Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Rating this album based mostly on the beats and the flow, honestly.
For some reason I hadn't given this a dedicated listen before. I love the layout of this album and the storytelling. On top of that, some really strong beats to go with Raekwon's easy flow.
This is some good rap, great mixing, vocals, and beats. 3.6
Ik ken de meeste van die Wu-Tang gasten wel, dus ook Raekwon en Spookgezicht Moordenaah, maar toch heb ik me nooit heel erg verdiept in de Wu-Tang bende. Ik weet alleen dat ik Kung Fu film samples kan verwachten. Ik kom recht van Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle af en dit is toch wel heel andere hiphop. Wat eenvoudigere, donkerdere beats die als een boemeltreintje blijven doorrollen en rappers die er vooral op gebrand zijn om nonchalant hun talent tentoon te spreiden. Waar Snoog Dogg en Dré klinken alsof ze eindeloos in een studio hebben gezeten klinkt dit meer als een uit de hand gelopen cypher sessie. Het album is wel iets te lang. Dus hoewel het lekkere rap is, wordt het na een tijdje wat langdradig. 45 minuten tot een uur was beter geweest want daarna was de Ghost bij mij een beetje uit de fles. Wel 4 sterren, want dit soort dagen koester ik als ik weer eens een jazzalbum krijg.
The Wu-Tang solo record that sounds the most like Wu-Tang. Has the same simple hard beat style and sample use (some soulful and some horror-themed), but more coherently strung together by the intimate member Raekwon, and features the coke-fueled performance of Ghostface Killah. I'm impressed by how simple yet nostalgic and full the production sounds. Matches his style well, and I like when they let the instrumentals go off on their own in some tracks, like "Criminology." It actually sounds more mature (but not as iconic) as the actual Wu-Tang records. Grows exhausting by the 2nd half, with several sounding like B-sides with how forgettable they can be (like "Spot Rusherz"). My favorite tracks were definitely the ones where they got the other members in, and I wasn't expecting a Nas appearance ("Verbal Intercourse" had incredible raps but sounded incomplete otherwise). Overall a very strong effort with plenty of great tracks. I'd cut a few to get it under an hour, and add more creative samples in some tracks (I didn't like how a few tracks just repeated iconic samples from other Wu-Tang records).
Solid
Excellent beats and rhythms in this Wu-Tang solo outing.
konsepti albumi heh. tykkäsin, mutta kärsii monesta ajan nousevista gangsta-rap trendeistä jotka eivät ikääntyneet hyvin. aivoja turruttavat albumin rikkovat paskat vitun interluudit jossa pälätetään jotain turhaa paskaa. misogynia ja homofööbiä jne jne. (kyllä olen kommunisti...) suosituimmista biiseistä en välitä mutta tääällä on monta biisiä jotka on NIIN VITUN HYVIÄ!!!!enkä koskaan kuullut aikaisemmin.. klassisia 90-luvun wu-tang sampleja paljon. välillä kuulostaa kun puhelimen kaiuttimella kuunntelisi wu gambinos
8/10 super solid rap album, lots to love here
I don’t own this? Classic Wu project, although Rae himself seldom steals the show. It’s tight shit and a lot of fun for most of its run. B+
Finally a hip hop album made it's way onto my list, and a good one to boot. Raekwon is in peak form here, proving that he's got what it takes even outside of Wu-Tang. There's a lot of rock solid stuff in here, but there's not many songs that stand out as a big hit in my book. It's not my favorite form of hip hop, but it's undeniably great work. Highlight: Ice Cream Lowlight: Glaciers of Ice Surprise Hit: Knuckleheadz
Wu-Tang Bliss!
Feels a lot like more Wu-Tang, can’t be mad at that. I like the movie motif.
Maybe I’m too young to call it this, but the Purple Tape is legendary. A great step in the Wu Tang portfolio that showcased how great Rae and Ghost are as a duo. Tons of classic tracks and they hold up extremely well live (4.5/5)
Didn’t finish. Good potential
It continues to be hilarious that every single rap album on this project is disrespected. Really paints a picture on who else is doing the project. 4/5
Was not expecting an impressing hip-hop album to me but ended up liked this in my music app. It's kinda comfortable listening to this. Nowadays hip-hop has become a bit weird and unenjoyable.
A great representation of 90s rap. While not an album that'd set the world on fire, it is solid through and through
I need to give this one more listens to dive into the narrative they are building, but other that some solid bars and beats.
good rap, annoying banter between songs
Almost a wu tang album, good enough for me. They need to trim the fillers tho. 3.5
Totally disavowed gangsta rap as a youth, but this list is teaching me I might actually like it quite a lot with this and Ice Cube. I did like the odd Wu Tang track back then though so there were seeds. Continue to love all the old movie samples and general vibe of RZAs production. Obviously the swearing and guns and stuff is annoying, but man, Raekwon is irrepressible! Bit long, like. Also found Ice Cream to be a bit hella-lame. Wu-Gambinos absolutely bangs though.
I love Wu-Tang Clan so already I am mad impressed by this. I have only ever heard 'Ice-Cream', but I am so excited to listen to the rest. 'Criminology' had such a good beat. Just make me wanna sway my head and get the fuck down. Everyone has such flow, it's so fucking good. I knew it was gonna be good from the start. The lyrics are so tightly packed and just wrap around the samples so well. Good shit. This is true gangsta rap.
A first generation Wu-Solo affair that plays like wu album itself, with Ghostface and the Rza prominent among a host of guests including Nas. This 'no-hook' song structure is what made wutang and MGDOOM so great, just a luscious beat looped and cut.
OG triple OG OG triple triple OG GOOD.
a old hip hop album? good
This album is a classic and is just always so chill to listen to.
A pretty good rap album! Not really my favourite - I think Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) is better than this solo record, but this was still very good. Slaps with that hardcore hip-hop flavour that Wu-Tang Clan are known for, with hard, heavy beats and aggressive lyrics, though beat-wise maybe a little more chilled than Enter the Wu-Tang. Either way it was a fun listen. Favourite: Wu-Gambinos
Rapzao nask, não cheguei a prestar muito atenção nas letras mas parece bom
Totally new to me, interesting world view
The lyricism on this album is fantastic but I just can't handle the talking over each other at the beginning of some of the songs, it makes my head hurt. Overall a great album to listen to all the way through.
Great rapping! A little minimalist in terms of production, could have been grander, but this is top 90s rap.
Loved the mix between concept and lyrics here. This was fun to listen to and there were a few clear hits from the album (backed up by Spotify listens), like Crimonology and Ice Cream that were great to listen to.
This album has spawned many an imitator, creating with an authentic mythology rappers still try to replicate today. Fav tracks: Rainy Dayz, Heaven & Hell
El debut solista del miembro del legendario Wu-Tang Clan Raekwon es una colección de canciones que hablan de la violencia de las calles de Nueva York, en un clavado profundo en la psiquis de la comunidad afroamericana estadounidense de los ‘90s que se transformó en un antecedente del subgénero del “mafioso rap”. La producción es increíble, el flow casi intocable, y las letras demasiado bien pensadas e interpretadas.
I struggle with any 1hr+ rap album but I did really enjoy this. 7/10 bordering 8
Best Song: Heaven & Hell. That soft backing vocals provides a nice contrast to the Wu. My favourite of Ghostface's verses from this album are on this track. Worst Song: Can It All Be So Simple. After such a dramatic intro, the song never lived up to the hype and the drama. Overall: This might as well be the Godfather of hip hop. Even when it feels dated in parts (namely the misogyny and homophobia), it's immediately obvious how it's influence spread and went on to drive how the genre changed in the decades that followed.
I liked this better than the Wu-Tang Clan. Very accessible hip-hop album, great samples too. Only quite a bit too long.
Don't know this but the Wu-Tang universe is usually alright for a listen. Yeah ok this is the hard shit lol. I don't really listen to lyrics so a lot of it goes over my head, but this fuckin thumps. Update: went for too long overall, but I did like it for a reasonable amount of time before it all got a bit much. Had a 90s swagger that I kinda miss. Recognised a song or two. 4/5.
Gangsta rap in general is pretty cringe. Nowadays I often associate it with 40+ year olds with alcohol and/or cigarette issues trying to act "tough". But that doesn't mean I avoid such territory. It's like the town's rough neighborhood, it definitely has some gems in it, but you gotta explore it with caution. Anyway, the best thing about this album is the production. The beats felt like they sit in the slick sweet spot between gangsta rap and Dr. Dre's G-funk beats. Fortunately, I'm one who focuses more on the sound than on the lyrics, so I enjoyed this album more than I cringed.
This one I’m still struggling with. At first I barely liked anything at all. But it’s slowly opening up layer by layer. And there’s a lot of greatness on this album! The sampling, the flow, the melodies. Very solid! 7,5 out of 10
Un autre album d'un membre du Wu Tang que je préfère à 36 Chambers. Vraiment des très bons beats, les flows sont très solides, les feat sont tous bien placés et pertinents. Généralement un très bon album, manque juste un petit quelque chose pour vraiment m'accrocher complètement. 8.5/10
Capturing the through-line from the ghetto gangster fantasy to the mafiosa fantasy in ridiculously adept flow has a niche but definite genius. This genre is not always my favorite (and arguably not "for me" anyway) but of what I've heard I think this is among the best.
Raekwon is a ridiculously talented rapper (and so is the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan obviously). I wish he was working with more interesting lyrics and used fewer homophobic slurs but overall this album is pretty great.
Banger
Exceptionally pleasing to listen to, but not for an hour and fifteen minutes. Too repetitive. Kinda? changes it up towards the end. A pretty influential album. Great samples and lyrics. Enjoyed it. 4/5
top tier rap album. last 4 songs are 🔥 (ice cream). really a 4 1/2
I just love 90's rap.
One of the best albums by a member of the Wu-Tang clan.
- Only ever heard 36 Chambers before - Really good, if a bit too long - Not quite as good as 36 Chambers, but still a really solid 90s hip hop album - Fav songs: Criminology, Ice Cream, Knuckleheadz
It's a Wu Tang Clan mob story, whats not to like? Tight lyrics, sparse and varied production, awesome feats. Wasn't sure whether I was in Staten Island or Stevenage waiting for the rail replacement bus today.
Lyrically dense and challenging. Definitely provides a dark portrait of inner city life coupled with some pretty engaging layered music. The samples enhance the mood and I really enjoyed Raekwon's delivery (as well as his guest rappers). Impressive album (even though the interludes do detract a bit for me).
Excellent
Lit and fun!
I actually enjoyed the album and thought it was great all around; definitely hear Wu Tang samples all around throughout, not to mention many collaborations with Ghostface. 8/10.
yoo
Dope we
Only Built 4/5 Cuban Linx
pusha t, freddie gibbs, griselda, or any other mafioso rapper would probably not exist if it wasn't for this album. the beats and the lyrics work so well together and i love the gritty atmosphere of all of it. despite this being a raekwon album though, i feel that the person who really takes the show is ghostface killah as he has the best verse on nearly every song on this album. but don't get me wrong, everyone on this album does great. there are still some problems i have with the album, namely some of the outros going on for too long and a lot of the homophobia as well. but despite that, this album definitely deserves it's classic status.
I don't listen to a lot of hip hop, but when I do... I want it to be hip hop like this. Love this era. Whether it's the more socially conscious stuff like Tribe or street-wise Wu it's just too damn good. boom
I'm a sucker for 90s Wu Tang. RZA in a creative fever pitch. To me his beats are THE quintessential hip hop sound.
🥷🏿
Staten Island is really only good for two things - The mob, and the wu-tang. This kind of wraps up and connects all that shit into a modern gangster mobster rap 90s thing. Anyway, its a good album. 4/5
Grimy hip hop at its best - feels like steaming city sewers and darkened alley ways populated by Shaolin and Samurai - battling leather clad spiked epauletted hoodlums for street supremacy. It gets better the longer you listen to it - and while on first listen it might feel special - it’s a hauntingly awesome album with great beats and rhymes and deep cut hooks.
Huh, julmetun kovat biitit jälleen RZA:lta. Teknisesti hyvää räbää myös, vaikka lyriikat aika lörs. Ehkä 3,5/5, mutta pyöristyköön ylös, kun tämmöiselle todella on paikkansa taustamusana. Säälihän se, että niin monessa musiikillisesti upeassa rap-klassikossa sanoja ei jaksa kuunnella.
Old school hiphop, rene bars, chill beats, wu-tang-vibes
Sounded good to me
ever heard this album before. Great stuff. Hard to top the beats and musical production on the stuff I've heard from Wu Tang members. Definitely on the "return to" list.
Raekwon was part of the Wu-Tang Clan, which is nothing to mess with
Idk kinda hit, sore throat td, nervous about apt, let’s chill
i wanted more from this. its solid, well produced and well performed but there isn't enough of a reason for most of the tracks, i'm not saying there needs to be a massive chorus or hookline but a lot of them just were there. maybe the purpose is in the lyrics, but i'm not really one for prioritising lyrics over the music, and besides trying to listen to hip hop intently listening to lyrics would be some serious mental exercise due to the sheer quantity of words used and unreferenced slang.
coolio
Was familiar with a few tracks. Holds together well as an album and has a distinctive sound that is Wu Tang-adjacent but breaks new ground.
I fucking loved the Purple tape when I was 13. Loved it so much, my Dad took away my CD and told me to play something else. And it still hits hard, lyrics are dense and complex. Rae and Ghost are in their prime here, hitting every track with haymakers. Love Nas's guest appearance. This brought back a lot of memories.
This is a great record, arguably the best Wu Tang "spin-off". It really only has one flaw: it's too damn long. I don't know precisely what I'd chop off of this album but as enjoyable as the songs are, fatigue sets in for real. It's a great record that I will certainly continue enjoying, but I prefer to do it as a sundae rather than an entire half gallon tub. Damn album's got ice cream on my brain.
Fresh lyrics
Not my favorite solo wu album but super solid
Classic! Raekwon is one of my favorite emcees. Time for another listen.
Solid but dated.
Lot of good songs that make this 4 rather than 3.
For the most part the production is great. The album is a bit too long for my liking, however it's pretty damn solid. I liked more songs than I disliked, so that's a win in my book. I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could, but I'll happily round up to 4.
A classic 90s rap album. Raekwon created a great solo album to show his skills outside of Wu Tang. While still heavy with Wu Tang members. This albums shows Kwons strong lyricism and good selection with beats. The album is a real street style rap that gives a look to Raekwons insight. One of the better solo albums from Wu. This is a great rap album that’s easy to listen to. 7.7/10
Great album, the length was definitely an issue, the songs are all classic.
I started listening to this album thinking oh here we go again, gangsters and hos from one of the ol Wu Tang lot. But by the end I was hooked, what Raekwon did was take those dissonant and melancholy sounds married to some beats and spoke elegantly to it all. It was like a hip hopera the highs and lows. Dirty deals and need to succeed and get out. And while the lyrics were no Gill Scott Heron they were right and concise. Yes this was very good well done Raekwon from 2 decades ago.
Raekwon definitely goes for the throat of the entire New York scene here. Ghostface features on this and his touches are well paced and perfectly placed.
Kolejne wutangowe zaskoczenie na liscie, tym razem padlo na debiutancki material Raekwona, czyli only build 4 cuban linx niggaz z roku 95, znany takze jako purpurowa tasma, bo pan Raekwon jak przystalo na jednego z bardziej gangsterskich czlonkow skladu chcial czyms wyroznic swoj towar, wiec kasetka byla kolorowa, podobnie jak na innych materialach ekipy piecze nad produkcja sprawuje pan RZA, a wsrod ficzurow mozna znalezc wiekszosc skladu, z mocnym naciskiem na pana Ghostface, ktory jest druga gwiazda krazka pojawiajaca sie na prawie kazdym utworze, album opowiada historie gettowego zycia wsrod przestepczosci zorganizowanej i dazenia do lepszego zycia dwoch chlopow, a to wszystko opowiedziane ciezkim flow nafaszerowanym slowami zagadkami odnoszacymi sie do piecoprocentowcow, album ten mial byc punktem w ktorym do zycia wrocil mafijny rap na wschodnim wybrzezu, jak chocby debiut pana Jaya czy zycie po smierci Biggiego grubo czerpia z cubanowych linxow, a jest z czego zbierac notatki, bo plyta ma prawie 70 minut na 18 trakach lub 16 odejmujac dwa skity, jest to chyba najbardziej chambersowo brzmiacy album wsrod solowej dyskografii czlonkow grupy, beaty brzmia rownie brudno jak na pierwszych komnatach, chociaz mniej jest samplowania wschodnich filmow, to jednak calosc brzmi rownie szorstko, na plejke raczej nic nie dodaje, bo i tak juz szesc trakow mam, ale hajlajtowymi momentami jak dla mnie to ficzur inspektora decka, wiec guillotine, verbal intercourse, ktory jest jednym z niewielu utworow z kims z poza klanu, bo na beacie pojawia sie pan Nas, ciezko wybrac ostatniego, bo choc materialu jest sporo to jest on rowny i nie czuc filerow, a RZA na produkcji sie nigdy nie nudzi, bo potrafi on wyczarowac harde boom bapowe beaty, ale tez cos prawie funkowego z klawiszami, organami, ktore tworza linie basowa, a do tego wokale rodem z r&b, ktore zamykaja kompozycje, jak ma to miejsce na traku heaven and hell, ktory jest przed ostatnim lub ostatnim utworem plyty i jest dobrym zakonczeniem tego jakze filmowego winylaka, zaraz sie okaze, ze to wu tangi beda liderami w ilosci pozycji na liscie, jesli zliczyc materialy solowe grupy razem, byloby to mile zaskoczenie
Exactly what I imagine this to sound like.
"I am your Ghost and your Rae, this is my Purple Tape." Pusha T's shoutout to this album, a staple of the classic Wu-Tang era. It's often called the Purple Tape because, well, it was released on a purple cassette tape. Just like Liquid Swords, this is one of the solo outings from Wu-Tang that I prefer to their group work (even though this feels like a group project at times). Ghostface is a frequent presence, and there are excellent features from the likes of Inspectah Deck, Method Man, and GZA. I think Cappa Donna's feature sounded like Phife to me, and Raekwon almost sounds like MF DOOM a few times on here. I love this vintage hip hop that feels dark and gritty, that energy ages well. I don't know what to say other than I really, really dig this and a lot of the tracks on it. Any hip hop on this list is a breath of fresh air, but this one is especially nice. Favorite tracks: Guillotine, Glaciers of Ice, Ice Cream, Knowledge God, Knuckleheadz, Spot Rusherz, Rainy Dayz. Album art: Seemingly just a picture of Raekwon and Ghostface, nothing too special. The color scheme and the matching text has given this a permanent feel, and I think it has become instantly recognizable. Still, I do think it's a pretty weak cover. Almost hot to the touch, but nothing crazy. 4.5/5
Slaps hard
Rating: 7/10
Four stars An all-time classic, and an album which still holds its own many years after it was released. The only grudge I have against this album is that it's too long compared to other early Wu-Tang solo outputs such as Genius/GZA's *Liquid Swords* or Method Man's *Tical*, which are straight to the point and offer a more rewarding experience on the whole. As is usually the case with those classic albums, I won't write a full-blown review here given that others have already written wonderful stuff about them and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. *Only Built For Cuban Linx* is just a timeless gem for anyone who has even a remote interest in rap and hip hop. Go and listen to it a.s.a.p. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 952 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 22 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 12 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 15
Really fantastic stuff here.
I need to listen to more Wu-tang
I love the dark, grimey sound across this record. It might not be my favorite Wu album, but it's definitely up there.
Some of that classic grimy east coast hip hop. Raekwon floats over RZAs production and the Wu Tang features just add to the feel. So much influence from this album on late 90s/early 00s hip hop with the mafioso wave.
The big standout here is RZA, whose production maintains such a rock solid ambience for Ghostface and Raekwon to play around in. Raekwon and Ghostface are definitely delivering bars, but unfortunately something about Ghostface's vocal delivery is just not my favorite. I respect the differentiation, but it still sticks out enough to drop down a star for me.
A lot better than expected! Again, I do have...opinions when it comes to rap and hip-hop, but I like to think my tastes are malleable and not super stagnant. Anyway, I could not get over how much I loved the hooks and the beats. I wasn't paying that much attention to the lyrics, I'll admit that.
An album i know very very well. I grew up with this one. Criminology, Rainy dayz, Guillotine, Verbal intercourse, Glaciers of ice, Ice cream, Heaven and Hell, are all 100% absolute classics, some of the best hip hop ever made. The rest is made up of prime Wu Tang era production, with the two best rappers from the crew. Putting this alongside Ironman, Liquid Swords and Tical, all released within the same few years, is peak Wu Tang.
Caught between 4 and 5 for this. Love the production, love the rapping and overall vibe. But.. I didn't feel like it was one that I will return to very regularly unlike the other 5s. Sorry Chef.
A tight album. Some really great bars are on here, and I love the use of samples.
I usually don’t care for English rap lyrics or pay close attention to them. For this album I read along and can appreciate them on a technical level. Everything else is excellent.
I don’t care about Scarface that much.
Pretty awesome tracks with a couple lukewarm ones. RZA really shows off his production skills entirely in this album, whereas albums like 36 Chambers or Liquid Swords are built a lot on the rapping and beats. Raekwon really imposes a lot of help from Ghost, and most of the good songs use him. The features on here are crazy too. GZA, Deck, & Nas all kill their parts. Overall a tiny big bloated but great nontheless 8/10 As of July 13th 2021 Best Tracks: Striving For Perfection, Knuckleheadz, Knowledge God, Criminology, Rainy Dayz, Guillotine (Swordz), Verbal Intercourse, Heaven & Hell
Surprisingly good, I'm far away from the target audience but an enjoyable if overlong album.
Chacho es que hay mucho menda tocho en este álbum, Nas, medio Wu Tang clan ahí metido. Vale, la movida es que es hip hop cubano... Yo poco más tengo que decir... Me la agarras con la mano si acaso. Me han molado muchas canciones del álbum, osea no es una joya, pero esta guapo y bueno al final hay que respetar los rangos, esta gente son padres de muchas cosas. Mi favorita diría que es Heaven & hell, es bastante big stoner energy y luego la peor diría que es Criminology quizás porque la base me raya demasiado. Pues yo que se peña, ganó Raek. Fuck raperos Pirris con swing. Bobby out
First mainstream "mafioso" album still feels as enthralling today as it did when it was thrust to the forefront of hip hop with this. It's a bit punishing as a rap album clocking in at almost 70 minutes but Raekwon's persona looming large and being engaging enough alongside Ghostface Killa makes it work. It's an important and incredibly influential album with plenty left to still engage with.
Legendaran album. Top 5, ako ne i top 3 najboljih Wu Tang solo albuma. Raekwon the Chef je pokido, odlični featuringi, jedino eventualno da je skratio priču doslovce, ali valjda to ide najbolje uz taj mafioso stil.
schöner klassicher 90er Rap, eindeutiger WuTang Einschlag
I can't believe I'd never heard this before. Wu Tang.
Great rap album with good producing, lyrics, flows, everything you can expect from Raekwon. Great features over the whole album that keep it interesting. I always liked this album one of my favs in the genre 8.7/10
p good
8/10. This is really good, great lyrics and production throughout. Loses points because i think trimming it down by 10-15 minutes would have made it stronger, and the conversational interludes didn't really add much.
Really good, slightly too long. 8
8.5
Not my favorite member of the Wu-tang clan, but the lyricism is undeniable. It is laced with a significant amount of homophobia and misogyny, but I accept that a bit of that came with the time. Good beats, but a little too long to maintain my interest.
Very consistent, good beat choice, amazing features 8,6/10
4got to mention last entry: 9/10s are now bein registered as 5s on here. 7s r 4s. 5s r 3s. etc etc its never bad but gets very repetitive. have trouble focusing on lyrics so if thats supposed to be this albums draw there aint much here for me. some of the beats are nice but most of them arent anything that impressive to me and they all kinda blend together. ice water is my fav track here and not suprisingly its also the one (sonically) least focused on being some dark gritty mafia bs. its just kind of a banger. anyway this is pretty good but drags a lil. not bad enough to be below an 8 so im giving it exactly that score. would rather be listenin to Insane Clown Posse - Riddle Box (1995) rn !!!!!!!!
Okay so here we go with another rap album. Probably the genre I am least familiar with especially ‘ mafioso rap’. So far so good- the lyrics are a bit cliche but I guess they weren’t at the time. The gangster film breaks in the tracks are entertaining if not a little cringe. I can see the concept (an album that’s a movie) and I think it does work. Is it me or is the recording all a little …. Crap? Anyway this album was a bit too long but fun.
One of the records I was told to hear be People Who Know when I was trying to understand rap, but of all the ‘classic’ rap records I find this one hardest to get. I love the beats, frequently love the samples, but it’s tooooo long and all the mafia nonsense in the bits of lyric I understand are boring.
good, not sure better than other stuff from the same era/group
Gangsta rap... Not my thing being white and English. But I suppose, as songs about gun violence go, this was quite good good
i don't know why but this one took me a really long time to listen to. just wasn't feeling it
Very repetitive but slick and solid boom bap. Whatever though.
There's a fine line between "having a signature style" and "repeating the same formula," and I think this album falls on the wrong side of it. Additionally, cutting about 15 minutes AND the skits would have been better for my personal listening experience. I understand how they add to the "cinematic vision" Rae and RZA had, but even with those, I'm not getting "cinematic" from this at all. For me, even if they took my (uneducated, non-artistic) suggestions, I still don't think this could have done better than three stars for me. Of the solo projects, I'm a Liquid Swords guy. ⭐⭐.51
Дала дала бил ёёе
It was OK. I appreciate Ghostface Killah as a rapper as he steals most tracks. 5.5/10 Top song Criminology
Solid rapping. Great vocals. 3.5
Okay let's hear him out. What even are Cuban links. Oh it's that kinda necklace. Yeah alright. I'll accept it. Is this an intro? I liked the ghostface killer album I got actually. They're just talking over the track they're not really rapping. Oh here we go. Ok yeah. I just don't like intros and outros in songs or albums they take me out of it. Prolly not playlist music for me but I def like it. This is very cool. Favourite: Wisdom Body Least favourite: Striving For Perfection
My opinion of rap has not improved through this process and ive found guns and hoes mostly disappointing, so i wasnt excited when this came on. However, this was better than expected. Enough quality production, and varied ideas in it to make it interesting. i wouldnt come back to it but it had merit
Not my typical cup of tea but I liked it.
Pretty good.
Wu-Tang forever
I guess ok
Raekwon lyrically and tonally is a bit serious for my tastes, I’d have liked a bit more of a sense of humour, but the command he has of his flow and the hypnotic beats do a lot of heavy lifting. It’s exceptionally well produced and made for a vibey, floaty listen.
Nothing really stood out for me here tbh
the rapping is good. the samples/instrumentation is pretty interesting in all, but it's just one per song for the most part and therefore every song gets very repetitive. make the album 70 minutes long and it is a slog to get through. less can definitely be more. i think there is some great stuff in here and with some editing it could be better. i also do not know who rap skits are for. i have never heard anyone positively mention a rap skit.
I bought this album when it was originally released, but I haven't really listened to it much. That tells a story on it's own as I also bought 'Enter the 36 Chambers' on release and then bought anything Wu Tang related for several years, and this album is the only one I didn't get into. I don't know why that is. There's not one single standout track. There's nothing special about it. I enjoyed it, not no more than that.
So, this is a cinematic album, continuing from what Wu-Tang Clan did. My whole experience with this whole crew is a few cuts here and there and going to see their farewell tour last year. I listened to this album only once this time and it needs a proper relisten like many good rap records do. There is a depth in the humour and lyrics that can only be gleaned after a few times of listening. Snatches of different mob movies are throughout. I recognized de Niro but since I generally do subs not dubs, the Killer's words weren't super obvious. Replacing a lot of the Kung Fu films background, there is more orchestral elements such as appeared in Shaft. I guess it was lucky that I heard that before this one came up. I am not sure I would have made that connection otherwise. And of course, some of the "Oriental" influence made its way back into experimental hip hop. See Ninja Tunes. I let most of it wash over me, dipping in and paying close attention to several bars at a time. Also, paying more attention to the skits between. This feels like a reimagining of everyday life for them. Much like NWA, there is a honesty here while putting on the mafia or mob persona that rings true. There is a parallel of taking care of your own. The violence that sometimes exist over doing business while still trying to take care of your community and your family. This is a solid 3. One that I will go back and listen to; hopefully, to get a better grasp of the bars.
In this edition of "The Wu-Tang Clan Goes Solo" we've got Raekwon and Ghostface Killah (with RZA on production) collaborating here. Mafioso rap is the name of the game here, as this album is more presented as a movie or a grand story of success. Minus the bloat, this is a well-produced album that, on top of using tasteful sampling, really lets Raekwon and Ghostface (and each of the guests) shine. I don't know if I enjoyed this quite as much as RZA's "Liquid Swords", but it's certainly not far behind.
Not a bad album, very hard lyrics. I wouldn't listen again.
90’s Hip Hop ⭐️Verbal Intercourse
Mycket stark trea, men når inte till samma höjder som Wu-Tang
Stabilt och med en del featurings som höjer några låtar.
Bueno no está mal no me encanta el rap pero entretenido escucharlo
Good album that unfortunately has to live in the shadow of 36 Chambers
not a bad album but just not for me fave - can it all be so simple
Will listen deeper 3
Kinda faded into the background as it went on. I typically don’t vibe with most older rap music, but this wasn’t too bad. I’m sure his influence is grand but I just wasn’t listening to this music at the time to understand it.
Striving for Perfection 2.7 Knuckleheadz 3 Knowledge God 2.9 Criminology 3.1 Incarcerated Scarfaces 3 Rainy Dayz 3.2 Guillotine (Swordz) 2.8 Can It Be All So Simple (Remix) 3 Shark Niggas (Biters) n/a Ice Water 2.9 Glaciers of Ice 3.3 Verbal Intercourse 2.8 Wisdom Body 3 Spot Rusherz 2.7 Ice Cream 3.3 Wu-Gambinos 2.6 Heaven & Hell 3.3 Score: 2.975
My kingdom for fewer skits.
The way the first one flows is INSANE. Probably the best rhymes i;ve ever heard in music. I think a pet peeve of mine is albums with long "talking """songs"""" interspersed, so I was worried at first but turns out it's fine. Overall it;s alright. Didn;t finish so that's on me
298/1089 a very fine hip hop album, another case of, glad i listened to it and i enjoyed listening but i’m not really interested in going back to it faves: Knuckleheadz, Heaven & Hell, North Star (Jewels) 54/100
Pretty decent as far as 90s hip hop goes i just dont see how this stands out from other acts at the time honestly. I found the album to get a bit boring after the first few songs but theres still some good material here definetly 7/10 Favourite: Can It Be All So Simple (Remix) Least Favourite: Spot Rusherz
Fucking skits man. They honestly ruin everything. I dont even know how to properly evaluate because I'll be enjoying the album, skit comes along, I lose concentration, look at the track listing and see ive got 45 mins left. Apparently its 10 mins of skits. That's mental. Ten full minutes of fucking skits
First Wu-Tang/Wu-Tang member album. I found the entire thing quite long, it felt very bloated. Which seems to be the case with my experience with gangsta rap. Because it's a long album it's hard to remember anything that even slightly stands out, but I do remember that I found the first third of the album to be my favourite third of the album. I also remember liking the instrumental of "Knuckleheadz," I thought it was really well done. This album was a good experience in learning the voices of Raekwon and Ghostface Killah and some hints of the other members, I hope it will help when I'm called up to listen to 36 Chambers. Highlight Song/s: "Knuckleheadz" and "Guillotine (Swordz)"
(4/7) I'd seen this guy's name before but always assumed he was Korean
need to listen to this again to really appreciate it. i'm not in the headspace to do so right now and to truly devote myself to understanding it.
I see the influence it has, not my favorite rap album but it’s ok
It’s hard to rate 90s rap because I’m not of the culture, so I can’t really contextualize it the way it’s meant to be heard. That said, I’ve enjoyed these Wu-Tang albums, even if I don’t really “get” it.
j'ai pas la tête au rap en ce moment, j'ai dû essayer 8x de le jouer au complet. Au risque de me répéter, les rappers s'aideraient s'ils faisaient pas à chaque fois des albums de 1h15+. Okay les loops et le drums sont groovys par moment, mais je suis complètement soûlé.
Raekwon you have to stop. your smoke too tough. your swag too different. your bitch too bad. they’ll kill you
Actually really liked this. Some great sounds and a great rapper
Decent old school 90's rap, enjoyable but not a standout in my mind (comparing to illmatic, or other great albums). Some intense cut scenes of someone getting shot was interesting. Fave song: Can it be all so simple, Ice Cream
A member of the Wu-Tang Clan with a solo album. Includes special guests: The Wu-Tang Clan!
I like I like, criminology and heaven & hell were my fav. It went on a bit long for my taste tho
album #36 pros: this album is fantastically produced and clearly a huge influence on ensuing rap albums. it's got interesting lyrical storytelling, with some sick features. the sampling throughout the album is great fun, especially the beginning of "wu-gambinos". cons: this album suffers the fate of many 90s albums - it's too bloated, which reduces it's impact a bit especially since the second half is so strong. some of the references are also a bit lost on me, but i think this is more because i'm not from the US lol. neither pro nor con: the second half of the album is by far my favourite and feels the strongest, execution-wise. i can understand why the first half is there, but boy the b-sides are *so* strong. i feel this is an album you need to listen to more than once to fully appreciate. overall, it's a good album that deserves its place on the list but just isn't my taste as much. ꩜ average track rating: 2.7/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): ice water, wu-gambinos, wisdom body ꩜ least favourite track(s): the skits ꩜ album rating: ★★★☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,053 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 23 (+1 Only Bult 4 Cuban Linx) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 9 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 27
El primer album de hip hop que realmente ,me parecio un bodrio. Nota: 2.7
Solid but thought it'd be more of a classic
I’m no fan of rap and hip hop, but of all the albums on this list it’s the Wu Tang adjacent ones that are the best. This is ok.
Ok, he likes king fu
It was good, but no outstanding track, a lot of talking over
This is a good one off listen.
I’ve always been a fan of Tiger style Wu-Tang forever! 3.5 stars
Some pretty good mid 90s rap that I hadn't before. Highlights: "Knuckleheadz" and "Can It All Be So Simple"
Eliminate all the name drops, and you've got a streamlined, 38 minute album.
I am bumping this up to three stars. Bad language and would only listen to this in private, but I liked the bass lines, the harmonies, and his voice. Three stars.
Another member of the Wutang clan has hit the 1001 albums before you die playlist. A bit to much homophobia on this one, we get it your straight but man using the f slur a hundred times doesn’t really get the point across. Anything with Method Man is fantastic. 5/10
For what it is it's alright. I like he backing tracks and the rapping is acceptable. Very long though.
Klinkt goed, gaaf album, maar teveel van hetzelfde en daardoor echt te lang.
3.5/5. My first Wutang-Adjacent album on the generator and it’s solid! I don’t like it as much as 36 chambers or some of the other Wutang solo albums, but there’s still a number of good songs on here and the production/beats are mostly great. it is maybe a bit overlong though and it suffers from the homophobia that was unfortunately very prevalent in rap music at this time. But when everything comes together it works really well and there’s no denying this albums influence over east-coast hip hop.
This is a pretty solid ’90s hip-hop album. With Ghostface Killah featured on most of the tracks, it almost feels like a another Ghostface album at times. It doesn’t really have a standout track, but as a whole it delivers a consistently good vibe and is an enjoyable listen.
I was never a fan of the repetitive beat no matter how great the text, I did not listen to the whole album. I stopped early on. This vote should not matter to anyone who likes this musical style
6/10… gangsta rap / hip-hop/ *1995
A big overlap with Wu Tang, piano samples, slightly dissonant sound. So when Raekwon gives a lecture about not copying him and being original ('Shark [Fellas]'), there's actually very little original here not already attempted by Wu Tang. Inevitable, given RZA is the driving force behind all the beats/sampling (even the seemingly ever present sample 'Can It All Be So Simple' is used). It influenced gangsta rap, which will forever be it's millstone, but it well conveys the grime of NYC in the late 80s/early 90s (alongside Wu Tang albums, Liquid Swords and Tical). Yet often these solo albums feel they are missing the power of the collective, and the grounding fraternal humour that stops everyone getting too big for their boots. Humour is completely absent here and Raek genuinely revels in being like a Mafia boss, which is manosphere behaviour. There's also a continuing appreciation for Trump in hip hop of the 90s ('Incarcerated Scarfaces') which has aged about as well as Sharon Osbourne. Still decent though.
Not my favourite from the Wu-Tang collective
I like WuTang a lot and Raekwon is one of my favorite members. Some really great songs and production throughout but just way too long.
good album, 3 stars
Not my style but it was good rap
I forget how skit-heavy 90’s hip-hop was. Genius move by RZA to negotiate individual deals for the member of Wu-Tang. How many other members are on this list?
40# I wanted to like this but it was not hitting and the boom bap beats when i was listening with a headache were not good for them. I'll have to listen another time.
I know Raekwon is super influential in hip-hop but I wasn’t vibing with this - I did however thoroughly enjoy ‘Wu-Gambinos’ and ‘Heaven & Hell’.
This RZA album is fantastic.
Not bad, not good. Middling hip-hop album for me. Enjoyed some stuff, and totally missed me with some others. Nothing that really stood out
3.25 - I've never really listen to any Wu-Tang or Wu-Tang adjacent music, but this was pretty good. Too many skits/filler, which is normal for the era.
I enjoy the Wu Tang, and I know the reputation this album has, but it didn't really grab me. Possibly I just wasn't able to grasp the density of the lyrics? The production is rough, in both positive and negative senses. It very mich feels like a demo thrown together on an MPC - drums are off beat, samples are crudely filtered. It feels raw and unpolished...maybe I just prefer a little polish? Still an interesting listen, and I can never get enough of Method Man on anything, so a straight 3.
Gangster rap is not for me and i don't have the cultural capital to evaluate it
Not really my thing. I think if you didn't listen to 90s hip hop in the 90s, you're missing a connection to it. I'm like an iPad kid trying to sit down and put on an early Chaplin short.
To quote Poison this was too much, too soon, or just a little too late. But I'm quoting Poison so maybe I'm not the audience for this.
Nice
A giant, ambitious, in-your-face gangsta rap album. A little too long and a little too repetitive, but I like the samples, beats, and performances.
meh
Convencido de que Dr. Dre es pop después de escuchar esto. Buen maleanteo, aunque muy largo para mi gusto.
Okay sick and this is Raekwon's solo debut too. 70 minutes is a long ass time and Wu-Tang can sometimes be sorta dense just by the nature of it. But, I've got high hopes. I'm sure I'll hear some crazy sample work. May have to break this one up as it is getting late and I must sleep. 1. Striving for Perfection - yeah there's that sample work. Wiki says the album is supposed to be cinematic and in the vein of a mafia film and I feel that very strongly here. Something about pioneering mafioso rap? Anyway, this is just a skit to intro things. It does well at that, I understand the premise. 2. Knuckleheadz - YUP there's that sample work. Honestly it's gonna be hard to type while trying to catch all their verses in one listen. Goddamn though Ghostface in like a truck. U-God has incredible flow, so funky. 3. Knowledge God - yup there's that sample work. Some of the coolest work in that decade comes from Wu Tang. Some stuff super aged poorly but I dunno, I'm meeting it where it is. It's a Wu Tang album from 1995, some things are unfortunately expected. Okay have to break for bed, really tired. I'm gonna try going through this with a lyric sheet, I feel like I'll get more out of it than just the beat which is almost guaranteed to be good. 4. Criminology - fuck RZAs sampling work is godlike. Ghostface kinda showing up Rae on his own album though. That first verse was insane, flow incredible 5. Incarcerated Scarfaces - DOOM and RZA have the same idea about using spoken samples to set a mood, both really work. RZA just gets his from movies mostly and DOOM goes TV and cartoons. That black Trump line aged like heavy cream. Two of em actually. I say aged poorly but I dunno, that's not uncommon for hip hop in the 90s and 00s even among the lighter acts. I heard something about musty Africans and A-rabs? I dunno, I'm not offended on behalf of anyone but I can recognize that it's jacked up. Beat was a little weak, too. 6. Rainy Dayz - I'm realizing I have a hard time with this album cuz the music is great. The beats are RZA and it's Wu so the flow is good. Crazy mixed meters and everything. I can't relate to anything I'm reading though and that kinda dampens it for me. But only when I'm reading the lyric sheet. I can imagine this album and other """""gangster""""" rap albums caused a big stir for parents and guardians of suburbanite and rich kids. I don't think that was warranted either though, art should tell a personal story and that's what everyone on this album is doing. It's gonna hit someone right in the chest because it'll be a shared experience or set of experiences, so there's no need to get pissy over it existing. Like, this is the sort of music that kids shows written by all white guys have an episode seeing the main character run a fowl of rappers for not being "cool" and the lesson is that real "coolness" is in being yourself so take that! And those episodes miss the mark every time by misunderstanding why they're even giving that lesson, they're always very lame. So, I can't personally relate to anything here but I'm still listening and enjoying what I hear. That said, beat is a little weak on this one too (Criminology is the best so far) and Blue Raspberry is mostly not singing in tune... 7. Guillotine - RZA back with it on this one. I misspoke earlier, DOOM and RZA do take similar cues in their sampled material but RZAs are very sparse. A lot of them use shorter and less fully arranged cues from movies, while DOOMs beats get a little wider because he's using full orchestra stings often. From old superhero cartoons and such. Ghostface once again showing the whole lot up. 8. Can It Be All So Simple Remix - BEAT IS CRAZY SO IN THE POCKET. I know the original from 36 Chambers and I gotta say RZA outdid himself here, the beat is way cleaner even though a lot of it uses the same sources. 9. Shark Niggas - skit leading into the next 10. Ice Water - sample is hilarious but also super cool. Beat very heavy. Grew on me really fast after the initial laugh at the deep "ahhh" and it may be my favorite on the album. Anyway the subject matter is the closest I've gotten to connection. One thing I can imagine is that this album did wonders for people who really wanna cosplay struggle and a lifestyle from the projects, but they never actually lived that life. Music makes that sort of lifestyle visible and therefore accessible, but I remember people in the 00s taking it too far. I'm enjoying the album cuz it's good art that tells me about the artist and their lived experience, but I don't wanna live any of this or pretend like I did or do. 11. Glaciers of Ice - I'm still keeping up with the lyrics sheets but I'm not sure I'm getting a lot out of it. Gonna keep going though cuz I wanna properly engage with every part while I'm doing this whole project. Sample is a little bit of a let down after the last track 12. Verbal Intercourse - here's Nas. I like the Dilla in this beat. Just uneven enough. Insane Tupac name drop in here. Obv everyone is firing on all cylinders here. Constant use of f slur on a song called Verbal Intercourse is a choice. 13. Wisdom Body - way more chill vibe on this one, needed. Still pretty crazy with the intro though but I expect it. Beat is sick. 14. Spot Rusherz - cool beat but even reading the lyric sheet I just don't know what's going on. I'm removed from it completely, I grew up sheltered I guess. 15. Ice Cream - okay again for an album with crazy homophobia on it, that first line is insane. It becomes clearly about women later but boy. Beat is okay, not my favorite on the album. I got about halfway and skipped this one. It's got a similar setup as Buddy, but if you're gonna talk about all the ways you love women physically, you gotta do it a little more lighthearted which obv is not gonna be from Wu Tang. Otherwise it's a little too uncomfortable for me. 16. Wu-Gambinos - METHOD MAN thank god. Killed his verse too. RZA jumped in too, unusual flow as usual but it works. Not as clean as the others but that rushing of longer words into a smaller space kinda works. It's interesting at least. Beat is okay. "I call my brother son cuz he shine like one" is sick. 17. Heaven & Hell - now that's what I'm talking about, that sample is sick as fuck. That's what I think of for Wu Tang. Perfect texture for Ghost. I would love to play this with a live band. Yeah this is sick, stank face all the way. And Blue Raspberry is in the key! Hooray. 18. North Star - after the speech upfront the beat is great. Unique cuz there isn't a heavy 2 and 4 but it works. I like the sound textures on a good portion of it and Wu Tang and guests are clearly capable of their trade. I wish I could get into the subject matters a lot more than I can, cuz this may have been a 4 or 5 for me. As is, I can't give it more than like a 3.5 and that's mostly on the strength of RZAs production and Ghostface being so prominent, he's a top 10 for me. Method Man showed up and sent that one track through the roof. I dunno. Maybe on subsequent listens it'll raise up and objectively (or as close to as I can get) this is a really good album. But a big part of music and art for me is that I feel something, and that's totally subjective. First listen, there's so little to connect with here for me other than the damn fine beatmaking that I don't really have a strong feeling to note. Glad I listened to it, will do again in the future but I don't think it'll be right away. One thing that gets me listening back to all of this on WhoSampled is the breadth of samples is nuuuuuts. What do you mean Knowledge God samples Stanley Black's Russia from 1965?? That is so obscure I can't even find much info on the album. I think like 2.5 or 3 of this 3.5 goes to RZA, that's insane creative ability. And dedication to the craft, I would never think to use something almost by definition unfunky to make a beat. but he did and it was great. Hmm. I'm gonna go back to this one sooner than I thought and reassess.
My pale ass can't offer any critique for hiphop or rap.
Vibes
3,5
Raekwon is a master
me gusta que sea una historia, esta semana no estuve muy en el mood para rap entonces em esta costando, pero se que en cualquier otro momento me encataria, life. me lo guardo para otro momento i guess
Solid listen :)
It was ok...pretty solid.
- we’re all living but its a constant struggle to keep on living. this album takes u deep into the urban jungle, the struggles, the projects. word is bond. raw and insanely cool, thank you raekwon and wu tang. u need to be critical when u talk about wu tang and their nine-member rap group in staten island, the influence they had in the least recognized borough. flow and influence still prominent.
Сперва не понравилось, потом понравилось. Фоном прослушал легко. Если где-то услышу - не узнаю, но уши не закрою.
3 Stars (8/15)
2.5. Too long
Good rap album, I’d give it 3.5 but I feel with more listens I’d enjoy it even more.
I'm not a Wu afficionado but I like GZA more. I also would have liked a bit more gravelly Method Man seasoning too.
I like his autobiography. I like Wu. This album was....fine. I lean toward Method Man as my preferred Wu vocalist.
Not going to lie, I found my toes tapping along to quite a few of the songs on this.
A bit too stripped back for me to be particularly interesting. I prefer a bit more musicality/sampling etc to temper just a constant flow of words. At the same time, a few songs landed, so yeah it was OK.
Musically, the minimalist, stripped-back beats underneath these rap tracks are really cool, you could almost say elegant. Apparently this album’s musical style was very influential on later hip hop artists, which is understandable since it’s such a good platform to rap over. The rap itself is sharp and visceral ‘street’ rap: drugs, violence, gangs are central themes. It all feels experience-based and authentic (which, from background reading, it was). But the rappers had a philosophy and that also comes through the grittiness. I don’t need to hear it again, but I’m glad I heard it once.
Nice album, perfect for making breakfast. Faves in album order: Incarcerated Scarfaces Rainy Dayz Can It Be All So Simple Spot Rusherz Heaven & Hell North Star
Okay. A lot of pretty expected intros/outros that kind of ruined the flow for me. Gullotine slaps as always though.
Too long but anything from the Wu-Tang guys is usually solid.
very wutang
I am admittedly not a fan of rap music. I can appreciate it, but it's just not my thing. This is not an album I would ever seek out and listen to. Having said that, I can totally appreciate this album for what it is. It's truly more like listening to the audio of a movie than listening to an album. Truly genius in how it's put together. Definitely a classic and influential rap/hip hop album.
herregud så gøy med noe fra 90 tallet OG som ikke er rock!!!!! et album jeg har utsatt. // gøy!!!!!!!! dette fortjener mer listens før jeg egt gir en rating høydepunkt: Heaven & Hell
überraschend nicht schlecht, mag diesen old-school rap eigentlich gar nicht. aber gute beats und nicht so schlecht anzuhören. dennoch kein Lied dabei, dass mich vom Hocker gerissen hat.
Haven’t heard much Wu-Tang music but this album had some decent tracks
Not a big fan of rap in general but it was a nostalgic listen into the early days of the genre.
Too much trop long même si y’a des sons super sympa il est pas aux même niveaux que els autres
Bon album un peu long 7/10 Chanson pref : Rainy dayz
This was pivotal in the 90s rap scene and the production is great, but it’s not something I’d personal return to.
I’m not the target audience for this one. I do like some hip hop but usually the more rhythmic stuff. This is tougher. So I don’t really vibe with it, but it didn’t bother me either. I’ll score it down the middle.
The album seems a bit long and not that musically interesting.
A really good sounding hip-hop record that feels like a link between the early hip-hop and the genre's peak in the late nineties/early noughties. Its got technically impressive, gritty production value with great flows and effortless bars. My issue, as with many hip-hop albums, is that this is just far too long to keep attention for one listening session. The relentless beats and violent themes become repetitive and fatiguing after over seventy minutes. Also, I'm so bored of the trope of long spoken interludes which are just strings of expletives and the word "Nigga" being used instead of punctuation. These really kill the flow of the album for me and the content certainly doesn't stand up to modern sensibilities. If you took a twenty minute snippet of almost any part of this album I would probably be left wanting more. As it is, I was left waiting for it to finish.
Although it's not my favorite genre, this is a good album. My rating of 3 is mainly because it doesn't quite fit my preferences. After a few listens, I get really tired of the swearing and slang, which I don't always understand :-)
Interesting and better than the other U-Tane member album I heard, SZA
3,0 - Das war jetzt das erste Album aus dem Wu Tang-Kosmos, das mir wirklich gefallen hat. Es ist immer noch nicht mein Genre, aber kann man sich gut anhören. Highlights: Criminology, Rainy Days
Decent stuff here. I like the features too.
I missed this album yesterday. "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" is a good album. Like yesterday's album, it started great, but got boring during the 2nd half. RZA's production always impresses me, no matter what. Tomorrow will be Christmas Day. 3 stars for "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx".
What I love about Wu-Tang is that all their individual/solo work features the exact same people on the regular Wu-Tang records so it may as well be a WTC record. I believe Raekwon was one of the first to do this. This is more a gripe with the rise of CD's/the 1990's in general, but fuck me I cannot stand the runtime of rap albums being 75 minutes long. Some albums take the piss, like that Outkast Shitboxxx album, but others are just painfully long. Plenty of bangers on this thing, Guillotine is such a highlight on this thing it overshadows everything else. But honestly this thing is just wayyyyy to fucking long. Good as background music and plucking off good hits, but an insane amount of filler on this thing. Less is more, lad.
A fantastic album. Always good to hear from the Wu
Surprised myself by enjoying this. Could do without the guns and drugs but the big beat background was great and the trap swagger was infectious.
Actually enjoyed listening to this. Have never listened through an entire rap album before now.
I always feel like a tourist listening to gangsta rap, and I'm just generally not a fan, so it's difficult to rate this objectively. This is pretty good though! Good beats and atmospheres, and I like Raekwon's voice. 3 stars, but it's no doubt worth more to those who like this sorta thing.
A good solid 90s rap album.
This is #day488 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… so you're saying aside from 36 Chambers I also must hear Wu Tang members' solo albums? Well, I don't mind some '90s hip-hop now and then. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day489.
I mean I liked it, but it kind of sounded like Wu-Tang, but missing some of the voices
Oh my god, this went on forever. I like old school hip hop, for a couple tracks. Then it starts to get so repetitive. I'm sure people love this, but I was already checking how many tracks I had to go about halfway through. I want to give this a 2, but I'm sure there's more merit to it than I'm giving credit. But I have a long backlog of albums to get through and I don't have the fortitude to dig into this with repeated listens. So I'll just call it a 3. 3/5 Highlights: Criminology Guillotine (Swordz)
Wu Tang Forever, but this one is very similar to all other Wu Tang stuff, especially Enter the Wu Tang. Has a bunch of clan guest appearances and I can see why these solo albums aren't all that special. I still enjoyed it though.
Jeg liker Wu Tang godt, og derfor skulle jeg ønske jeg likte dette bedre. Klarer ikke helt å sette fingern på det, men låtene gir meg lite. Skitsene er for mange (og det mener jeg om mine favoritter De La Soul også). Rappingen drukner litt i bunntunge låter. Kan hende det sitter bedre etter flere gjennomlyttinger, men i denne omgangen er det midt på treet for meg.
Mid skool rap , heavily influenced by the Wutan . Beats are mid tempo and the rapping is clear and crisp with out being interesting Is good not great . Formulaic in its skit / talking intro before each track . Basically a wanna be wutan . Looks like the sum is great than the parts when the rest of the clan add creativity. Sadly more Lidle Wutan than lil Wutan 3/5
neat vibes. i've never listened to wu-tang before so this is my first exposure. when i think of skits in rap albums, i've only known comedy ones before. So it's refreshing to hear a serious concept album like this.
Loooved the samples, loved the overall vibe. Would need more time with it to absorb the lyrics. Probably a 3.5 - no half-stars strikes again!
I liked this kind of a smooth rap record. some nice tunes
This is a good
While I love the Wu tang, this solo effort just didn’t do it for me. Missing something that made it sizzle and I can’t put my finger on it
Sometimes great, mostly overly long and the concept is a bit too far flung
I can't hear it's brilliance. Decent rap.
Not my thing, but decent.
A decent rap album, not really a standout but nice to hear from the Wu. 3/5
It works as a film soundtrack type of album, or an audiobook telling a story. But I find rap hard to listen to for its sheer repetition.
I’m a wu tang fan, but this isn’t my favorite. Some editing would have helped
I like the production, samples, and flow of this one but didn’t care much for the lyrical content. It’s also too long.
this is pretty sick. I love this era of hip hop where everything feels very punk and very new. The beats are cool and flowing. The lyrics keep you grounded and tell great stories. I wouldn't say my mind was blown, but I enjoyed this!
It was ok. Also, I'm not sure it could be considered a solo album when his fellow Wu-Tang member is featured on nearly every track.
Solid but didn't knock me out of my chair. Given the name I was expecting Cuban music influences, but I didn't hear much of that. Just down the middle US hip hop as far as my uninformed ear could tell. I liked some of the piano samples mixed in. Beats were a bit of a monotonous background purely there to mark time for the rapping and samples. Fine but nothing too special.
Some straightforward, decently energetic hip hop with basic, repetitive beats. Not my thing. They're good rappers, through. If that's what you care about, then I guess this album is pretty good. The production is very lo-fi and boomy, which I also don't really like. Can't say I have any strong feeling regarding this album. Didn't love, didn't hate it—it was fine.
wu tang clan lead rapper, reminds me of hip hop class.
People don't talk enough about how the introduction of CD technology led to artists putting twice as much content as really necessary on their albums.
The boldness of Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon to release his debut solo record hot on the heels of Wu-Tang's own debut cannot be understated, but such was the revolutionary impact of Wu-Tang's debut, 1993's 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' that solo releases from the group's members were quickly sought after. When Raekwon's debut, 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx' dropped in 1995, East Coast Hip-Hop had begun to make a comeback to the mainstream after it had lost favour to the hardened edge of the West Coast Hip-Hop scene led by N.W.A. Wu-Tang Clan was the East Coast's reply to N.W.A. and, along with The Notorious B.I.G. and Nas, ensured that East Coast Hip-Hop still had plenty of life after Run D.M.C. and Public Enemy. What's quite interesting about this album is Raekwon's ability to combine street talk with rather atmospheric soundscapes. It's very much a 90s record in style and scope, and fellow Wu-Tang member RZA helps Raekwon sound quite immediate and cinematic, as if its trying to put several Grand Theft Auto missions to songs. There's plenty more Wu-Tang member cameos throughout the album too, so you could almost say this is a Wu-Tang album without the Wu-Tang name, but Raekwon is certainly the star of the show here, and while this album's a little too drawn out for my liking, the raps and spoken word passages are, for the most part, quite interesting indeed. Best songs: Guillotine (Swordz), Verbal Intercourse, Wu Gambinos
This one was really cool, but it could’ve been shorter, and I feel like the beats could’ve been more varied.
Je suis pas méga habituée au rap américain / hip hop des années 1990 mais je sais que j'aime bien quand c'est un style assez dansant avec des instrus sympa assez travaillées derrière. J'écouterais pas tous les jours mais j'ai passé un bon moment - contente de visualiser plus clairement un artiste de ce répertoire et de mettre un nom sur ce premier album qui apparemment a été bien plébiscité à sa sortie. Un peu moins fan des interludes de mise en situation gangsta qui prennent pas mal de place, c'était l'esprit de l'époque faut croire.
j’aurais aimé apprécier l’album plus que ça, mais je pense qu’il me manque des références pour vraiment réussir a le situer dans le paysage musical (apparemment c’est un album qui se démarque par des métaphores et des punchlines ultra-percutantes au moment de sa sortie) —un sentiment de ne pas l’avoir apprécié à sa juste valeur malgré le fait que le rap US est un de mes genres de prédilection
not my type, but the ritm is very nice
Pleasant surprise. Solid three-and-a-half stars for me.
Decent album but a little too long
I love Wu-Tang, but this felt fairly middling. It wasn’t bad at all, and I think it should have gotten its sales and praise at the time, but it just can’t stand alone in this list next to actual Wu-Tang and groundbreaking hip-hop albums.
Rap niet helemala mijn straatje
I respect it more than I like it. I know this is the cool Wu-Tang project to say is your favorite but honestly it’s just never fully connected with me. Also this algorithm for the project is so weird. I go half a year with no 90s hip hop and then get three 90s hip hop albums within a week.
Didn't finish this listen. If I could play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Project 8 and be high.
Solid album. The author of this list really does love Wu Tang and everything that came out of that group. 3 / 5
This had some higher highs, but also some lower lows compared to the GFK solo album I got a little while ago. Though that one, and this one especially, are hard to be considered solo albums. More like posse rap projects, or an expansion of the WuTang universe. "Knowledge God" felt like the first true banger imo, with a great rap chorus. Very vintage east coast too, a minor/atonal, minimal instrumental with thumping, cold percussion. Much of the same can be said for "Incarcerated Scarfaces" - though that one was even more hypnotic. "Glaciers of Ice" had a very cool moment at 2:40 what they female singer performed what was pretty much an EDM riser with her voice - it really heightened the ominous energy of it all. Lastly, "Heaven & Hell" SURELY is Raekwons eaast coast attempt of Ice Cube's west coast "Today Was A Good Day". Like, it's so clear with the more laidback sample sticking out like a sore thumb in the tracklisting, Rae even shouting out his west coast homies in the lyrics. It wasnt bad, it just didnt live up to the impossible standard Ice Cube set for a song like that. A bit long and not exactly anything new, the instrumentals are indistinguishable from any other WTC project, or Mobb Deep for that matter. But enjoyable enough, soft 3/5
How many people died in the background of this? Solid album, good backgrounds. Best song is the bonus track.
The Generator recommending albums in a random order is a double-edged sword for me – on one hand, it prevents me from getting too bored of a particular sound/era and giving up, but on the other hand, it makes it so I often end up listening to albums without as much context as I'd like to have going into them. I have not yet heard 36 Chambers and I really would have liked to listen to that one first, but I suppose the Generator giveth and the Generator taketh away. Raekwon is not an artist I'm incredibly familiar with (I literally only recognized his name from an old Flume track that I quite enjoyed), but I went into this one with an open mind. Most of these these post-ETWT solo albums are highly regarded and I wanted to make sure I could properly digest this one, even without the context I desired. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is an album that I enjoyed, but I honestly wish I got more out of it. RZA's production across the entire project is incredible, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah play well off of each other and deliver some impressive bars and numerous guests bring just as much heat (including RZA himself, who might have the craziest flow of the entire album on "Wu-Gambinos"). At the same time, OB4CL feels bloated from an overabundance of skits that are often confusing (with several voices talking over one another) and don't add much to the songs they're part of. I also felt like there were many times were verses started/ended in different spots than they should have (based on the cadence of the beats) and that made a lot of the tracks feel sort of off. Ultimately, it's an album I appreciate for a lot of reasons, but also one that is dragged down by a lot of little things that add up throughout its 1+ hour runtime. It's definitely got me looking forward to hearing more RZA-produced albums like Enter the Wu-Tang and Liquid Swords, but the Purple Tape is probably not one I'll have in heavy rotation in the future. Highlights: Knowledge God, Rainy Dayz, Guillotine (Swordz), Can It Be All So Simple (Remix), Ice Water, Wisdom Body, Ice Cream, Wu-Gambinos, Heaven & Hell
Good shit. Rap isn’t always my jam but I’d smoke a blunt to this
Rating: 2.7 The beats are like weird horrorcore-ish beats which I thought was pretty cool. Otherwise I just don’t care that much about mafioso rap that much and I can’t tell apart the various features so that was all lost on me.
The flow is sick and the clarity is on point. Just a shame this man has nothing nice to say. Rude.
oeioei, dit is niet voor mij vrees ik (maar who knows, zoals kombucha girl??)
It was ok.
Great production. A little overblown in that 90s rap album kinda way. It’s good, but I was still listening to backpack hip hop back then.
It's decent enough but overall just too long for me to fully enjoy. There are some bits I'd happily go back to though.
My West Coast shows whenever I talk about hip hop, I think, because Wu Tang has never quite really hit for me the way I want it to. Like this is fine. Knuckleheadz is a cool song. I don't ever really need to hear a full minute of... "dialogue" before every track, though, and the production on this record is murky as shit. The actual rapping is generally solid, at least, but sometimes it feels like you have to do sonic archeology to uncover the actual bars. Still waiting for a proper West Coast classic to pop up though, because this NYC shit is, you know, not as good.
78% Best: Criminology; Incarcerated Scarfaces; Can It Be All So Simple (Remix); Ice Water; Verbal Intercourse; Heaven & Hell Must-Hear? Not quite
it has a really good flow and beat but its still not my thing 3/5
Liked it, dont know that anything stood out but not bad
Rap / hip-hop still isn't really my thing, but this album was pretty catchy and fun to listen to. I thought about giving it four stars, but I heard too many f-slurs for that :/
Not really my thing but it’s alright
While a lot of these leave me wanting more in terms of song structure, there is texture to this album that I find lacking in modern beats. Action Bronson def was heavily inspired by Ghostface, very similar delivery. Favorite songs: Criminology, Ice Cream
The beats and the samples are deep and well done. Lots of references to the past and what was happening in Europe at the time. But man. 18 songs of a pothead trying to be hard. Its a lot.