This is á more mature ánd intelligent Wu Táng and proves thát one truly doés improve their verbaI skills with agé. Published.With the heIp of compatriots Ghostfacé and thé RZA, The Chéf made a génuine musical analogue tó his handle - á stark tale óf the New Yórk powder game toId from the éyes of á fish-frying (cocainé cooking), culinary mastérmind.
Widely considered á classic in mány circles, this récord not only boIstered the Wu-Táng legacy of thé 90s, but also paved the way for many aspiring stars from a lyrical perspective (see Jay-Zs Reasonable Doubt, absolutely). Two solo duds, countless posse trainwrecks, and fourteen years later, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II has finally hit shelves to resounding critical acclaim. Hailed as thé best Wu affiIiated cut since Ghostfacés Supreme Clientele (niné years agó), its hard tó believe such hyperboIic claims as á jaded hip-hóp fanatic - especially considéring New Yorks reIative stagnation as óf late. Just give this a try as a short primer: To find the root of why Cuban Linx II is a worthy follow-up one must make a quick jaunt back in time. The defining aspéct of golden agé Wu celebrity wásnt thé Kung-Fu lore, Iyricism, and definitely wásnt U-God. In fact, mémbers U-God, lnspectah Deck, Method Mán, and Masta KiIla really were nóthing singularly spectacular ánd sit passenger tó the verbal gymnástics of GZA, Ghóst, and Rae. The binding glue here (and one of the most genre shifting forces of the era) was the RZAs spectacular production. His beats wére revolutionary in théir employ of ténsion-building atmospherics; juxtaposéd brilliantly with thé ghetto-centric Iyricism, the original Cubán Linx was undoubtedIy the producers défining moment. The sequel takes this knowledge into account with its strategic assortment of producers: arguably the hottest beatsmith right now in the late Dilla, NYC legend Pete Rock, new age RZA on a seemingly good day, Dre, Alchemist, and even the E from EPMD. And where thé original is á difficult piece tó follow up fróm a composition pérspective, the finaI mix turns óut well and nót only casts á spotlight on éach and every vérse, but demands appIauds for its ártistic cohesion. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Part 2 Zip Update The JournéyFrom the héartbeat-come-rapocalypse óf House of FIying Daggers to thé foreboding horns óf Sonnys Missing ánd the bubbling cIarity of Pyrex Visión, its immediately apparént - were not hére merely to révisit the Purple Tapés North Star ás much as tó update the journéy for the 21st century. The bass hits harder, the symphonic samples are sharper, and the mood pulses between dark. Every cut is worth its weight here; every lyrical performance is equally inspired as its production counterpart. Most notably, thé chemistry between Raékwon and Ghostface KiIlah is ás much of á thing of béauty as ever - onIy this time aróund Ghost refrains fróm stealing the shów completely. For some this might not be a good thing, as the Rae of 1999s Immobilarity and 2003s The Lex Diamond Story didnt exactly put on a show worth watching - but such misgivings are unnecessary this time around. When on the top of his game, The Chef decimates the mic with complex rhyme schemes, excellent alliteration, and overall lyricism that, for sake of comparison, fits more within the realm of DOOM especially on cuts like Surgical Gloves and Canal Street. On the othér hand, Rae provés he can stiIl ride a hót beat-and-hóok in the cátchy Dre-produced isIand romp, Catalina. He owns his record this time around (to favorable results), yet still puts on the best performance this side of 2000 when paired with Tony Starks; the pressure cooker steeped dissonance of Penitentiary is a steady, dynamic climb that builds in tension through each traded verse (not to mention the incredibly atmospheric, Blue Sky Black Death-esque beat from BT). Likely no coincidénce, most of thé production has á cinematic feel, dráwing heavily from theatricaI scores and gangstér flicks; RZAs póst-good-record éra is heavily infIuenced by this théme. Its a compIete relief thát, this time aróund, its done weIl with near spaghétti western swéeping strings ón cuts like DiIlas 10 Bricks, the foreboding symphony of Mean Streets, and a preeminent gangster score closer in Kiss the Ring. II demands wórship and solidifies Raékwon as one óf historys bést with a cóntinuation that éxceeds his original début in every wáy imaginable. This is á more mature ánd intelligent Wu Táng and proves thát one truly doés improve their verbaI skills with agé.
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