Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Did not love the album, but liked some of their other stuff better.
Clásico del Rap gringo.
Not a big fan of Wu and its offsprings
Going into this album, I had high hopes because of Raekwon being a member of Wu-Tang and it being a rap story. Also, a lot of the reviews I heard about this album almost make it sound as if it is the greatest rap album to date since its release. But after listening to it, I didn't really think much of it. Honestly, the beats really are great to listen to and defiantly has that Wu-Tang style, it even had little movie scenes as samples in there songs. But it really had a lot of boring moments and it felt so damn long. Also, the lyrics can be really dated, especially some of the sexism and homophobia. Production also feels kind of bland to me, even with RZA producing. It just didn't feel like anything amazing or different, almost as if its just an expanded edition of a Wu-Tang album. Another point that makes me not like this album specifically is its narrative. Narratives in albums aren't a new thing, this was perfected around the 60s and 70s with bands like the Beatles, Pink Floyd and even got transferred into rap with albums like To Pimp a Butterfly or mm...Food. This album seems to lose its narrative mid-album and doesn't really elaborate on the gangster/mafia theming of the album. Also, I don't know if it's me but does Raekwon say "You know what I'm sayin?!" every song. It just was a big pet peeve that I had throughout the whole album, it almost felt like he was saying it every two seconds like it was a catchphrase. It should go without saying that is nowhere near the level of the 36 Chambers but again, basing off the reviews makes it sound as though it is around that. Favorite Tracks: Knowledge God, Ice Cream Rating: 3/5
I had a lot of trouble getting into this. Like we were saying, it sounds a lot like a Wu-Tang album, which is great. But I guess because of that it didn't really grab my attention. Again, would really like to give this 2.5 or 2.75 stars.
Like Enter the Wu-Tang..., this album has a LOT going on, though the production isn't as dynamic as the material warrants. Everything kind of sounds at the same level, and some of the vocals sound surprisingly rough. Regardless, this is one of the landmark albums of '90s rap, even though it's overlong and overstuffed. I think it rewards repeat listens, though, because it's easy to miss everything packed inside it.
я всё ещё в поиске офигительного продакшна, обычным текстом не заманить человека который не слушает тексты
Kolejny rap. Ten mnie nie bujał wcale. Nie było w nim nic charakterystycznego a bity były takie, że bujać to mogły tylko do snu. 6/10 i już nie pamiętam ani kawałka.
2.5 stars. 90’s east coast hip hop that doesn’t quite reach the levels of Wu Tang. Enjoyed some of Ghost Faced Killa’s bars.
too many skits, sick beats tho
Some great songs, some wutang vibes, song with nas was great. bit long though and the interlude skits were kinda killing momentum for me
Wu tang
Decent one.
This isn't an album I come back to very often but it is class. Maybe a bit too on the gangster side for my taste. But the rough, rugged rza beats were rarely better, and Chef and Ghost do go off. Come to that, why isn't it credited to the both of them? Minor mystery. Scoring harshly today but it is a justified classic.
Might have faded into the background while I was doing tasks around the house today, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
I've gotta wonder if I even like the Wu-Tang style of East coast hip hop. I mean, I'll tell you that in general I find that I prefer West coast hip hop to the East coast stuff. G-funk and all, y'know? STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON and THE CHRONIC and so on. But at the same time, I do like my share of East coast material. I liked Nas's ILLMATIC a lot when my group got it, and I really enjoy Biggie's READY TO DIE despite Diddy refusing to shut the fuck up with his mumbling over everything. It's just... Something about the Wu-Tang specifically I have such a hard time gelling with. Now, for context, this is my group's fourth album from a Wu affiliate — no, we haven't gotten ENTER THE WU-TANG yet. Which is kinda crazy, y'know? That RNGesus decided we'd be just fine listening to LIQUID SWORDS, FISHSCALE, TICAL and now this all without having that debut better in mind. I mean, given what my reactions to these albums have been, I'unno how much it woulda helped, but still, y'know? But yeah, I have been... Pretty lukewarm on most of these albums. I found LIQUID SWORDS outright boring; TICAL didn't really inspire me too much; and I **did** enjoy FISHSCALE, though more for the beats than anything else. Just saying, if it wasn't for FISHSCALE, my average with these things would be a flat 3. So now we come to this — what is, in my mind, as I'm writing this, probably the East coast equivalent of THE CHRONIC? Just in the sense that it's without a doubt the biggest solo album spun-off from the main group, and that, with the features on it, it's practically another guy's album, too. Yeah, just like THE CHRONIC heavily featured Snoop Dogg, this album outright credits Ghostface Killah as a guest star — and just like THE CHRONIC did for Snoop, this album was a massive boost to Ghostface's career and popularity. And it's like, yeah, if any Wu album is gonna show up on a "greatest album of all time" list besides ENTER THE WU-TANG, without fail, it's gonna be this one. I've seen LIQUID SWORDS show up, too, but never in as high of a regard as this thing's been held. That's a lot of expectations for this thing to live up to. So, what — did it? Did this help me crack the code on the Wu-Tang and Shaolin styles? Am I more confident now that I'll actually give a glowing review to ENTER THE WU-TANG? Fffffhhh... Look, I gave it a shot. Honestly, I did. I tried my hardest to tune into the lyrics and get down with what they were saying. But not even halfway through this thing... I just couldn't put in the 100% effort like I wanted to. As with every other Wu album I've reviewed, it's not bad. Even if LIQUID SWORDS and TICAL didn't completely hold my attention, I wouldn't call either of them bad. It's just... The tone of it all can kinda get to me. Like, for a moment I wondered if I just found these mafioso raps to be uninteresting, but really, when you get down to it, they're just slightly classier gangster raps. They're still about selling drugs, killing people and not respecting women — and besides that last thing, I enjoyed hearing about all'a it on THE CHRONIC. On paper, this shouldn't be any different. The difference is, THE CHRONIC is G-funk. It's shit you bump in your car on the way to get blazed with your buddies. It's party music, y'know; it's fun. I'm not saying that ONLY 4 CUBAN LINX... can't be bumped, but it's clearly aiming to be taken way more seriously. The Wu-Tang style — it's rawer, it's grittier... It's more "dirty streets" than Dre's "gangster beach party." And it's less hook-y, too. And being the "melody first" creature of being I am, I just find it so much harder to latch on to something like ONLY 4 CUBAN LINX.... I mean, I'll give the album this: I haven't liked the beats on a Wu-Tang affiliate album this much since FISHSCALE. There's good stuff on here — except for maybe "Verbal Intercourse". I tell yah, the vocal snippet in the sample made it actually kind of hard for me to pay attention to Nas's so acclaimed guest spot. I really did wanna give it a shot, but dang it, I had no idea what the sample was saying and it was driving me mad. Other than that, it's solid across the board. But without a good hook on top of them to reel me in, I just generally can't give the words as much attention as I would otherwise. Like, even a Bad Boy production has hooks, y'know? You can call me shallow for that, for valuing hooks over the flows and wordplay... But I'unno, it's just the way I am. I mean, I know they're good at this stuff, and I wanna give props and credit to Raekwon, Ghostface and all of the other guests on here regardless... But yeah. Just how it is. And I'll tell you, it does leave me worried about how I'll receive ENTER THE WU-TANG — just on reputation alone I hold some reverence for that thing, and I'd hate to be the only one in my group that wasn't 100% for it... Though we'll see about that when we get there. In the meantime, as for ONLY 4 CUBAN LINX...... Yeah. I guess I ain't a Cuban Linx — well, y'know. It's a dime I wish I was more into.
There’s some really crisp beats and his ability to actually rap is very solid. Not sure if it was really a Raekwon album or just a Wu Tang album with Raekwon focus. Looking at the tracklist it’s all Wu features. I enjoyed it for the most part but it could have been trimmed by 20 minutes. It started getting pretty repetitive. “Politicking” came up a lot, as did a few homophobic slurs. After a while the beats sounded similar, the raps sounded similar, the songs and lyrics sounded similar. 1 hour 13 minutes is a long run time if you run out of stuff to say. 6 songs with no features, 12 with Ghostface Killa on them, 9 of which had multiple features. Cool experience but it’s just Wu Tang lite at that point.
I was enjoying it but wasn’t listening super intently to give higher or lower than a three.
I know Raekwon is a legend, there just wasn’t much that held my attention with this album. It’s always fun to listen for the samples that later rappers have used when listening to thirty year old albums, and other than a couple tracks, that’s about all I was listening for by the end. Not bad by any means, just doesn’t separate itself from some of the other 90s rap in my opinion.
Too long
Music cool. I work inna school. Too much cussin.
Another classic Wu-Tang spinoff that doesn't stand out in particular, but has that signature East coast hip hop charm directed by RZA's productions.
Surprisingly catchy. I can't really hear the lyrics over the beats, and I'm not a big fan of the sketch interludes. But damn, this is good. Better than 3 but doesn’t quite rise to the level of 4. 3.5
Too much samey 90s production and not enough variety for me
Het moet blijkbaar een film beleving zijn. Die beleving heb ik niet. Ik kijk eens terug naar mijn eerdere bemerkingen en stuit op Ghostface Killer. Het Wu-Tang-lid dat Raekwon het meeste meeneemt op dit album: "...eentonig kunnen we dit niet noemen. Als Wu-Tang-lid ben je wel in het voordeel natuurlijk. Hulptroepen zat. ... Uiteindelijk zijn de losse nummers niet bijzonder goed. Maar is het die afwisseling die het interessant houdt om een keertje te horen...." Dat geldt nu ook wel weer. Meneer heeft wat mazzel met het collectief. Ik zou zelfs zeggen dat met zoveel medespelers achter de hand, dit wel iets interessanter had kunnen zijn. 2,5 ster en het het verzoek om dit in de lijst te vervangen door een schijf die iets toevoegt.
I'm usually not a hip-hop fan, but this was amusing.
some reallyyy good beats but also something's lacking but im not sure what
Really liked a lot of the rapping. However, a lot of the beats were mind-numbingly repetitive. Hard to keep much momentum in most of the songs
I appreciate the cinematic style and the influence this album had on future albums, but from a listening perspective, it's a couple of bangers and then mostly not my cup of tea
So, this is the third album by Wu Tang alumni that I’ve had in the last fortnight. Still vaguely underwhelmed. Still puzzled that the two best solo ventures by members of the collective (Tical and Return to the 36 Chambers) haven’t featured.
Wu-Tang Clan will forever be one of the greatest dynasties in hip hop. 36 Chambers is one of my favourite hip hop albums ever, and I still get an itch to play the occasional track of off Wu-Tang Forever. However despite my enjoyment of their group efforts outside of GZA's Liquid Swords and an early Ghostface Killah album I haven't really given their solo work much of a shot. Raekwon has always been a bit of a standout for me, but clearly not enough for me to check his stuff out. As the trend seems to be with the hip hop albums I've generated so far, this album seems to be a bit on the longer side. Expecting quality, though am a bit apprehensive as to the length. I won't be shocked if I get bored of it towards the end. Striving For Perfection It's a bit of an atmospheric intro to the album. Has some cinematic qualities, feels like the start of a play or a movie. Unrated/5 Knuckleheads Classic RZA production. Love the density of the bass. It's a bit of a theme setter for the rest of the album I feel, expecting to hear more of the hardships of hustle and drug culture throughout the album. Feels animated with a hint of theatre, though also sounds very serious. Great flows and deliveries. Decent. 3.5/5 Knowledge God The sample at the very start of the track sounds like an old movie score. I also like the way the piano sample transforms the beat into something a lot more ominous. Definitely sounds like NYC. Really getting the mafia vibe they're going for here. The verses are mostly good, though I feel like there are parts of the second one that feel a bit stagnant, might be the lyrics losing some steam. Decent. 3.5/5 Crimonology The first verse has a very hard and raw delivery. Feels like they're trying to rile you up. Definitely has great performances, aggressive and memorable, they really own the beat. A very character driven track, pushing these hard, unflinching, dangerous gangster personas that really play into the fantasy of the style of hip hop they're trying to achieve. Decent. 3.5/5 Incarcarated Scarfaces The intro sample promises something really narrative driven. Two Trump references, feels weird to hear his name in this context in 2025. It's a gangster rap song with gangster rap lyrics. The flow is really good though, really enjoy the hook. Again RZA's production is astounding, love how atmospheric it sounds. Decent. 3.5/5 Rainy Dayz Really appreciate the softness and melodic qualities of the intro. The production on this is crazy. Feels really off, has some almost horror like qualities to it. Love the female vocals against the beat. Has some pretty creative rhymes. Good. 4/5 Guillotine (Swords) Vintage Wu-Tang sound. Really lyrically dense, hard to follow. Struggling a bit to keep up, but I'm really liking the way they end their verses. The samples from old martial arts films never get old. Each performer brings a distinct energy, and it's fun to hear them approach this simple all be it effective beat. Decent. 3.5/5 Can It Be All So Simple (Remix) Hmmm this is familiar... Yeah the sample is still great. but I'm not sure how needed this is. Feels a bit like they're repeating themselves. Probably novel at the time. It's transformative, but I feel like the original iteration has a bit more of a kick to it. Fine. 3/5 Shark N***** (Biters) It's a bit of a rant. I respect that he's passionate about his own image and art. Unrated/5 Ice Water The beat is pretty stellar. There's a lot of good rhymes in here, especially on the final verse. Fine. 3/5 Glaciers of Ice Has an entirely different energy from the rest of the tracks on the album due to the sample on the beat. Love the vocal sample. Carried by the production. Love the ending. Decent. 3.5/5 Verbal Intercourse Was not expecting a Nas feature on a Wu-Tang project. The beat kinda overshadows the vocals. Cringe lyrics at times. Average. 2.5/5 Wisdom Body Kinda weird. I guess it's a bit refreshing to have another topic to listen to. Stellar production yet again. Fine. 3/5 Spot Rusherz Decent storytelling. Has interesting flows here and there, and is easy to follow along to. I like the buildup. Decent. 3.5/5 Ice Cream Sounds a bit chaotic. I appreciate that there's a hook in here, though it isn't great. Pretty fun track. I like the features, breaks the monotomy a bit. Fine. 3/5 Wu-Gambinos Has a great Ghostface peformance. It's a very lyrically dense track. Lacks some dynamism, becomes a bit monotone. Fine. 3/5 Heaven or Hell Love the samples. Has a great hook. I like how the track kinda has a reflective nature to it, feels a bit more genuine than some of the other tracks on here. Has an ere of finality to it, works great at the end of the album. Good. 4/5 North Star (Jewels) Feels like a bit of an extended outro. Feel the one verse on here was a lot more thoughtful than I might've expected. Has some really soulful production, which helps it close out the album as well as it does. Fine. 3.5/5 After a long and exhausting listen I'm left with mixed feelings about this album. First of all, it's long. Not specifically the runtime, as one hour and thirteen minutes should be managable, but it just feels long. I guess it's the density of the lyrics, the aggression and the lack of melodic breaks that makes it feel longer than it actually is. Despite this I must recognize that these are some of the qualities that also make it great. If it wasn't for the lyrical density it wouldn't have the great rhymes and the almost liquid flows. If it wasn't for the aggression it wouldn't hit nearly as hard. And if it wasn't for the lack of breaks it wouldn't be as stylistically consistent. I'm fine with it being the way it is, but it does make me feel very drained by the end of it. Two factors carry this album: Raekwon and Ghostface's amazing chemistry with their performances, and RZA's sleek and creative production. I find it disappointing from a songwriting and narrative perspective as the gangster/mafioso themeing gets monotonous and unbelievable. I feel it overpromises on its cinematic aspects, only for them to be slightly jumbled up by lyrical content that feels too predictable at times. Luckily it's performed to near perfection, where the technicality and adaptability of the rapping sort of makes up for the underlying issues of the album. Pair that with RZA's iconic production style and you still get something of quality. The quality stays pretty consistent throughout the album, making it feel like a cohesive and worthwile listen even with its flaws. If you want an example on how an artist can elevate a sound using only their performace this would fit the bill perfectly. 3/5 Fave Track. Rainy Dayz
As poetry this is pretty good. As music it leaves much to be desired.
I liked this as much as a suburban white girl could
solid rap album. no saves but a head bobber
Good
zwei bis drei
Ok, I was fully prepared to hate this. But I’ve added a bunch to my favorites. The parts that are music are genuinely good. Overall, the chatter was unnecessary. It always breaks up the flow on a record. But, the music bits are solid.
I'd have to be in the mood to put it on, but if I am, I'm happy to let the majority of it ride. While admittedly not being into Wu Tang at the time, this is a nice dose of nostalgia.
I usually love 90s rap but this was pretty forgettable until Nas showed up. A few good songs towards the end but it's such a long album that it feels like a real chore to get to that point. Best songs were Guillotine (Swordz), Verbal Intercourse, Ice Cream, and Wu-Gambinos. I saw a lot of people mention Blue Raspberry as a highlight but I found her vocals annoying and distracting. I have mixed opinions about skits on albums. If they're used right, they can really add to an album, but this wasn't that.
Hot take, but I’m not a huge fan of this album. It’s good, but for me not at the heights a lot of people give it.
Gonna need to give this one more listens. Love me some Wu Tang and this scratched the itch. 3.5 stars.
I've listened to this two or three times (counting today) in the last year or two... It's always better than I remember but I would never seek it out. The problem is there are just better albums doing a bunch of the same stuff from the same era.
Great beats, great lyricism, waaaay too long though
Not bad, but not as interesting as other rap albums on the list.
striving for perfection- 5 knuckleheadz- 5 knowledge god- 5 criminology- 5 incarcerated scarfaces- 5 rainy dayz- 5 guillotine- 5 can it all be so simple- 5 shark n- 5 ice water- 5 i feel like this had all the parts of a good rap album but they just couldnt bring it together. nothing stands out
Cinematic is the word that seems to come up the most in relation to this album, and I totally get it. Love the bass. Great lyrics. Fantastic edge and energy. Very long. Favourite tracks: Knowledge God, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Ice Water, Verbal Intercourse, Spot Rusherz, Heaven and Hell
Look this thing is too long and the Raekwon talks too much in the skits, but there's something about this I really like. I like the contrast with Ghostface on just about every song, except Rainy Dayz. That was kinda buns and went on too long. I really liked Verbal Intercourse once they got done with the gibberish. There's just a shit ton of songs on here Probably won't revisit though unless I get super into Wu-Tang, which if it could happen to Shkreli, it can happen to anybody.
An album 60% as good as 36 Chambers gets 60% of the score 36 Chambers will get.
A bit empty, but fun.
I can appreciate the concept here, but in the end it all just runs together and is too long. And I guess if you’re ever stuck for lyrical creativity, just throw in yet another “know what I’m sayin?” and it’ll fill the void. Know what I’m sayin’?
Thought it was solid and consistent. Good beats and rhymes but nothing really stood out as great. Could do without all the lead ins and talking before songs though.
I’m down with this but it does drag a bit and starts to run together. 3/5
good beats. wu tang legend status. Need to revisit at some point
Gangsta shyt ah
It's whatever
I'm not a Cuban link, so I don't think this albums was meant for me haha. Overall I enjoyed it, the length and seeming repetition did take it down a few notches for me. Definitely an angry 90s gansta rap album. I haven't listened to much WuTang so hopefully the other WT albums on this are better. Standouts: Ice Cream, Guillotine Rating: 3.5/5
havana laugh aintcha
Wasn’t my genre in the mid-90s, but I appreciate the beats, cadence, and lyricism of it now.
Sounds like a mediocre wu tang record
Gangstah shizz
#501. This is an album that exists. That's about it really. It's not something I would recommend as there's hundreds that are better, but I also wouldn't recommend against it as there's nothing wrong with it. 3/5: acceptable
Interesting but left no impact very generic feeling album
Having grown up in rural Germany in the 80s and 90s - a time and place where, believe it or not, gangsta rap and Wu Tang in particular were actually kind of a big deal among a certain population of teenage boys - I guess I can never aspire to be anything more than a mere tourist in the realm of hip hop. That said, I believe I appreciate the undisputed masterpieces in the genre (your 36 Chambers, your Illmatics etc) as much as the next guy. This was my first time listening to Only Built 4 Lynx. I was somewhat aware of its reputation as possibly the best of the Wu Tang solo releases going in. I read up on it a little bit before listening and so was aware that this is considered to be a sort of cinematic, mafia-by-way-of-the-Staten-Island-projects street poetry concept album. And what can I say... Probably unsurprisingly, as a now-42-year-old guy who only ever really listens to rap maybe three or four times a year, when I'm really in the mood for it, this one didn't really connect with me the way it seems to do for a lot of other folks. I'm not one to pay particular attention to lyrics in pop music to begin with, so 95% of what apparently makes this record so special went right over my head. I can see myself putting this on in the background when I'm in the mood for some tasty boom-bap beats (and let's face it, the production on these tracks is damn near flawless), but then again, I've already got Nujabes & co for that. I feel almost a little bad giving this only three stars, because it's probably simply not for me...
Wu Tang Monotonous with an occasional banger.
Went on a bit. Not a fan of the gangster role play audio in between tracks.
Honestly nothing too impressive. It’s was probably good for the time it came out, but other than that, the best element was probably the beats.
Solid
6/10
I wish i liked this kind of music. Alright I guess
Sounds like...a Wu Tang Clan album. If that's your thing -- then great. But it doesn't break much from the mold. They're tremendous rappers, but there's only so many times I can hear about drugs, guns, and being a gangster before it all turns into mush. Unexpected bangers: Ice Cream, Heaven & Hell, Criminology
Love the second half of the album. Those songs sound more like wu-tang
Like so many records in this genre from this time period, there are so many genuine moments of interest that just get lost in the length and sameness of the production. 3/5
Enjoyed listening to it. Not my jam, but a good jam nonetheless
I liked this much better than i thought I would. Based on the reviews i was expecting underwhelming stuff but I saved a lot of songs from this one. And Raekwon is amazing. Maybe a little bloated and all over the place but the beats are good the flows are niice. I liked it
very solid 3.5
it was fine i guess. not really my thing.
It was really good, but likely I won't come back to it - loved a lot of it, but was checking to see how long some songs had left, and it was just quite long? I also felt like it ran out of things to say in a way I hadn't felt hearing Dead Prez, Death Grips, or Gang Starr? 3 is a good score in my head though, not bad at all :)
Once you go beyond the lyrics (that are still part of the genre, I give you that) it's a pretty solid hip hop album from the mid 90s; it's well executed, the flow is right, the background music is really good. Not a huge fan of gangsta rap, but clearly a good record.
Apparently started mafioso rap subgenre and was very influential to hip-hop. Quite cool, I should really actively listen more to these hip-hop albums.
It was alright
Surprised at what this actually sounded like. I thought it would be so different. Better than I thought but just not my vibe.
Not my favorite style of rap but can clearly see( hear) the how this album influenced the genre. Probably not an album I would revisit but also did not dislike the experience.
This was ok.
Just not for me
I liked listening to this but in the grand scheme of the Bowie discography it felt less than essential.
Really did not give this the focus it needed…. Need to revisit…
3☆/5 11.19.2024
Of the Wu-Tang solo albums I have heard, I've enjoyed Method Man's more. I feel like Raekwon relied a lot more on guests than doing the rapping himself. There weren't as many skits, but that intro... that could have either been shorter, or non-existent. I just felt there was a better flow in MM's work. And even both used the n-word pretty prominently, it didn't seem to bother me as much in Method Man's album. T0p tracks: "Knuckleheadz", "Glaciers of Ice", "Verbal Intercourse"
Just look up my rating for the other Wu Tang members on their debut solo effort. It's pretty good, it's definitely ambitious, it runs with and sticks to a concept, but it's not exactly going to keep me coming back over and over and over. Hard for me to put a finger on a track that really stuck with me, other than maybe Criminology. At most it'd max out at 3.5.
Was wel prima eigenlijk
I liked this, it was musical and wasn't too 'gangsta' or misogynist.
I like this kind of music, must be my upbringing, while it's not the best example of the genre, it's not terrible.
Typical WuTang fare...as expected. 3/5
Dense, murky and verbose. Never really could get into the extended wu-universe despite a general love for NY boom bap.
Incredible samples, unmatched flow, great verses from ghost face, storytelling matched by not many
Really good, but about 25 minutes too long
I'm not used to listening to 90s rap so this might just not be my kind of music. As an album, it's too long and so many songs were indistinguishable to me, it got a little repetitive. I liked the beats and the rapping was good though Favorites: "Criminology", "Guillotine", "Verbal Intercourse", "Ice Cream", "Wu-Gambinos"
I enjoyed this listen, but I wouldn’t say it’s amazing. You get a number of songs that, in my opinion, start to sound similar. And every song sounds as though it could be off a Wu album. Not that that’s a bad thing, but I guess I was hoping for some more individuality with a solo release, even though it heavily featured other members of Wu Tang. Still good though.
A little TOO much gangsta for this sensitive soul ;)
Another long hip hop album
Good but a little raw for my taste.
I'm not sure what I was expecting with this one, but I did enjoy the listen and added a couple of tracks to the rotation.
Det är för långt. Men det är bra flow på det hela. En stark trea.
I can’t tell the difference with most of these current rap albums. They all sound the same.
Take RZA out of this and i'm not sure you'd have much
There’s a certain type of hip-hop that sounds hard, “gangsta,” or even has a Bump In The Whip™️ energy, but when you pick it apart, it’s actually closer to the Lyrical Miracle Spiritual Spherical Backpack Acrobats Rap Attacks™️ bullshit. Y’know, rap that feels significant because you can party to it and break down the lyrics, but when you actually break it down, not only are the beats pretty standard issue for the era in question, but the bars are actually….not saying a goddamn thing. On paper, this style of hip-hop feels strongly technical and detailed, but the execution lacks a message, a statement of purpose. There’s people like this today (Megan Thee Stallion in particular, as much as I hate to admit it), there were a million of them throughout the 2000s in the underground with MF Doom and everything, but also with Cam’ron and Jadakiss, and even in the long Golden Age, there was a lot of this shit. And I think Raekwon is the textbook example of this, with Only Built 4 Cuban Linx as a sort of blueprint. If we’re talking about pure talent, there’s no debating. And if this was just a collection of Wu songs like 36 Chambers, then maybe pure talent would be enough to win me over. But Cuban Linx insists that it’s conceptual, and that is just straight up not the case. The “concept” is as flimsy as airline single-ply. This isn’t mafioso, this isn’t cinematic, and it certainly isn’t a concept album. It’s RZA beats from the mid-90s, but not even like where he’s sampling certain genres or adding in references to other genre films; every beat here could be a B-side beat from 36 Chambers. So yeah, it’s still great, but it also doesn’t feel particularly…special? Unique? Then there’s the rapping. Raekwon is a good technical rapper, no doubt, but the dude has very little to fucking say. Across 18 tracks, you get a sense that Rae has literally exhausted his pen game. Even if new flows and new experiences came to him in a dream, the man would be rapping about getting money and driving around in his black ac, y’know what I’m sayin’? But unlike, say, Pusha T, who avoids the single-subject critique by having the most charisma anyone has ever had on a mic, Raekwon kinda fades into the background. Maybe it’s the guest features. First, Ghost — now, even though I think Ghostface took a while to find his voice has an artist and he is not there yet on this album, the man has always had a presence, which again, works against Rae here. The rest of the features, though, are standard Wu solo album fare. Besides a non-Wu Tang feature from Nas — who is good because he’s Nas, not because it’s his best verse ever — everyone else is as good/as mid/as bad as you’d expect based on how well remembered their first round solo record is today. GZA is great, Meth has good hooks and decent verses, Deck is fine, and the rest are present and accounted for. I’m ranting like I hate Cuban Linx. I don’t. A good first-round Wu solo album is a good album, no question. When a song hits, it’s very good. But every time, it’s simultaneously a good song and mediocre Wu Tang cut. To me, none the high points of Cuban Linx match the high points of any other above-the-fold Wu solo project. And its low points? Well, the low points are the skits, which are horrible, even for hip-hop skits, which is saying a lot….but the low points that aren’t skits are pretty forgettable. I’d say 45% of this album falls short, and again, even its highs feel oddly low to me. Is it a good album? Yes. Is it a technically well-made record? Absolutely. But if you stripped it of its context — removed it from the Wu Tang lore, removed the reason why the Nas feature matters, removed our pure adoration on ‘90s RZA production, removed the concept it claims to represent — is it still a classic? No, because it just isn’t at that caliber. Just because it sounds deep doesn’t mean it IS deep. Swap this with ODB for me any day.
I expected to like this more.. there's so many lyrics it's like they didn't give the songs room to breathe. The rhyme schemes and production quality were both way worse than Nas, which I felt like I was constantly comparing them to because of the sound similarity. The voices were kind of muddled with the beat too. The little intros where they're just talking and stuff are pretty cringy. The old movie sound bites also felt forced. The songs were all extremely similar in tempo and tone.
I give this a 3.5 stars. I hate all the random in between sounds and talking like normal rap albums but this had some songs with good flow and were interested. never heard of this guy.
Another solid rap album, but nothing really special to me. It is a notch below the recent Ice Cube album.
Very solid album by someone who I didn't know was in Wu Tang but quickly learned when I saw all of the features. Pretty much exactly what I look for when it comes to 90s rap. Not my favorite but still a high 3
Listened Before? N Wow, another awesome 90s rap album I haven't heard! The lyrics and delivery are awesome, and it's held up better than most "gangsta" stuff. Loved it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Knuckleheadz
NSFW, solid rap
the most 90s rap ever to 90s or to rap
Lyrically dense, loosely cinematic, and a showcase for almost every single member of the Clan, Cuban Linx is possibly the definitive Wu-Tang album. I was on edge waiting for that absolute banger that never arrived, but nonetheless this is clearly an influential album in the hip hop genre. It's not great by any means to me but being OK isn't a bad thing.
Favourite songs: Ice Cream, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Wu-Gambinos, Criminology, Knuckleheadz Least favourite songs: Striving for Perfection, Shark Niggas (Biters) (fuck skits), Knowledge God (what's with the looped sound of someone snuffing snot into their nose...) 3/5
My neighbor has a truly delightful lawn sign this election season: "Presidents Come and Go, but Wu-Tang is Forever!" I prefer GZA's Liquid Swords but this is pretty good, too. Not always in the mood for this many N bombs, but then again not sure if grey haired suburban dads isn't Raekwon's core audience, or maybe just on weekends?!? 😅
I'll admit I never really got into (or even really listened to) the whole Wu-Tang phenomenon, so this is all new territory to me. I can see why this got a lot of critical acclaim, and the whole mafioso theme makes for good cohesion on the album, but I didn't really connect to the songs or the album, unfortunately, and it felt like a bit much to slog through. I can see why this was considered influential, as it sounds like a lot of other music that presumably came after it; sadly, I feel like whatever freshness and uniqueness this album had is largely lost to me, listening to this album so long after it came out. But kudos to RZA for an impressive job producing this and many other Wu-Tang solo albums, and also kudos to the extensively-documented Wikipedia article on the album for giving me every chance to learn so much more about the album and the players.
At first it was pretty good, but it just kept dragging on and on and on. The lyrics are stupid, but I like his flow. Favorite song: rainy dayz
this was a good rap album, it ran a bit long though but the songs were decent, i feel a few fell to just sound similar to the others and it felt a bit repetitive as i don’t tend to listen to this style much
It's alright and gripped me enough. It'll end up in the forgettable pile, though.
Extra star because I heard an avalanche sample, but way too long in betweeny bits
It’s really a Wu tang album. One Wu tang album is enough. It’s good though.
An 18 track rap album from some members of the Wu-Tang Clan – “urban America”. I've listened to more rap on this list in a year than my whole life and <10% lands with me. I claim no sophistication, pedigree or discernment – catchy party tunes may bring a smirk and head nod from me. But I am not drawn to these tracks of unhappy struggle, witnessing pain, or boastful war cries. I don't dance or sing to this. It doesn't do what I want music to do. Now this. Still unrelatable, but more polished slower, thoughtful variations in tonality – seems worth a listen. Its certainly less ear splitting and painfully harsh. Consistently produced the whole album holds together very, very cohesively. I do sense this is definitely better quality than most rap. Theya re good at what they do, but it doesn't touch me. Even the very best Rap, has a low ROI for me. I’m tired.
Solid hip hop album
I don't know man. I would like to abstain. So, 3.
-pretty interesting early rap feel -Favorites are Guillotine, Can It Be All So Simple, and Spot Rusherz
Didn't stand out compared to Liquid Swords and others.
Yeah, I didn't quite get this. Not terrible, but maybe it's a thing that needs time to sink in.
The world if 90s hip hop albums were 40 minutes long: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FA3fij1XMAANQMx.jpg ...He's doing what to cats?
Some good songs if a little long at times
There’s nothing wrong with it and I like the mafia (I think) aspect, but this never stood out to me like other Wu-Tang projects for some reason.
An okay album but not something I'd listen to again. I'm not really into Rap.
I didn’t really connect with anything here. Same issue I have with some 90s hip hop albums, too many tracks, too long, not enough variety. Fav Track North Star (Jewels) Light 5/10
Pretty mediocre, know what I'm sayin? 3
1995 was a pretty huge year for Wu Tang Clan, and this record dropped in between a solo album from the unique, charismatic ODB and the cinematic masterpiece that is Liquid Swords by GZA. Cuban Linx is probably my least favourite of the three - it’s the hip-hop purists’ album and its legacy is undeniable (influencing Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G among others) - but just doesn’t have that innovative spark that makes so many other Wu Tang projects so memorable
Sounds kinda rough in places, enjoyed this though.
As with seemingly all of these Wu-Tang releases, the production is the redeeming factor to what are otherwise often sexist and seemingly meaningless lyrics. However, I will at least appreciate the mafia backdrop throughout the album, as it works extremely linearly within the context of Wu-Tang's Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang fighting style storylines. It's neat in theory, but feels not totally fulfilled in practice, not really worth the length. However, still enough to enjoy that I understand why it is considered one of the best of the group's solo projects, although I feel I've listened to most of the big ones at this point, and none have stuck out enough for me to understand what makes these worth listening to in conjunction with the 36 Chambers.
Never heard of Raekwon before, wasn’t sure what to expect until I found out he was in Wu Tang. 80% of this is really good, with plenty of little riffs and fills that get stuck in my head. Aye, a lot of it is samey, and the tracks with Ghostface Killah are the standout tracks, but overall it’s pretty good. Would be a solid 4 if they trimmed some of the filler tracks. Not sure how fast I’ll be back, but I did enjoy it. 3.5
The best parts of this are everything I want from old school hip hop, great beats and flow, sounds so cool. Unfortunately as usual I find it hard to get past the content, the spoken bit at the start is a prime example of how little is actually being said. I think the message was they just want to look after their family, which isn't really the message for the rest of it. It's very long too. Dont think it was as good as the Wu Tang album but overall, okay. 3.5 but more a 3.
Bit long, but overall decent. The beats were good, flow was solid, didn't pay too much attention to the lyrics so I presume they are a bit spicy. Great production too, sounds sharp nearly 30 years later.
Think this has borrowed bits and pieces from 36 chambers, but it does not reach the same heights at all for me. I think this strays too far into the gangsta tropes for me, too much guns and bling, whereas 36 chambers treaded the line nicely. Still enjoyed it, but not sure I'll be back
Rawkwon is a Master MC. Amazing flow and writing skills. Unfortunately he was one of the best out of all the rappers rapping the same style and way. I love this album but its not innovative or stands out from others from the same era. Great rapper but just similar to the genere at the time. Good album to listen
Wow, that's a lot of vulgar language. They sure tell a story, though.
This one was Striving for Perfection. Can It Be All So Simple?
Raekwon is importante in 90s hip hop but I didn’t vibe with this one
Criminology Incarcerated Scarfaced Ice Cream
There are strokes of genius on this record, interesting beats and good rapping, but this album badly suffers from unneeded bloat, from the pointless talking parts to just annoying songs
A little too lengthy there Raekwon
I don't love most gangster rap, I'm definitely tribe over wu tang, but for the most part this one was a little smoother and I enjoyed most of it. Something I like about this era of hip hop vs modern is actual annunciation, and raekwon is a great example of this. 7/10
A common problem with a lot of 90s hip hop is the bigoted lyrics that haven't aged well. Sadly, Raekwon is also guilty of this, as the album is littered with examples of racism, homophobia, misogyny, and obsession with proving their sexual worth. It's not the worst offender by a long shot, but it's there and needs to be mentioned. That aside, the beats are great and the lyrical style is impressive. Once again, the Wu Tang bring their unique style to another project. It's not as strong as some other entries on the list though, particularly GZA and Ghostface Killah, but it has its moments. As a side note, this album cover is rough. Out of focus, both people's faces partly covered in shadows, a weird assortment of fonts, and a headache inducing color scheme. They look like they're pretending to rob someone's bottle of wine. And the background is, I guess, a Wu Tang necklace on fire? Or is smoke coming off of (Chef) Raekwon's head? I know we're reviewing albums and not artwork, but yikes...
Samples are original and the raps are very intense and all. Can imagine you find this the GOAT. But not my music, get bored....
Decent, long album though. 3.7
Favorite Tracks: Ice Cream Guillotine (Swordz)
I enjoyed some of the beats but all in all it was a little to gruff and aggressive
Pretty good hip-hop album, but as always, filled with ‘skits’ and pointless trash monologues. Opening statement on the album appears to be two dudes in a competition to say ‘man’ or ‘son’ as much as they can in a few minutes! So son, to sum up man, y’all unnastand man, that this time son, y’all better hear me son, y’all betta unnastand son, that man, y’all hear me son, right man, y’all better unnastand son that it’s a three and nothing more. Son.
Not bad for rap.
It had some solid moments (Ice Cream Truck), but the beats were not very memorable. Wu was missing its Tang
Another 1+ hour-long, 90s gansta rap album. Here we go.
Cool old school hip hop. Heaven & Hell stood out for me most, surprisingly. I liked Ice Cream too. Raekwon is a recognizable name for me, now. It wasn't before.
This is the first solo album from Raekwon, who is in the Wu Tang Clan (this came about 2 years after the Wu Tang debut album). This is one of those things where I can tell the guys are super talented, but it's just not really my thing. It seems to be considered as an early "mafioso rap" album, and that pretty accurately describes the subject matter. It's a pretty harsh sound and frankly just not very relatable to me (like, obviously). Plenty of stuff on here that's perfectly good, and very little I feel like I need to hear again. One positive, Ice Cream is a pretty hilarious song though (and it's pretty catchy compared to the rest of the album). Favorite song: Ice Cream Other: Knowledge God, Criminology, Incarcerated Scarfaces, Rainy Dayz, Guillotine (Swordz), Wisdom Body, Heaven & Hell 4/10/24
3.5/5. Solid but wouldn’t call it a landmark hip hop album, pales in comparison to Wu Tang’s catalogue. Raekwon is a certified g though, can’t take that away from him.
Raekwon creates a vibrant universe here, with excellent flow and some solid grooves, although the lyrics are dense and sometimes hard to follow. Quite well done as a concept, but it needed to be shorter. He lost me somewhere on the back half. Fave Songs: Knuckleheadz, Heaven & Hell, Knowledge God, Criminology, Glaciers of Ice
Some filler and very heavy on the language, but a better album then I expected
generic hippity hop
Fine but forgettable
Liked this one. Sometimes Wu Tang can get a little muddled with so many people on tracks. This was more direct. 3.5/5 Most likely will listen again
Good
Pass
For real, know what I’m saying, man. Takes way too long for the music to start playing. I also have to admit that I am bored to death with tough-talking, gunshots and sirens, bitches and hos, gangster wannabe music. But it is nice to hear some NY rap. Sounds more authentic and musical. No palm trees and sunshine. The parts that are songs are pretty good. Knowledge God is nice. Ok, I was fully prepared to hate this. But I’ve added a bunch to my favorites. The parts that are music are genuinely good. Overall, the chatter was unnecessary. It always breaks up the flow on a record. But, the music bits are solid.
Killer debut from Raekwon. Relentless bars, minimalist beats. Enjoyed this record a lot, but felt a little too long.
Not my favorite style of music. I did find some enjoyment while listening and appreciate this album being in the list.
Solid 90s rap but doesn't make my classics list.
Aggressive gangsta rap. Raekwons flow is an acquired taste. He has an excellent ability to change up his rhythm and emphasizes his lyrics. The content of the raps is the usual: drugs, women, violence, and self-promotion. I think the picture into the the life is painted well, and this album is a period piece that led to modern rap.
Essentially an unofficial Wu Tang album, OB4CL brings everything you’d expect from that group, with RZA behind the decks, at the height of the power. This album isn’t going to surprise you often, though there are a few tracks where the production and the content are moving just slightly towards a more contemporary sound. Despite these efforts, there’s not quite enough going on to justify the 75 minute runtime. Gangsta rap fans will love it, the rest will probably leave it. Favorite track: Ice Cream
It’s ok. Not my thing.
Immaculately produced. Did not stir my soul. Liquid Swords better
Listened to it, but can’t get into rap. I tried though.
I’m not really into older rap, but there’s a lot of good songs and beats on this
Overall a good album, though I tend to prefer the west coast style compared to east coast when it comes to 90s hip hop. Would probably like this more with additional listens
I really enjoyed the Wu-tang style elements throughout this album.
3/5. Some hits but some misses too
I think this would benefit if it were shorter. 3.5
a worthy addition to the wu-tang repertoire, stays consistently solid, with good delivery. run time is just too long though.
Si vous vous demandez pourquoi Ghostface Killah est en featuring sur tous les morceaux de l'album, la raison est très simple. Celui-ci devait à la base poser sur l'intro mais au moment où Raekwon le remercia d'avoir participé, Ghostface l'informa que le prochain bus ne passerait à leur arrêt que dans 58 minutes et qu'il avait donc le temps de poser sa voix sur quelques autres morceaux. Raekwon, pas très emballé par l'idée, se retrouva un peu obligé d'accepter. Au terme du sixième morceau, ce dernier demanda à son ami un peu intrusif s'il pouvait ramasser le sabre laser qu'il avait apporté et quitter lentement le studio pour qu'il puisse enfin enregistrer sa partie solo du projet. Mais Ghostface avait apparemment oublié ses clés chez lui et ses parents ne rentreraient que dans deux heures. Raekwon dut alors avec dépit le laisser finir l'album avec lui.
Average 90s hip hop. Not really any memorable songs
Good rap album. Need to listen to more wu tang
The rapping is good but the music is often just one good loop repeated 176 times. It grew on me as I listened though - or I got hypnotized.
3+
I feel like I've heard a handful of Raekwon's music before but this is the first time I'm really paying attention. I have to admit it's not really connecting with me. I like a lot of different kinds of rap, from traditional old school rap to gangsta rap, to comedic rap, to experimental rap, but I feel like this didn't grab me as well as it should have. I know this is a well known and well liked release and and of course everyone knows Wu-Tang Clan aint nothing to fuck with, but I think I need to hear this album a few more times to fuck with it. For me I am always thinking of context and this one came in a little "thin?" i guess? Recently on this list we heard the maximalist "To Pimp a Butterfly" and it's a huge contrast to this, and I feel like is coloring my review. I will listen more though!
Is this a good album? Sure. Should it be one of the 1001 albums to listen to before you die? Not so sure.
His raps are ok but he needs to fire his producer
I never listened to this album in my youth, but I was aware of its legendary status. RZA said that "The theme of the album is two guys that had enough of the negative life and was ready to move on, but had one more sting to pull off. They're tired of doing what they doing, but they're trying to make this last quarter million. That's a lot of money in the streets. We gonna retire and see our grandbabies and get our lives together." Great storytelling, almost cinematic.
This was a tough album to rate. I think I would give it a 3.5 at best.
Oikein viihdyttävä
This is quite different to some of the breakout Wu-Tang stuff we've had, it's a more chilled and stripped-back beat for the most part, accomplished but not spectacular lyrical work, a bit too cinematic and listenable but not memorable.
Would have been better without the swearing, gunshots and nonsense talks in between music ... Apart from that actualy quite nice.
Just like every solo Wu album, this is a solo project in name only. Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx shines brightest when joined by his fellow Wu-Tang-Clan members. 3.5/5
It's a banger. Not in my wheelhouse but I enjoyed it.
alright
I'm not really into gangsta rap and i expect no album will change this. I just find the lyrical subject matter obnoxious. However, I have come back to this album more than any other Wu Tang project. The production is great and the flow/cadence from Raekwon and most of his guest spots. He's definitely a wordsmith, even if i don't get on well with the mafioso posturing. 68 mins is too long and there are skits/intros that are like listening to paint dry. 3.5*
This could be a great album but it's bloated with filler and crap. Cut it down to half the length and it would be so much better for it.
Zu sehr HipHop
This reminded me of the film Ghost Dog. Dark and stormy and lots of pent up rage.
Not great background music, but has a good beat. It’s very good though and not my vibe. Kinda on the fence around if I appreciate violence and guns being talked about in music.
Aside from Tical (which I probably didn't give a fair review at the time) this is probably the least favorite Wu-Tang album I've gotten, not because it's bad but because I think the rest are just so much better. Between 36 chambers, Fishscale, and liquid swords this album just can't compete even though the production is still good and all of the features are solid, especially the Nas one. There also felt like an excessive amount of skits which got annoying after a while. I liked criminology and guillotine the most.
Didn't expect to like this but it's well made and enjoyable although I would struggle to identify one Wu-Tang album from another.
It's fine. Too long, but that's hardly unique when it comes to hiphop albums.
Blind album, recognize the wu tang member. Album was alright. I feel like personally a lot of the solo work that came out of hip hop that was from a group, never really compared to the original. The only group to successfully do it was NWA with Dre and Ice, and I am not a huge fan of Ice to begin with. Eazy E wasn't more successful IMO either. Wu Tang had the same fate in my eyes. Maybe a hot take.
I struggled with this one. I’ve listened to it a lot recently, and each time I’ve come out confused. I don’t think it’s bad necessarily, the beat work is fantastic. I just have a problem with Raekwon’s flow. He doesn’t seem to switch it up, so a lot of the album seems to blend together. RZA’s production is fine, but it doesn’t hit as hard as in other Wu-Tang and Wu-Tang adjacent projects. And the opening skit just put me in a bad mood, which is something I can’t really explain. It’s just… like get to the point man, get to the rhymes. I don’t wanna hear this shit. And then he gets to the rapping, and it’s fine. But that’s about all I can give it
standard 90s hip hop
The solo album that really isn’t. Great rapping, shame about the attitudes (misogyny, homophobia) which drops my rating. Listens: 2 Fave Track: Guillotine (Swordz) Rating: 3
This is kind of exactly what I was expecting, a very 90's sounding East Coast/Wutang style hip hop record. Didn't really make much of an impression other than that; neither hated nor loved it.
ONE OF THE GREAT HIP HOP ALBUMS. Un boy du Wu-Tang Clan. Thug, mais moins hype que je pensais.
This one was hard for me. I love Wu-Tang, but and I can absolutely feel both their influence, and this album's influence on future generations of rap and hip-hop. But this wasn't my favorite.
Maybe you don’t have to include EVERYTHING wu tang members did in the mid 90s
The flow of the songs made it really easy to listen to. Loved the majority of the lyricism (minus the occasional gay slur), but the spoken word parts in between songs were a bit jarring and didn’t tie the songs together very well.
Striving for Perfection - intro stuff. just a talking skit. (1/5) Knuckleheadz- I liked the beat. Not quiet there yet with the album. Slow start. (2/5) Knowledge God - this is the kind of thing I expected. Good flow and beat. (4/5) Criminology - fun jazzy rnb beat. Easy going (4/5) Incarcerated Scarfaces - lots of sample clips at the beginning. The solo songs are the best so far?? (5/5) Rainy Dayz - this song fucks? The beat is so slick. (5/5) Guillotine - why didn’t the album start like this. I love this sound. Hello again Wu-Tang. (5/5) Can It All Be So Simple - pow pow. Smooth. Like night ride kind of smooth. (5/5) Biters - skit (1/5) Ice Waters - good back beat. Got whiplash from the lyrics (2/5) Glaciers of Ice - the synth in the background is giving graveyard video game for game boy. I really like the ones that just go. Like running. It’s passionate. (3/5) Verbal Intercourse - damn. The lyrics again. It’s dated for sure. (3/5) Wisdom Body - no diggity if it was a secret. Real slow. 👀 (3/5 SEX?) Spot Rusherz - (: . I call these beats: backward beats. They’re strange and hiccup-y. Brings a fun discomfort. Ice Cream - (see above) this song does this as well. It might be because it sounds like it’s in a minor key. It sounds like a Halloween song. “They want their titties sucked. Ice cream.” (4/5 boobs) Wu-Gambinos - the movie clip! Holy shit. Do that in one breath challenge. (3/5) Heaven & Hell - we’re living in hell shrug (4/5 back vocals is going nuts) North Dice - this is a dream sequence. Talking to god (3/5 ur just high and ur babysitter is talking to you ) Less gay slurs and it’d be more than a 3/5 it was just too jarring.
Great ride. Lots of strong imagery and storytelling. The rawness and extensive cast make this record one of the foundational wutang projects. I really loved the vibe of it. Honestly I was about to bail on this project before I saw Raekwon show up.
I enjoyed it but it didn't need to be 70 minutes long. Always fun to hear the individual Wu-Tang Clan members.
Nice Wu-Tang vibe, raw detuned horror-like sounds.
Not bad, a bit too long and nothing really stands out but I can feel it
Good album, just not super my thing.
While not a huge artist, his lyrics and beats are something to behold.
Yeah pretty cool and good idk
Some interesting textures but way too much talking.
y bueno está bien 7/10
first listen great bars, little too long
Cat: really good stuff, just a bit too hard for me
Ok hip hop album, interesting concept for the tracks, but not my thing in the end.
3.5
All of wu tangs stuff is so much better
Man I’m sick of skits in rap albums
Yet another Wu- Tang..... 😑 This one though was probably one of the best ones, if not the best one, to my ears because it's a later one that got rid of the usual funky beats and just sounds more dark and serious
Me fait penser un peu à Jay-Z, mais ne m’accroche pas vraiment
This was cool but I am just not a hip hop fan.
Much better than expected. I enjoyed all the Kungfu samples and the samples in general. The vocals otherwise feel sort of lackluster, but the production is so high that this album is cohesive and keeps the attention.
Ugh. The content is vomitus and gross and stresses me out. But this is an artifact of its time and going back to it strikes me how seamlessly easy it was. Musically, I can get into some of the simple beats and samples. But alas, I won't ever listen to this again. Like I said, it's an artefact of its time and I see no reason to dig up the past.
Filling in missing reviews brought me to a trio of Wu-Tang solo albums, best discussed together in a 3-in-1 review. Already having reviewed “Return to the 36 Chambers” and GZA’s “Liquid Swords,” how do these other Wu-Tang efforts hold up? While these are regarded as solo albums, the members’ first solo albums were all produced by RZA and each feature many Wu-Tang members. They even battled each other for RZA’s best beats - these are solo but Wu-Tang was still very much a collective. But they each have their own style that distinguishes them. Method Man’s “Tical” is my favorite of four solo albums - he brings the right amount of whimsy and fun to some otherwise hard-edged music, and it’s more about getting high than violence. He also keeps things concise - it’s much shorter than the other two, which have a large collection of decent tracks without hits. Raekwon’s “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx” is solid, but lacks the charm found on “Tical.” Ghostface Killah’s “Fishscale” is from later in his career - it's still filled with Wu-Tang cameos, but isn’t produced by RZA. I’m curious how it might compare to his solo debut, “Ironman” (which was RZA-produced). Ultimately, it doesn’t do it for me as much as the earlier Wu-Tang offerings. I do love how self-referential all the Wu-Tang members’ solo work is, though. RZA’s shaolin fixation still pops up, Method Man’s Tical concept (“taking into consideration all lives”) keeps popping up, Ghostface drops Iron Man references, and more - it’s all over, and it helps make it all feel very cohesive.
'old skool' rap - niet slecht
Very much not my genre. But can still appreciate the skill and rhymes of ODB etc.
good album i thought!
It’s fine
Was expecting to not like it but it’s good, just too long. Not as good as other Wu Tan members tho
Un album dérivé du wu, pas m'a tasse de thé. 2.75
I love Wu-Tang so I wanted to love this, but the best I could do was "like." It didn't flow like a Wu-Tang album, and while it had moments of sounding like Wu-Tang, it never achieved the same overall cohesion of sound. I didn't hate it, but I don't think I'll be listening to this again.
Raekwon and the rest of Wu Tang have incredible style and skill, but this album is too long for lyrical content that amounts to "sell drugs, get money, fuck bitches." Other 90s rappers had more to say.
Takin me back! I’ve heard many of the tracks on this album, but never listened to it in its entirety. The beats and rhymes are awesome, and I really like the older, muffled sound of classic hip hop. This pounds in the car too!! Unfortunately I’m taking away a full star just because of all the dialog between songs. I don’t want to hear 90 seconds of people talking about killing n****s. Just get to the music! Listen again: Yes Purchase for my collection: maybe Favourite Song: Incarcerated Scarfaces Ice Cream Rainy Dayz Worst Song: anything with talking at the beginning/end/in between tracks
A lot to try and take in in my first listen to this. I recognise quite a few bits that have been sampled in here which is cool. Some beats had me grooving but the "dramatic scenes" between tracks went over my head.
It was hip hoppy.
Why they be talkin this much?
Rap has been very well represented. Some have been better than others. I feel that the intro was maybe a bit difficult to get into. The beats are simple, but effective.
Some great tunes here, but they're in the minority unfortunately. Should've been 20mins shorter
Fannst smá bleh framan ef svo fór sömplum að fjölga og hlustunin varð áhugaverðari. Reikna ekki með ég renni henni aftur, en ekki leiðinlegt.
one of the wu-tang guys old school hip-hop tons of skits for some reason
generally speaking i don’t love old school rap but this wasn’t bad!!
3.5/5. Pretty good 90s hip hop.
Too cliche and reliant on Nbombs and misogyny imo, although not a bad listen as with most old school hip hop
very indifferent on this one
I wasn't expecting a Trump shout out. Was there a Trump shout-out? I don't fucking know. I'm tripping. On a goddamn school night no less. What has this trip taught me? I need to leave my wife. I'm leaving my wife. Maybe it's a Sunday night thing. Maybe it's this album. It's surely this album.
Chillll
För långt men helt kiva
Filmiskt bra. Bättre än det mesta jag hört i genren. Men varför envisas de med samma versmått? Nog mycket därför jag inte är så förtjust i hippetihopp.
Pretty good, quite samey
Points for the conceptual slant and the beats are great. Maybe it's my mood but the execution of everything didn't do as much for me as I wanted, but I can see why people love it.
pretty cool album - 3 stars
This and Liquid Swords are usually regarded as the best Wu-related solo albums. It's really good, but I personally prefer GZA's album over this one. Still good though.
I had high expectation since most hip-hop album in the book are really great. It's unfortunately not as good as I though. A bit to repetitive
It's a good album, but my expectations were maybe too high considering the line-up on this. It's more average hip-hop than innovative or groundbreaking. The biggest concern is that IT'S TOO LONG WINDED.
Pääsääntöisesti eu-tang on parempi osiensa summana, kun erikseen. Ei tää huono ollut muttei mitenkään erityinen mun korvaan. 3/4
Wu-Tangista tuttua laatua. 3/5 ei oo kuitenkaan mun genre
Eh. A decent record.
My lack of appreciation for 90s hip hop continues to shine here. This sounds like wu tang man which is good but I’m having a hard time really connecting with the older sounding rap
It was a fine listen, run of the mill wu-tang affiliated project. Lots of Ghostface. Raekwon’s flow is gritty and harsh. The sparse sampling and simple beats was a nice touch. It was dope hearing some Method Man. It still fell flat with dumb skits and a few bloated tracks. I don't know if it’s better or worse than 26 Chambers, but it’s still worth a listen if you like slimy,NYC street rap.
Ripped my old woman a new arsehole whilst this played on the stereo. An exquisite Thursday afternoon. A noticeable smell of pussy was in the air and wide brimmed smiles were glued on the faces of all involved.
Beats 5, lyrics 2, overall 3
Pretty disappointed in this one. I found most of the songs to be quite bland and grating to listen to. Lack of any hooks or catchy melodies kind of just pulled me to sleep. 5/10
I was only able to access a few songs, not the whole album. It was ok. It is good rap, but it is also rough on the ear drums
Non è male, ma non riesco a seguire i testi. Bella 'Rainy Dayz', probabilmente per il feat con la voce femminile di Blue Raspberry
There was some good stuff here but over all the album was bloated and would have been better with less. The spoken portions sound like false bravado and forced, but that's probably just my ignorant take. Ice Cream sounded delicious.
Is Raekwon the most boring member of the Wu-Tang Clan? All signs (including this album) point to yes. Best track: Criminology
Not my preferred style. Put together very well.
Rap, but I liked it more than I thought that I would.
It's not bad, I hadn't heard of these guys before, but very similar to the rap I grew up with.
Not my style but it's good
fever dream 90s hiphop. like a road trip that's slightly too long
For some reason this album gets loads of plaudits from the same type of hip hop fan who bang on about Illmatic. It's actually one of the weaker early Wu-tang efforts whilst still having the identity and enough strong tunes and production to drive it.
East Coast Hip hop for a long time
Pretty good and emblematic of the era. I spent about half the album thinking it came out in *1985* and was VERY IMPRESSED. 1995 is more sensical. I like it and would listen again, but also was not totally swayed by it.
I thought it was decent but nothing gamechanging. I liked all the Wu cameos. Especially Ghostface was all over the album. Is this the original version of the rapper/mobster/villain/mastermind persona?
Rap. I always have a problem because rap is not a genre I listen to. The skits are annoying. The samples are fresh and sparse. The F-Ratr is v high. Lots of lyrics about tough life in the street. The album is also way too long . Some of th be tracks are kinda pleasing. 3
The offbeat samples (some syrupy – almost woozy – classical strings, old movie soundtracks, eerily repeating bells over simple drum tracks, classic soul) make the record, but maybe don’t make it quite the cinematic or novelistic experience its creators intended. Does this record reflect the height of gangsta’s baroque period? Still, it’s an interesting listen.
Few decent songs, but just couldn't get fully into it.
It's not a hiphop subgenre I listen to that much, but it's alright. It's too much to listen to an hour of though
Mixed bag for me. By the end I was coming to appreciate it a bit more but mostly it just seemed a bit of a mess
A lovely accompaniment to the Wu Tang docudrama on Disney+ It's all guns, bitches and homophobia, which is not my jam. One liners in foreign slang with great rhythms and samples does tick my boxes though.
When Raekwon and Ghost Face Killah conclude on this LP’s closer, ‘What do you believe in? heaven or hell? You don’t believe in heaven cause we’re living in hell,’ I believe it. 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx' features heavenly talent traveling through hellish scenarios, the stuff of which this genre of rap is known for: violence (both on the street but also the lauding of gangsters and the martial arts), materialism, drug (soft and hard) and alcohol use. Words tumble out of the lyrically prolific Raekwon like a pair of dice tossed in desperate hope against an alley wall. Each song is a little vignette into the world in which he and his crew (an array of hip hop artists including several members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Blue Rasberry) live and move. I was surprised, pleasantly, at the minimalist background instruments and samples, often only a simple drum beat, one or few notes played repeatedly on the piano, and a simple synthesized string part. Some rap can get a little too busy, over produced. 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx’s' space was much more Spartan in its delivery, or perhaps, more appropriately, Zen Buddhist (in the aesthetic sense rather than as a lifestyle.) From the git-go Raekwon is self-admittedly ‘Striving for Perfection,’ and claims he’s going to give this one last shot, and is encouraged by his crew to ‘Keep our heads up.’ ‘Let’s do it,’ Raekwon announces, with nothing left but conviction, confession, and talent, qualities the denizens of heaven share themselves. In addition to the circumstantial hell Raekwon finds himself in, might it be helpful for him (and us) to further consider just how much of that hell is self-imposed?
It's not for me, but I'm not the target audience. I didn't mind Knuckleheadz, and North Star but didn't dig too deep into any of the songs.
Yeah the beats and flow are pretty good, almost like another Wu album as so many end up on here. Solid rap album.
Добротный прямолинейный альбом, образец олдскульного звучания, нотки которого в русском рэпе можно было слышать и в середине десятых годов.
First listen to this, Good among other albums of the time, but not really for me. Favourites: "Knuckleheadz", "Ice Cream", "Heaven & Hell"