't add up in the end. I like this but one particular lyric spoils the whole track
16-Wild Chimpazees N/A
17-Planet Of The Apes 5/10 - Very cliched raps. Not what you would expect from these three on the same track
18-Wyld In Da Club - 5/10 - If it wasn't for Rae's verse this track would be useless. Bad beat and except for Rae the rest of the emceeing is bad.
19-Once Upon A Time - 10/10 - Very nice track and the singing dominates this track. Rae has a verse in the beginning and near the end. Excellent way to end of the album.
20-Lex Diamond Outro N/A

The way this cd begins and ends show hallmarks of a great emcee. Pitbull fights start of this album with a hunger and Once Upon a Time finishes on dark yet meaningful note. However in between Rae strays from his winning formula and in all honesty Rae is embarasing himself on tracks 15 and 17. It has its high point and has its low points with a a few decent good tracks. Overall I wouldn't recommend this album to someone who has never heard Rae before as he comes of weak at point on here.

[Marc051]

2 good songs on this...rest of it sucks, not worth the dough

[Hollow Dartz]

i love wyld in the club , raes verse" 1980's babies worldwide ya girl on our dick"

[ShaDynasty]

very good album, rae is always ill on the lyrical tip, and the beats are surprisingly good considering most of the producers are no-names
standouts to me are:
missing watch
all over again
smith bros
musketeers of pig alley
the hood
once upon a time

very underated album

[famenchuan]

very good album, rae is always ill on the lyrical tip, and the beats are surprisingly good considering most of the producers are no-names
standouts to me are:
missing watch
all over again
smith bros
musketeers of pig alley
the hood
once upon a time

very underated album

Agree only I would take out smith bros and put in pit bull fights.

[crass]

extremely poor album. only tracks i really dig are "missing watch" (barely like it), "muskateers of pig alley" (awesome chemistry b/t MCs, love the beat too) and "pitbull fights."

[6what131]

The Lex Diamond Intro
Pit Bull Fights-7/10
Hitman Salary (Skit)
King Of Kings-5/10
Missing Watch-9/10
All Over Again-8.5/10
Clientele Kidd-5.5/10
Smith Bros.-6/10
Restaurant (Skit)
Robbery-2/10
Fuck You (Skit)
Pa-Blow Escablow-6/10
Musketeers Of Pig Alley-10/10
Ice Cream Pt. 2-2/10
The Hood-7/10
Wild Chimpanzees (Skit)
Planet Of The Apes-1/10
Wyld In Da Club-0/10
Once Upon A Time-10/10
Lex Diamond Story Outro

The Lex Diamond Story=5.5/10

[UNCLE RUCKUS]

Just gave this another few listens has some great tracks on it;
1. The Lex Diamond Story (Intro)
2. Pit Bull Fights 5/5 Great Song
3. Hitman's Salary (skit)
4. King Of Kings (w/ Havoc) 4/5 Real Good
5. Missing Watch (w/ Ghostface Killah) 4/5 Real Good banger w/Ghost
6. All Over Again 3.5/5 Good. The last 4 bars are real nice
7. Clientele Kid (w/ Fat Joe & Ghostface Killah) 5/5 Ghost kills this for me!
8. Smith Bros. 5/5 Best song on the album
9. Restaurant (skit)
10. Robbery (w/ Ice Water) 2/5 Ice Water shit
11. Fuck You
12. Pablow Escablow 4.5/5 Real Good shit
13. Musketeers Of Pigs (w/ Masta Killa & Inspectah Deck) 5/5 Great track
14. Ice Cream Pt. 2 (w/ Method Man & Cappadonna) 3/5 Meth is good
15. The Hood (w/ Tiffany Villarreal) 3/5 O.k track not great tho
16. Wild Chimpanzees (skit)
17. Planet of the Apes (w/ Sheek Louch & Capone) 4/5 Good shit
18. Wild in the Club 1/5 Awful shit
19. Once Upon A Time (w/ Tekitha) 4/5 Nice track
20. Lex Diamond Story (Outro)
Overall 4/5
Real Good, 7 or 8 bangers on here only 2 or three tracks I´m not liking

[Leo Angel]

It's one of the worst Wu solo albums released IMO, replay value=0. Only track I like - Once Upon A Time, beat is good there. The rest of the beats is garbage. I don't critisize Raekwon's rap, he's one of the greates ever and LDS is lyrically very good. But beats are awful, why??