Sitting around listening to the newest Raekwon release, "Only Built for Cuban Linx II", which dropped August of this year. It's the long awaited sequel ( I guess it's long awaited? ) to the absolute bomber that the Chef released in 1995, you guessed it, "Only Built for Cuban Linx".
Note: bomber = good, really really good
I hadn't really given the new sequel a good listen when I first picked it up, so today I finally gave it the attention it deserved. Overall, pretty good album. When you compare it to any other rap album that was released this year, it's not "pretty good", it's "a fuckin' relief". I can't believe how gross the hip hop releases are these days. Honestly, I don't even listen to a whole bunch-a rap. But I know what I like, and most of the shit today isn't it.
Aside from the Dre produced "Catalina" and a few other minor mishaps, the album delivers a breath of fresh air for any Wu fan. I really can't get over how boring some of Dre's beats are, but I'll let it stay at that. "Cold Outside" is a pretty neat tune, and "10 Bricks" is phenomenal. The album is like any other with its weak points, but some tracks will have you hitting repeat, a rarity in most rap albums today. The video for "House of Flying Daggers" is pretty insane (posted at the bottom) and it includes a GZA line similar to that from the classic "Clan in Da Front". The single "New Wu" is one of the best Wu Tang songs I've heard in 2 or 3 years, seriously. I don't know what it is, but I think Method Man could rap over the sound of my fingers pressing these keys right now and it would still sound fuckin' awesome. I don't think I've ever really heard him slip, ever.
One thing I keep noticing about the Wu Tang Clan is that they don't appear to be aging the same as the rest of us. If Enter the 36 Chambers was released in '93, that would put most Wu members around 39 or 40. I'm not quite 24 and most of my friends look as old as these guys. I couldn't tell if they were 20 or 30. Most of them look like they did 10 years ago, I don't get it. Ghostface's voice sounds like it did on 97's Forever. Do these guys have a fountain of youth that David Copperfield hasn't bought up yet? I don't know, but I hope for the sake of rap that they do.
For all you rock purists, don't worry, I won't post much about rap on this blog. For any of you rap purists, save your own time and make your visits scarce, sayyyy 4 times every 22.7 days.
I'm gonna go eat some PBJ, you should all (2 of you) do the same.
Brain Squashin!!
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Scattered tune: "10 Bricks" by Raekwon feat. Ghostface, "Slang Editorial" by Cappadonna, "Border Lord" by Kris Kristofferson
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razzler
