Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt II

[rainbow]

This album is dope as fuck, I know everyone has different opinions and that's cool but seriously if you don't like this then you might as well not even bother listening to anything Wu related that comes out. Maybe I'm just too old school but back in the day we just listened to albums and appreciated them and didn't bitch about the littlest of details. If something was wack we just pushed it aside and didn't go around bitching about it. Some of the minor details these cats have complained about is ridiculous.

So according to you, there is no middle ground between "dope as fuck" and "wack"?

And you might have a point with "you might as well not even bother listening to anything Wu related that comes out".

[The Hound]

^^^IDK there's some good shit dropping, Stop making yourself not like the music, the 90's isn't coming back, it's time we start moving hip-hop foward instead of trying to bring it back because you can't turn back time...There are some gems out here and yes i know 2005 was when the decline started but there are some gems 07-09 that have been dropping. I'll review this album 3 weeks after I get my copy, I hate when niggaz rate shit after 1 listen.

What in the flying fuck does all that have to do with anything? The 90's aren't coming back? Thanks scoop! What's next?

[MaskedAvenger]

So according to you, there is no middle ground between "dope as fuck" and "wack"?

And you might have a point with "you might as well not even bother listening to anything Wu related that comes out".

All I'm saying is this albums is about as good as it gets from the Wu in 2009, just enjoy the fucking album and stop bickering over minor details.

[Hollow Dartz]

What in the flying fuck does all that have to do with anything? The 90's aren't coming back? Thanks scoop! What's next?

Your lost, find yourself.

[deezGlazedTonsils1981]

Yeah pretty much.

Listening to it was an underwhelming experience and reminded me of why i never read anything posted in the wu forum.

I can't really understand how this is getting ratings up around 9/10, whatever though.

Obviously it's just me who feels that Rae can barely flow anymore, he barely bother to rhyme anything. Most tracks feel as though he recorded the vocal separately, and they were layed over the beat at a later stage.

Album starts off at a pretty pedestrian rate, never thought much of House Of Flying Daggers and Sonny's Missing isn't bad, but pretty boring track.

Pyrex Vision is dope, but it's pretty much an interlude though.

Cold Outside is ok, nothing special, the track doesn't really even start until 2 minutes into it. Ghost's flow is good, i've never been a fan of the whiny style he adopted post SC, but at least he sounds lively in comparison to Rae.

Black Mozart is the standout for me. The beat is brilliant, and carries the track. Again though, Rae is lacklustre. When INS verse came along though, it reminded me of why still bother checking for new wu. Shitty hook though.

Gihad is ok, but the beat sounds like mush. I won't bother talking about Rae's flow from here on in. New Wu is as boring as when i first heard it, Meth's verse is good though.

Penitentiary's dope.

Baggin Crack is good.

Surgical Gloves could have been worse, but the beat is a mess in a similar fashion to Gihad. Just a bunch of sounds dumped on top of each other to form an awkward track.

Broken Safety is ok, Jada's verse is a bit retarded, still not bad, but nothing i'd want to listen to more than a few times.

Canal Street is ok, again, very average beat.

Ason Jones is cool, laid back beat.

Have Mercy isn't bad, take Blue Raspberry off and it might have been better. Hearing a beat you've heard before doesn't make for a very interesting listening experience though, the sample is used well during the hook though.

10 Bricks is dope, Cappa's verse is good, he even manages to sound like he's not 50 years old.

Fat Lady Sings is awkward as hell.

Catalina isn't bad, once again, there's something bizarre about the beat, it's almost good, but falls down for some reason. Can't decide why exactly. Obligatory awful hook doesn't help.

We Will Rob You is good, (i'm not going to mention rae's flow again). GZA drops a good verse.

About Me is trash.

Mean Streets isn't terrible, but has some terrible elements. The first minute for instance.

I assume Kiss The Ring was supposed to be an elaborate conclusion, but yeah, doesn't hit the mark.


Overall

Not something i'll be listening to much. Black Mozart will get some spins, because the beat is great. Raekwon, in a way, is better than i thought he would be. Lyrically, it's a good album. His flow is all over the place unfortunately, and in combination with some equally all over the place beats, makes a lot of tracks sound awkward. Listening to an album having heard a handful of the beats/samples before decreases the enjoyment for me personally, so that was a minus in my books.

Right now, 6.5 or 7/10.

so you have heard the album? you said in another thread that you actually havent heard it yet and are just pretending you did to bash the album. which is it???

[rainbow]

What's it to you?

[deezGlazedTonsils1981]

What's it to you?

oh it nothin to me if you havent heard the album yet your rating it and bashing it. that just means your a retard whos opinion means nothin.

[Tecknowledgist]

if you want to go ahead and compare the albums, being disappointed that this isnt the best album in the last 15 years, go for it. thats your choice

just understand, you're only ruining it for yourself. thats just ruining a good listening experience.

like duke said, if you dont like this album, just quit. THIS IS THE BEST WU-TANG ALBUM YOU'RE LIKELY TO EVER HEAR AGAIN


this is a great album. period. take it as such.

[the silencer]

i've been bumpin this shit since about 10 this morning, over and over all day doing my errands and shit...

and i am LOVING this fucking album...i'm actually totally surprised at how dope it is, i didn't think i'd like it this much..



i don't wanna begin comparing it with Pt 1 but listening to it so much i really get that criminal cinematic feel real heavily throughout...so much crazy imagery and scenes drawn on this album..


and i didn't like House of Flying Daggers that much when it first dropped but for some reason i fuckin love it on here..


and Ason Jones is SIIIIIIIIIIICK...


whenever i get the chance to review it, i'm gonna have ALOT to say about this bangin ass album

[J-DON]

Alright time for a Track By Track HONEST NO DICKRIDING REVIEW

1.Return of the North Star -N/A- Not going to rate. Too bad Rae doesn't have a verse.

2.House of the Flying Daggers - 8.5/10 -Dope track. I wish it had some hard drums on it but honestly its great. Meth kills it on this one with the "scarred for life, these niggas cant forget the cuts" line.

3.Sonny's Missing - 9/10 - I always thought Royal Flush was wack on this beat. Rae came through with the gritty crime drama and it just works amazingly. I know hearing an old beat takes away from it but the beat is just fucking dope as shit.

4.Pyrex Vision - 10/10 - Perfect interlude track. Rae's sleepy flow is effective here because it sounds like hes dazed by the fumes of the crack boiling on the stove.

5.Cold Outside -8/10 - This track would be perfect if Suga Bang didnt sing for too long in the beginning. Ghost's verse is one of his most memorable verses in years.

6.Black Mozart - 7.5/10 - I know you guys are going freak out at the score but honestly RZA could have come alot harder and kinda takes away points when he comes in vocally for a bridge nobody asked for.

7.Gihad - 7.5/10 - Tight beat and I love Rae's verse but Ghostface kinda ruins the track to me. He comes in off topic with a verse about fucking his son's bitch to teach him a lesson... makes me say "wtf" to myself every time I listen to it.

8.New Wu - 10/10 - Straight wu banger, couldnt have been done any better to me.

9.Penitentiary -9/10- Amazing track. Great concept executed very well. Beat brings tension to the stories.

10.Baggin Crack -8/10- Sick beat by Eric Sermon here and it fits Rae perfectly and doesnt overstay its welcome.

11.Surgical Gloves -10/10- Alchemist is untouchable right now. Really picks up on the second verse.

12.Broken Safety -10/10- Insane collabo. The chemistry on this track is WILD.

13.Canal Street -9/10- this shit is so grimey. A tale about their fathers putting in work in the 60s. Really gives you that old black mobster flick feeling

14.Ason Jones -10/10- At first I thought this track was kind of boring but lyrically there could not be a better tribute to O.D.B. Rae really came from the heart here.

15.Have Mercy -8.5/10- Great song about being in the bing. I can forgive Blue Rasperry for sounding a bit off key on certain parts.

16.10 Bricks -10/10- OMG SO BANGING. Probably best track on the whole album. This beat makes me spazz out!

17.Fat Lady Sings -9/10- Great track. Another gritty street tale and you really feel it when the vocal sample comes in. If I were executive producer I would have wrapped up the album right here.

18.Catalina -6/10- here is the albums first true snoozer. Generic latino beat that you would hear circa 2001 and maybe vibe out to but it just isnt poppin for me right now.

19.We Will Rob You -6/10- Another Mis-Step. Slick Rick sounds awful and the beat really isnt cutting it.

20.About Me -8/10- Cool track. Busta sounds like he tried to deliver the best shit he could and I give him props for it. Beat is cool too. Wouldve thrown this earlier in the album though because it gets dragged down a bit by the two mediocre joints its sandwiched inbetween.

21.Mean Streets - 5/10 - I really hate the singing on this track and cant listen to it.

22.Kiss The Ring - 8/10 - Good song. Deck shows he can come up with a tight hook. Masta Killa is kind of boring here, beat is too live for MK. Elton John sample btw.


OVERALL 8.5/10

This is an album where the sum is greater than its parts. There are only a couple of tracks I bump on their own (namely Surgical Gloves, Broken Safety, and 10 Bricks) If the album cut off after fat lady sings id give it a 9.5 no problem. The first 17 tracks are sequenced perfectly and provides for a very satisfying listen. Raekwon exceeded my expectations and for that I thank him for taking his time and doing his best.

For a Custom CL2 I say swap "About Me" with "Gihad", get rid of "Gihad" and throw "Kiss The Ring" before "Fat Lady Sings" and get rid of everything after "Fat Lady Sings".

[brock]

A couple of things

7.Gihad - 7.5/10 - Tight beat and I love Rae's verse but Ghostface kinda ruins the track to me. He comes in off topic with a verse about fucking his son's bitch to teach him a lesson... makes me say "wtf" to myself every time I listen to it.

You are taking the word son too literally, there is no way Ghost's son is 25.

21.Mean Streets - 5/10 - I really hate the singing on this track and cant listen to it.

That's really too bad because you are missing really special lyrics, especially by Deck.

[MaskedAvenger]

Alright time for a Track By Track HONEST NO DICKRIDING REVIEW

1.Return of the North Star -N/A- Not going to rate. Too bad Rae doesn't have a verse.

2.House of the Flying Daggers - 8.5/10 -Dope track. I wish it had some hard drums on it but honestly its great. Meth kills it on this one with the "scarred for life, these niggas cant forget the cuts" line.

3.Sonny's Missing - 9/10 - I always thought Royal Flush was wack on this beat. Rae came through with the gritty crime drama and it just works amazingly. I know hearing an old beat takes away from it but the beat is just fucking dope as shit.

4.Pyrex Vision - 10/10 - Perfect interlude track. Rae's sleepy flow is effective here because it sounds like hes dazed by the fumes of the crack boiling on the stove.

5.Cold Outside -8/10 - This track would be perfect if Suga Bang didnt sing for too long in the beginning. Ghost's verse is one of his most memorable verses in years.

6.Black Mozart - 7.5/10 - I know you guys are going freak out at the score but honestly RZA could have come alot harder and kinda takes away points when he comes in vocally for a bridge nobody asked for.

7.Gihad - 7.5/10 - Tight beat and I love Rae's verse but Ghostface kinda ruins the track to me. He comes in off topic with a verse about fucking his son's bitch to teach him a lesson... makes me say "wtf" to myself every time I listen to it.

8.New Wu - 10/10 - Straight wu banger, couldnt have been done any better to me.

9.Penitentiary -9/10- Amazing track. Great concept executed very well. Beat brings tension to the stories.

10.Baggin Crack -8/10- Sick beat by Eric Sermon here and it fits Rae perfectly and doesnt overstay its welcome.

11.Surgical Gloves -10/10- Alchemist is untouchable right now. Really picks up on the second verse.

12.Broken Safety -10/10- Insane collabo. The chemistry on this track is WILD.

13.Canal Street -9/10- this shit is so grimey. A tale about their fathers putting in work in the 60s. Really gives you that old black mobster flick feeling

14.Ason Jones -10/10- At first I thought this track was kind of boring but lyrically there could not be a better tribute to O.D.B. Rae really came from the heart here.

15.Have Mercy -8.5/10- Great song about being in the bing. I can forgive Blue Rasperry for sounding a bit off key on certain parts.

16.10 Bricks -10/10- OMG SO BANGING. Probably best track on the whole album. This beat makes me spazz out!

17.Fat Lady Sings -9/10- Great track. Another gritty street tale and you really feel it when the vocal sample comes in. If I were executive producer I would have wrapped up the album right here.

18.Catalina -6/10- here is the albums first true snoozer. Generic latino beat that you would hear circa 2001 and maybe vibe out to but it just isnt poppin for me right now.

19.We Will Rob You -6/10- Another Mis-Step. Slick Rick sounds awful and the beat really isnt cutting it.

20.About Me -8/10- Cool track. Busta sounds like he tried to deliver the best shit he could and I give him props for it. Beat is cool too. Wouldve thrown this earlier in the album though because it gets dragged down a bit by the two mediocre joints its sandwiched inbetween.

21.Mean Streets - 5/10 - I really hate the singing on this track and cant listen to it.

22.Kiss The Ring - 8/10 - Good song. Deck shows he can come up with a tight hook. Masta Killa is kind of boring here, beat is too live for MK. Elton John sample btw.


OVERALL 8.5/10

This is an album where the sum is greater than its parts. There are only a couple of tracks I bump on their own (namely Surgical Gloves, Broken Safety, and 10 Bricks) If the album cut off after fat lady sings id give it a 9.5 no problem. The first 17 tracks are sequenced perfectly and provides for a very satisfying listen. Raekwon exceeded my expectations and for that I thank him for taking his time and doing his best.

For a Custom CL2 I say swap "About Me" with "Gihad", get rid of "Gihad" and throw "Kiss The Ring" before "Fat Lady Sings" and get rid of everything after "Fat Lady Sings".

Nice review except I disagree about RZA's bridge, I rate it and I think the beat is perfect

[duotone]

oh my god...
i'm very impatient to get that album...
i wont load it... i only know new wu and house of flying daggers...
i just wait for santa "amazon" clause comin to my house and throw a little box in my smokestack on september 11th (european release date)

[DRUNKENARTS]

thats me on my first listen of this,its worth the wait,loving it so far,cant wait to see how it is months/years from now,well dun chef!

[P.R. Terrorist]

10/10